Wesley is new US Champion
USA Championship 2017 Saint Louis, Missouri March 29-April 11, 2017
Final Standings (all participants are GMs)
1-2 Wesley So 2822, Alexander Onischuk 2667, 7.0/11
3-5 Varuzhan Akobian 2645, Hikaru Nakamura 2793, Fabiano Caruana 2817, 6.5/11
6 Yaroslav Zherebukh 2605, 5.5/11
7-9 Daniel Naroditsky 2646, Samuel L Shankland 2666, Gata Kamsky 2659, 5.0/11 10 Ray Robson 2668, 4.5/11 11 Jeffery Xiong 2674, 4.0/11 12 Alexander Shabalov 2556, 3.5/11
Average Rating 2685 – Category 18 Time Control: 90 minutes for the 1st 40 moves, then 30 minutes for the rest of the game with 30 seconds added after every move starting move 1
To break the tie for 1st place Wesley had to play a two-game rapid match (25 minutes play to finish with five seconds added after every move) with GM Alexander Onischuk. He won the 1st game and drew the 2nd to crown himself as Chess Champion of the United States of America.
For the awarding ceremonies he arrived in a barong tagalog, emphasizing that he is a Filipino. The only thing he has not yet done is to wrap himself in a Philippine flag. I will suggest it to him next time.
His victory in round 9 over the current World Junior Champion Jeffery Xiong is one heck of a game. I can’t wait to show it to you.
Xiong, Jeffery (2674) – So, Wesley (2822) [E05]
USA- Ch 2017 Saint Louis ( 9), 07.04.2017
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5
The Catalan Opening features 1.d4 in combination with g2–g3, quite a potent combination. I would like to echo some very wise words of GM Viorel Bologan in “The Powerful Catalan” that you should not “think of the Catalan as an independent opening, unconnected with any other. If you wish to build a general repertoire based on the fianchetto of the king’s bishop, then you need to study a whole range of variations with the bishop on g2. This includes g2–g3 against the Benko Gambit, the King’s Indian, the Benoni and the Gruenfeld. If you have this general conception to meet these systems with a kingside fianchetto, then you will develop a better feel for the positions, the more ideas you are familiar with. This improves your understanding of chess in general because ideas from one opening can be used in others, and such interconnectedness is very useful."
4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 0–0 6.0–0 dxc4
This is the main line of the Catalan. 7.Qc2
Wesley So with White defeated Nakamura from this position in a very well-played game and featured one of the best end games from 2016. 7. Ne5 Nc6 8. Nxc6 bxc6 9. Na3 Bxa3 10.bxa3 Ba6 11.Qd2 Rb8 12. Qa5 Qc8 13. a4 Rd8 14.Ba3 Rxd4 15.Rfb1 Rb6 16. Bc5 Rd7 17. Rd1 h6 18.Rxd7 Nxd7 19.Bxb6 cxb6 20.Qd2 c5 21.Rd1 Nf6 22.Kf1 Kh7 23.Qc2+ Kg8 24. Qd2 Kh7 25. Qd8 Qxd8 26. Rxd8 c3 ( Wesley has rook for knight and two pawns but Black's pawns in the queenside look troublesome. However, in “The Most Instructive Endgames of 2016” GM Arkadij Naiditsch remarks that Wesley’s excellent play proves that this position is already completely lost for Black! 27.Ke1 Bc4 28.Kd1 Bxa2 29.Kc2 Bc4 30.e3 b5 31.Kxc3 a6 32.Ra8 Nd5+ 33.Bxd5 exd5 34.a5 b4+ 35.Kd2 Bf1 36.Rc8 c4 37.Rb8 b3 38. Kc3 1– 0 ( 38) So, W. ( 2771) - Nakamura,H. (2791) Saint Louis 2016. Really impressive stuff.
7...a6 8.a4
In GM Boris Avrukh’s famous book on the Catalan he initially recommended 8.Qxc4 as the most promising continuation for White followed by 8...b5 9.Qc2 Bb7 10.Bd2 but in the second edition of the book he commented that 10... Bd6 “has become Black’s most popular move at high levels in recent years.” In the second edition of that book he now recommends the text continuation, saying that it “leads to a radically different type of game where White prevents the opponent’s queenside expansion at the cost of a slight weakening of his own queenside, especially the b4–square.”
8...Bd7 9.Rd1!?
The most popular continuation ( by far) is 9. Qxc4 Bc6 10. Bf4, but it is true that White’s 9th move, introduced by GM Oleg Romanishin 30 years ago, has the best batting average. Here is the sensational game which made it popular then: Oleg Romanishin vs Georgy Agzamov, URS- Ch First League 1980. 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 e6 4.0– 0 Be7 5. d4 0– 0 6. c4 dxc4 7. Qc2 a6 8. a4 Bd7 9. Rd1 Bc6 10. Nc3 Bb4 11. Bg5 Nbd7 12.d5 exd5 13.Nxd5 Bxd5 14.Rxd5 Qe7 15. Bh3 Qe8 16. Rd4 h6 17. Bxd7 Nxd7 18. Re4 Qc8 19. Bxh6 Nf6 20. Rxc4 c5 21. Rf4 Nh7 22. Rh4 gxh6 23. Rxh6 f5 24. Qc4+ Kg7 25. Qh4 Rh8 26. Rd1 c4 27. Ne5 1– 0. A game like this can really inspire other aficionados to take up the line.
9...Bc6 10.Nc3 Bxf3 11.Bxf3 Nc6
Wesley is threatening ... Na5 which makes it difficult for White to regain his pawn. Black does not worry much about damaging his pawn structure as he will get rid of White's Catalan bishop and obtain the b- file for his rook.
12.Bxc6 bxc6 13.Bg5 Rb8 14.e3 c5
According to GM Moradiabadi, who was observing the game in Saint Louis, Xiong was surprised by this move which has only been played once before. The move 14...a5 is almost automatic here.
15.dxc5 Qe8 16.Rd4 Nd7!
Wesley’s improvement over 16... Rb4 which was played in Sjugirov vs Smirnov, the only other game where 14...c5 occurred. 17.Na2 Qxa4 18.Nxb4 Qxa1+ 19.Kg2 Qa5 20.Nc6 Qxc5 Black's pieces were awkward but he managed to hold the position. Sjugirov, S. (2624) – Smirnov, P. (2610) Novosibirsk 2012 1/2 26.
17.Bxe7 Qxe7 18.c6 Ne5
Black has activated all his pieces and must be at least equal now.
19.Qe4 Qc5
With the idea of ...f7–f5. 20.Nd5
Hoping for 20... exd5 21. Qxe5 Qxc6 22.Rxd5 after which White's position is better.
20...Nd3! 21.Nxc7
Take a deep breath, for now the deep tactics start.
21...Nxf2! 22.Kxf2?
Not the best defense. This is all very hard to assess, but I believe the consensus among GMs is that best is 22.Nxa6! Qg5 (22...Nxe4 23.Nxc5 Nxc5 24.Rxc4 Black is a piece up but the connected passed pawns on the queenside appear to be more than enough compensation) and now
23.Qf3! Rxb2 24.c7 White's c7 pawn is scary but if Black had nerves of steel he will calculate that 24... Nh3+ 25. Kh1 h6 26. Rf1 Qa5! ( a difficult move to see – Black’s queen attacks White’s knight, protects against Rd8 and at the same time prevents 27. Rxc4 because of 27... Qd2 with unstoppable mating threats) 27. Rxc4 ( 27. g4 Qxa6 28. Rd8 Ng5 29. Qf4 c3 Black is clearly winning) 27... Qd2);
23.Kxf2 Rxb2+ 24.Ke1 Rxh2 25.Qf3 Rh1+! 26.Qxh1 Qxe3+ 27.Kf1 Qxd4 28.Re1 Qb6 29.Qh5! Qxc6 Objectively both sides have chances but it is easier to play with Black because of the white king’s exposed status.
22...Rxb2+ 23.Kf1
After 23.Kg1? Black has the same reply: 23...Qh5! 24.h4 Qe2 White will be mated.
23...Qh5 24.Qg4 Qxh2 25.Qf3 c3!
Cold- blooded. Realizing that White’s pieces are temporarily tied up to the defense of his King Wesley just pushes his passed pawn down the board.
26.Rc1 e5! <D> POSITION AFTER 26...E5
The critical position. The White rook cannot leave the 4th rank because if it does then ... e4! forces the White queen to abandon defense of either h1 or f2, resulting in checkmate. Since it cannot leave the 4th rank the choice is between Rh4 and Rc4. Which one should he play?
27.Rh4?
The best defense is 27.Rc4! which still loses but forces Black to negotiate some difficult tactics.
The “obvious” winning move of 27... Qd2? is refuted by 28.Rd1 Qc2 (we will revisit this position later) 29.Nd5 and it is White who wins.
Wesley would have to find 27...Rfb8 ( getting ready for ...Qd2 which can now no longer be met by Rd1 because of ... Rb1!) 28. Nd5 ( 28. g4 Rb1) 28... Rf2+! 29.Qxf2 Qh1+ 30.Qg1 (30.Ke2 Rb2+) 30... Qxd5 31.R4xc3 Rb2 32.c7 Qf3+ right in the nick of time 33.Ke1 Qe2#.
27...Qd2! 28.Rd1 Rd8!!
Poor Jeffery! How can he be faulted for missing this shot?
29.Nd5
Not 29. Rxd2 Rdxd2 30. Kg1 Rb1+ 31. Qf1 Rxf1+ 32. Kxf1 c2 33. Rc4 Rd1+ 34.Ke2 c1Q 35.Rxc1 Rxc1 Black wins.
29...Rxd5 30.Rd4
[30.Qxd5 Qf2#] 30...Rxd4
Please do not fall for 30...exd4?? 31.c7 the pawn will queen.
31.exd4 Qxd1+! 0–1
Jeffery resigns. After 31... Qxd1+ 32.Qxd1 c2 33.Qd2 Rb1+ 34.Ke2 c1Q it is hopeless.
Hang on! In the position on the diagram we said that 27.Rh4 fails and best would be 27.Rc4. The difference between the two moves is that the rook will now be on the c-file instead of h-file. How does it affect the combination? This the position I told you we would revisit above. After 7.Rc4 Qd2 28.Rd1 if Black had continued as in the game with 28...Rd8 (instead of the losing 28...Qd2) then this would be refuted by 29.Nd5 Rxd5 and now 30.Rxd2! Rdxd2 31.Qe2 Rxe2 (The big difference. With the rook on c4 the combination 31...Rb1+ 32.Kf2 Rxe2+ 33.Kxe2 no longer works) 32.c7 the c7–pawn cannot be stopped and so Black is forced to resort to perpetual check.
I think the BW reader will agree with me that ordinary mortals are not capable of playing such a game. Only people like Wesley So.