2010 US Championship Underway

The 2010 US Championship began on Friday at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis. Thanks to club sponsor Rex Sinquefield for backing a most generous prize fund of $170,000, including $35,000 for 1st place and $3,000 minimum for last. The novel format is a nine round swiss with one major variation. After round 7, the top four players split from the main swiss and face off in a round-robin quad to determine the top prizes. The "Final Four" plays ten games to determine the national champion while everyone else completes the nine round swiss, with the winner earning 5th place. This ensures that the best players face each other at the end.

The field of 24 participants includes all of America's top Grandmasters, a few older veterans and the brightest young talent. Will defending champion Hikaru Nakamura (photo by Betsy Dynako at top right) flex his muscles to become the first repeat winner in 25 years? Or will fellow Olympiad team (photo by Mike Klein below) members Gata Kamsky, Alex Onischuk, Yury Shulman and Varuzhan Akobian snatch the top honors? Or perhaps one of the three talented teenagers will surprise everyone, like last year when Robert Hess took 2nd place.Defending champion: Nakamura
Favorites: Kamsky, Onischuk
Contenders: Shulman, Akobian, Lenderman
Star Juniors: Hess, Robson, Shankland
Former Champions: Shabalov, Christiansen, Benjamin, Yermolinsky
The Field: Ehlvest, Kaidanov, Kudrin, Stripunsky, Bhat, Finegold, Khachiyan, Kraai, Gurevich, Krush, Altounian

Of course, many readers of this blog will cheer for the California players. Vinay Bhat has come home after spending more than a year traveling the European chess circuit. Gaining 73 FIDE rating points in the past 9 months, he may be a dark horse to surprise everyone. CalChess State Champions Sam Shankland and Jesse Kraai both have the potential to beat anyone, but it is unclear if they can maintain that high level of play over the full 9 or 10 rounds. Many Bay Area chess fans still consider 2-time US Champion Alex Yermolinsky as a local hero, although he moved to South Dakota a few years ago. Finally, Melik Khachiyan of Los Angeles has developed an pool of students from Northern California.

Readers may watch games live daily beginning at noon Pacific time. The Internet Chess Club offers live audio and video broadcasts from Saint Louis for its members (observe boards 1 through 12). Monroi broadcasts live moves for free. The official tournament website also promises live games, but their bandwidth was too low yesterday.

Key Round 1 Results: Stripunsky 0-1 Nakamura, Kamsky 1-0 Robson, Shulman 1/2 Bhat, Lenderman 0-1 Khachiyan (photo at right by Betsy Dynako), Hess 1-0 Shankland, Kraai 1/2 Shabalov.

Vini, Vidi, Vishy!

Congratulations to Anand!

This morning, 40-year old Indian Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand successfully defended his world chess title by defeating challenger Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria. The 12 game title match ended in a narrow 6.5-5.5 score after Anand won today's final game as black. This was the only game that the player of the black pieces won; white had already won four games--two by each participant. This title defense solidified Anand's status as the unified 15th World Champion, following a direct line from Fischer to Karpov to Kasparov to Kramnik and finally to Anand.

The final game seemed typical of the entire match. Playing white, Topalov achieved a pleasant middlegame out of the Queen's Gambit Declined opening. Knowing Anand's reputation in rapid and blitz games, Topalov couldn't afford to play a tiebreaker and had to find a way to win today, even risking defeat. Anand, defending patiently, saw his opportunity on move 30 and struck with a dangerous pawn sacrifice f7-f5! After 33... Rd4 and 34... Qe8, white's monarch was in grave danger, a complete reversal of how this match began in game 1. While Topalov escaped the mating web today, the attack cost him the queen. Game! Set! Match!

Final Standings: Anand 6.5 - Topalov 5.5

1. Topalov 1-0 Anand -- replay -- Chessbase report -- ICC video
2. Anand 1-0 Topalov -- replay -- Chessbase report -- ICC video
3. Topalov 1/2 Anand -- replay -- Chessbase report -- ICC video
4. Anand 1-0 Topalov -- replay -- Chessbase report -- ICC video
5. Topalov 1/2 Anand -- replay -- Chessbase report -- ICC video
6. Anand 1/2 Topalov -- replay -- Chessbase report -- ICC video
7. Anand 1/2 Topalov -- replay -- Chessbase report -- ICC video
8. Topalov 1-0 Anand -- replay -- Chessbase report -- ICC video
9. Anand 1/2 Topalov -- replay -- Chessbase report -- ICC video
10. Topalov 1/2 Anand -- replay -- Chessbase report -- ICC video
11. Anand 1/2 Topalov -- replay -- Chessbase report -- ICC video
12. Topalov 0-1 Anand -- replay -- Chessbase report -- ICC video
    

What is next? According to the World Chess Federation FIDE, eight players will complete a series of knockout matches for the right to challenge Anand in a title match. The players are Topalov, Carlsen, Kramnik, Kamsky, Aronian, Gelfand and two more. These candidates matches are currently penciled in for December 2010 in Azerbaijan, while the next World Championship could be held as soon as the end of 2011. Unfortunately, FIDE has a reputation of not following through on its official commitments, so we will need to wait and see what actually transpires.

Three Foot Tall Chocolate Chess Set

The family of Utah chess prodigy Kayden Troff hires a chocolate shop to make a giant chessboard with 3-foot pieces. The store owners use more than 1,100 pounds of chocolate while attempting their biggest project ever. After days of hard work, they deliver the board with 32 solid chocolate pieces at a chess camp run by 11 year old master Kayden, his family and their friends.

Little Chocolatiers is an American reality television series on TLC that airs Tuesday evenings. The show is based on Steve Hatch and his wife Katie Masterson's chocolate shop in Salt Lake City and how they make their chocolate.

• Part I on YouTube
• Part II on YouTube (or click on the video player at top)
  

Bay Area Results from Elementary Nationals

A whopping 55 local youngsters, their parents and coaches flew to Atlanta for the Bert Lerner National Elementary Championship this weekend. The local delegation includes most of the Bay Area's elite elementary age players plus large teams from the two strong Fremont schools. I hope these kids can bring home a few national titles plus an assortment of trophies from many different sections! Go Bay Area!

Northern California Standings
(final results)
(click here for full results)

K-6

• Daniel Liu 6.0, NATIONAL CHAMPION!!! (4th on tiebreaks)
  
• Kevin Moy 5.0, 18th place (tied for 16th, beating three 1700s)
  
• Daniel Ho 5.0, 24th place (tied for 16th)
  

K-5

• Allan Beilin 6.5, NATIONAL CHAMPION!!! (clear 1st)
  
• Art Zhao 6.0, 4th place (tied for 2nd)
  
• Kesav Viswanadha 5.5, 8th place (tied for 7th)
  
• Jeffrey Tao 5.5, 16th place (tied for 7th)
• Armaan Kalyanpur 5.5, 17th place (tied for 7th)
  
• Alvin Kong 5.0, 31st place (tied for 19th)
  
• Cameron Wheeler 5.0, 33rd place (tied for 19th)
  

K-3

• FM Tanuj Vasudeva 6.0, 4th place (tied for 2nd, losing to top seed Roland Feng)
  
• Michael Wang 5.5, 13th place (tied for 9th, also losing against Roland Feng)
• Leyton Ho 5.5, 17th place (tied for 9th)
  
• Amit Sant 5.0, 24th place (tied for 19th)
  

K-1

• Solomon Ge 6.0, 6th place (tied for 3rd)
  
• John Chan 5.5, 18th place (tied for 12th)
  
• Luke Zhao 5.0, 33rd place (tied for 25th)
• Mihir Bhuptani 5.0, 38th place(tied for 25th)
  

Team Standings

• Weibel K-6 finished in THIRD PLACE!
  
• MSJE K-6 took 10th place
  
• MSJE K-5 took THIRD PLACE
  
• Weibel K-5 slipped to 17th place
• Weibel K-3 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!! (2nd on tiebreaks)
  
• MSJE K-3 got 5th place
  
• MSJE K-1 took SECOND PLACE!!
  

If anyone who was in Atlanta took photos at the awards ceremony, pretty please with a cherry on top send me some pictures for my blog.

I'm a Perfect Square

(Yes, I do love strawberries!)

Thank you to all of my friends and fans who sent birthday wishes yesterday. I really appreciate the many friends that I have, ranging from my youngest elementary age students to chess veterans who began playing during the Fischer boom of the 1960s and early 1970s. Amazingly, I personally know at least six fans of the royal game who also were born on May 6, including two of my private students plus a resident of the East Bay's famed GM House (Jesse Kraai).

There's a lot going on in the world of chess this week. Foremost is the World Championship match between defending champion Viswanathan Anand and challenger Veselin Topalov. The score is tied at 5.0 with two games remaining on Sunday and Tuesday, starting at 5:00am Pacific time. If they are still tied, then rapid and blitz playoffs are scheduled for Thursday. Let's go Vishy!!!

Back in the USA, the Bert Lerner National Elementary Championship began in Atlanta. The crowd of 2000+ participants includes 55 enthusiastic youngsters from Northern California. Many of the elite local players flew east, including: Daniel Liu (K-6), Kesav Viswanadha (K-5), FM Tanuj Vasudeva (K-3), Allan Beilin (K-5), Cameron Wheeler (K-5) and the severely underrated Michael Wang (K-3). A pair of Fremont schools are hunting for big team trophies: 2009 national champ Mission San Jose Elementary and crosstown punching bag Weibel Elementary both have over 15 kids. Click here for updated standings and pairings from Atlanta.

Finally, I hope to play in the Powell G/45 tournament tomorrow at the Mechanics' Institute. I expect to see many of my students. Will preteen terror NM Yian Liou win for the second month in a row? Can any of my lower rated kids scalp an expert or a master? And will I perform well enough to eek my USCF rating back above my lifetime floor of 2200. Wish us all good luck!

Topalov Levels Score in World Championship

This morning, the challenger Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria leveled the score of the World Championship match at 4 games each. He continued a theoretical discussion in the Slav defense, this time obtaining an advantage in an opposite colored bishops endgame. However, the defending champion Viswanathan Anand of India defended resourcefully and would have drawn if he had not blundered with 54... Bc6?? Better was Ba4, allowing the Bishop to defend h7 if needed. Black resigned two moves later because he couldn't stop White's Pawns and active King, e.g. 56... Be8 57. g5 Bc6 58. f4 Be8 59. Bg7 Bc6 60. g6 hxg6 61. Kxg6 Bd7 62. Kf6 Kh7 63. Ke7 Ba4 64. d7 Bxd7 65. Kxd7 Kxg7 66. Kxe6.

Only four games remain in the match! Watch the action LIVE on ICC on Thursday, Friday, Sunday and Tuesday beginning at 5:00 in the morning PDT. Anand plays White on Thursday and Sunday.

Current Standings: Anand 5.5 - Topalov 5.5

1. Topalov 1-0 Anand -- replay -- Chessbase report -- ICC video
2. Anand 1-0 Topalov -- replay -- Chessbase report -- ICC video
3. Topalov 1/2 Anand -- replay -- Chessbase report -- ICC video
4. Anand 1-0 Topalov -- replay -- Chessbase report -- ICC video
5. Topalov 1/2 Anand -- replay -- Chessbase report -- ICC video
6. Anand 1/2 Topalov -- replay -- Chessbase report -- ICC video
7. Anand 1/2 Topalov -- replay -- Chessbase report -- ICC video
8. Topalov 1-0 Anand -- replay -- Chessbase report -- ICC video
9. Anand 1/2 Topalov -- replay -- Chessbase report -- ICC video
10. Topalov 1/2 Anand -- replay -- Chessbase report -- ICC video
11. Anand 1/2 Topalov -- replay -- Chessbase report -- ICC video
    

If the match somehow ends knotted at 6-6, rapid and blitz tiebreaks will be played on Thursday, May 13. Tiebreak format: Four action games G/25+10 sec/move. If still tied, up to five pairs of blitz games G/5+3 sec/move (as many as 10 games total). If still tied after 12 classical games and 14 rapid/blitz games, they play a single Armageddon game where White has 5 minutes against 4 (no increment) but Black gets draw odds.