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Following his remarkable showing on Saturday, Levon Aronian safely got the half point he needed to beat Ray Robson and win the Champions Bracket in the open section of the American Cup. Aronian will get a rest day before facing either Robson or Wesley So in the tournament’s deciding match (or pair of matches, if the winner of the Elimination Bracket beats Aronian).
So qualified to the final of the Elimination Bracket by knocking out none other than Fabiano Caruana. The Filipino-born grandmaster defeated his colleague in blitz tiebreakers after bouncing back from a loss in game 2 of the rapid section.
Coincidentally, Aronian and So were the runners-up in the previous two editions. In 2022, Aronian lost the final against Caruana, while last year So was defeated by Nakamura.
Understanding Middlegame Strategies Vol.1 - 9
In this Video-Course we deal with different dynamic decisions involving pawns. The aim of this Course is to arm club/tournament players with fresh ideas which they can use in their own practice.
Both of So’s wins featured tense manoeuvring battles. In the blitz encounter, a materially balanced position with bishops of opposite colours saw Caruana failing to deal with a dangerous passer on the c-file.
Black’s passer is more dangerous than its blocked colleague on a5. White nonetheless found the correct continuation here — 45.Rb8 Qxb8 46.Bxb8 Rxb8
Only at this point did Caruana falter in defence.
47.Kf2 was the losing mistake. It is understandable, though, that Caruana missed the drawing continuation — i.e. 47.Qd6 Rb1+ 48.Kh2 c2 (diagram).
Opening package: 1.b3 and Black Secrets in the Modern Italian
Wesley So published two new opening DVDs: 1.b3, the so called Nimzo-Larsen-Attack, for White and his black secrets in the modern Italian. Get them in a package and save money!
In a blitz game, it is tough to foresee that 49.Qxa6, allowing 49...c1Q, is drawn for White due to a perpetual check. With seconds on the clock, allowing a new queen to appear on the board is always scary!
After the text, So showed good technique to make the most of his passed pawn and grab a crucial full point.
Wesley So | Photo: Lennart Ootes
For a fifth time in three editions of the American Cup, Irina Krush obtained a match victory over 14-year-old Alice Lee. Krush won the Champions Bracket by grabbing full points in both classical games. Notwithstanding, Lee demonstrated her fighting spirit in 2022 and 2023 by getting rematches after winning the Elimination Bracket. On Monday, she will try to repeat that feat in her rapid match against Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova.
Tokhirjonova advanced to the Elimination Bracket by beating 2-time U.S. women’s champion Jennifer Yu in a match featuring four decisive games. Torkhirjonova came very close to winning the 2023 U.S. Women’s Championship, as she finished a half point behind Carissa Yip after missing a chance to score a full point in the final round.
Making the right decisions in chess - Fundamentals
In a total of 6 chapters, we look at the following aspects: the right decision based on tactical factors, decisions in exchanges and moves, complex and psychological decisions in longer games and in defence.
The tension was palpable in the fourth game between Tokhirjonova and Yu. Following a series of mistakes, Tokhirjonova got to play a deciding attack.
27.Bd5+ Be6 28.Bxe6+ Qxe6 29.Qxd3 Qxe2 and Black is doomed.
30.Qxh7+ Kf7 31.Rf4+ Ke8 32.Re4+ winning the queen — and the game.
Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova | Photo: Lennart Ootes
