You won't see games like this in Moscow!

[Javier]

Yesterday's 8th round of the USA Championship was very interesting.

Kamsky had won his game earlier, and that meant hat he was virtually 1 point ahead of Nakamura in the standings, until his game was over, of course. At one point of the game, I thought Nakamura was going to lose.

 

 

Fascinating struggle!

 

 

ch-USA 2012 Saint Louis USA 2012

 

						 1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8  
 1 Nakamura,Hi   2775  +1  -½  +1  -½  +1  -½  +½  -1   6.0/8
					10  12  7   3   8   4   5   11  
 2 Kamsky,G	  2741  +1  -½  +1  -0  +1  -½  +1  -1   6.0/8
					12  7   3   8   4   5   11  6  
 3 Onischuk,Al   2660  -1  +½  -0  +½  -1  +½  -½  -½   4.5/8
					11  6   2   1   10  12  7   9  
 4 Akobian,V	 2625  +1  +½  -0  +½  -0  +½  -1  +1   4.5/8
					9   5   11  6   2   1   10  12  
 5 Shulman,Y	 2571  +½  -½  +1  +½  -½  +½  -½  +½   4.5/8
					8   4   9   11  6   2   1   10  
 6 Lenderman,A   2587  +1  -½  +½  -½  +½  -½  +½  +0   4.0/8
					7   3   8   4   5   11  9   2  
 7 Robson,R	  2614  -0  +½  -0  +1  -1  -0  +½  -½   3.5/8
					6   2   1   10  12  9   3   8  
 8 Kaidanov,G	2594  -½  +1  -½  +1  -0  +0  -0  +½   3.5/8
					5   11  6   2   1   10  12  7  
 9 Seirawan,Y	2643  -0  +0  -0  +1  -0  +1  -½  +½   3.0/8
					4   10  5   12  11  7   6   3  
10 Hess,Ro	   2635  -0  -1  +½  -0  +0  -1  +0  -½   3.0/8
					1   9   12  7   3   8   4   5  
11 Stripunsky,A  2562  +0  -0  +1  -½  +1  +½  -0  +0   3.0/8
					3   8   4   5   9   6   2   1  
12 Ramirez,Alej  2593  -0  +½  -½  -0  +0  -½  +1  -0   2.5/8
					2   1   10  9   7   3   8   4  

 

 

 

 

[Event "ch-USA 2012"]

[site "Saint Louis USA"]

[Date "2012.05.16"]

[Round "8"]

[White "Stripunsky, A."]

[black "Nakamura, Hi"]

[Result "0-1"]

[ECO "C04"]

[WhiteElo "2562"]

[blackElo "2775"]

[Annotator "I.M. Javier Gil"]

[PlyCount "142"]

[EventDate "2012.05.08"]

 

[pgn]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nc6 4. Ngf3 Nf6 5. e5 Nd7 6. Nb3 a5 7. a4 Be7 8. Bb5

Na7 9. Bd3 b6 10. Bd2 c5 11. dxc5 Nxc5 12. Nxc5 bxc5 13. b3 O-O 14. Qe2 Nc6 15.

Bb5 Qb6 16. O-O Ba6 17. c4 Bb7 18. Rad1 Nb4 19. Ng5 h6 20. Nh3 d4 21. Nf4 Kh7

22. Rfe1 Rg8 23. Nd3 Raf8 24. Nxb4 axb4 25. Qd3+ g6 26. Bf4 Kg7 27. Qh3 g5 28.

Bg3 Kh7 29. Qg4 Rg6 30. h3 Kg7 31. Qh5 Rg8 32. Rd3 Qa7 33. f3 (33. Rf3 {

Inviting black to take and possibly planning Rf6.} Qa8 (33... Bxf3 34. Qxf3 {

Planning Bc6-e4.}) 34. Rf6 Bxf6 35. exf6+ Rxf6 36. f3 (36. Be5 {Unfortunately

this doesnt quite work.} Bxg2 37. Bxf6+ Kxf6 38. f3 Bxf3 39. Rf1 g4) 36... Rf5

{And black is doing fine.}) 33... Bd8 34. Kf2 Kf8 {I find it hard to believe

that black can many any progress here if white decides to keep still. The game

seems equal. But with a Bishop on c7, f7-f5 becomes possible and black seems

to have some chances on the kingside.} 35. Ke2 Bc7 36. Kd1 Qa8 37. Kc1 f5 38.

Bh2 Ke7 39. Rd2 f4 40. Bg1 Qf8 41. Bxd4 {Not a bad sacrifice. Black was

probably threatening Qf5, although Im not sure if thats a significant threat,

as Bxe5 can be met by Rde2.} (41. Rxd4 cxd4 42. Bxd4 Qf5) (41. Bf2 Qf5) 41...

cxd4 42. Rxd4 Bc8 {Covering d7.} 43. c5 Qg7 44. Rd6 {White will be a Rook down,

but the black pieces can hardly move.} Bxd6 45. cxd6+ Kd8 {From g7, the black

Queen can go to e7, grabbing the a7-g1 diagonal.} 46. Bd3 Bb7 {Heading for d5.}

47. Qxg6 Qxg6 48. Bxg6 Rxg6 49. Rd1 {Planning Rd4.} Bd5 50. Rd4 Kd7 (50... Bxb3

51. Rxb4 Bd5 52. Rb8+ Kd7 53. Rh8 Rg7 54. Rxh6 Kc6 {Seems a little better for

black.}) 51. Rxb4 Rg8 52. Kd2 Rf8 53. a5 h5 54. Rb6 Ra8 55. b4 g4 56. hxg4 hxg4

57. fxg4 Bxg2 58. a6 Bd5 59. Rb5 f3 (59... Rxa6 {Not a good move.} 60. Ra5 Rb6

(60... Rxa5 61. bxa5 {This would even win for white, as the 3 white pawns

cannot be stopped now.}) 61. b5 {And the black pieces have become passive.

White threatens to advance his g pawn combined with a possible check on a7.})

60. Ke3 Rf8 61. Kf2 Rh8 62. Rxd5 {A mistake in a really hard fought game.} (62.

Rc5 {This was the correct idea, activating the Rook. The black f pawn is

probably not as dangerous as it looks.} Rh2+ 63. Ke1 {And now perhaps black

has nothing better than a draw, as I dont think f2 works.} (63. Ke3 Re2+ 64.

Kd4 Re4+ 65. Kc3 Rxe5) 63... f2+ (63... Rh1+ 64. Kf2 Rh2+) 64. Kf1 Be4 65. Rc7+

Kd8 66. Rc3 {It is now black who is fighting for a draw.}) 62... exd5 63. b5 (

63. Kxf3 Ke6 64. b5 Kxe5) 63... Rb8 64. g5 (64. a7 Ra8 65. b6 Kc6 66. e6 Kxb6 {

And the white pawns are too slow.}) 64... Rxb5 65. g6 Rb8 66. a7 (66. Kxf3 Ke6)

66... Ra8 67. g7 Ke6 68. Kxf3 Kxe5 69. d7 Kd6 70. Kf4 Kxd7 71. Ke5 Kc6 0-1[/pgn]

 

Both Nakamura and Kamsky are now on 6 points, 1.5 ahead of the rest of the field, and they still have to play each other... can't wait for that one.