U.S. Championships: Caruana beats Niemann, Tokhirjonova wins again

by Carlos Alberto Colodro
10/16/2023 – Fabiano Caruana continues to have a full-point lead over his closest chasers with two rounds to go at the U.S. Championship. Caruana beat Hans Niemann, one of the players sharing second place before round 9, but the remaining three chasers all won to remain one point behind the leader. Meanwhile, in the women’s event, Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova grabbed her fifth consecutive win to become the sole leader — now only she and Carissa Yip, who stands a half point behind, are in the race for first place. | Photo: Lennart Ootes
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Four decisive results

All four games involving players still in the fight for the title at the U.S. Championship finished decisively on Sunday — and all four games featured double-edged, fighting struggles.

Leinier Dominguez was the first one to score a win, as Andrew Tang’s attempt to surprise the Cuban-born grandmaster with the Philidor Defence backfired. Playing white like Dominguez was Wesley So, who came back from behind in his game against Ray Robson.

So vs. Robson

Both players have dangerous passers in this position, but Black is the one with the extra pawn and the chance to take the initiative here — 39...Qxh5, threatening ...Rc4-h4, is winning.

However, with only seconds on the clock (So also had about a minute here), Robson erred with 39...Rd4. Perhaps he had seen that in the line with 39...Qxh5 40.g3, the way to convert his advantage was precisely to play 40...Rd4, and decided that playing it first was even better.

One more mistake on the very next move not only gave away Black’s advantage but saw White getting the upper hand. Once the time control had been reached, So was ruthless in conversion, making perfect use of his queen and knight to create problems around Black’s king.

Robson resigned in this position, as White is threatening to play 50.Ne6, and Black will need to give up his queen to prevent mate on g7.

Wesley So

Wesley So beat Ray Robson | Photo: Crystal Fuller

While So and Dominguez beat lower-rated opponents with white, Abhimanyu Mishra defeated a nominally stronger player with the black pieces. Much like So, the 14-year-old first survived an inferior position and then made the most of his advantage once the tables turned in his favour. His rival in round 9 was 2018 U.S. champion Sam Shankland.

In the marquee encounter of the day, leader Fabiano Caruana defeated Hans Niemann, who only two rounds ago was in sole second place as the only player standing a half point behind the defending champion.

A tough strategic battled emerged from a theoretical Italian Opening. Both a great calculator and a fierce fighter, Caruana opted for complicated lines repeatedly, and the following position with six major pieces on the board was reached.

Niemann vs. Caruana

Caruana’s 31...f3, played after seven minutes, keeps Black’s advantage, but is not as strong as 31...Qxh3.

The idea that justifies the queen capture being the stronger alternative is certainly attractive — after 32.Rf2, Black has 32...Rxg2+ 33.Rxg2 f3, and if White moves the rook along the second rank, the black rook from a8 will join the attack along the g-file, while 34.Rg5 (the only safe square along the g-file) fails to 34...Qh4.

Analysis diagram

The threat of ...f3-f2 check is deadly.

Despite missing this chance, Caruana continued to find correct manoeuvres until Niemann resigned the game on move 42. Find below in-detail analysis by IM Robert Ris!

Round 9 results

Standings after round 9

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1.d4 1:04 d5 4 2.c4 11 c6 15 3.Nf3 40 Nf6 7 4.cxd5 18 cxd5 13 5.Nc3 9 Nc6 1:14 6.Bf4 15 a6 59 7.Rc1 32 Bf5 1:04 8.e3 53 Rc8 1:13 9.Be2 1:01 D13: Slav Defence: Exchange variation without ...Bf5. e6 43 10.0-0 49 Bd6 46 11.Bxd6 54 White has an edge. Qxd6 4 12.Na4 32 0-0 5:27 13.Nc5 1:51 Rc7 4:02 14.h3 1:26 Nd7 13:14 15.Qb3 13:49
15...Nxc5N 3:24 Predecessor: 15...Rb8 16.Nxd7 Qxd7 17.Rc3 Rbc8 18.Rfc1 Ne7 19.Ne5 Rxc3 20.Rxc3 Rxc3 21.Qxc3 Qd8 22.b4 Be4 23.b5 a5 24.Bd3 ½-½ Andersson,U (2599)-Dautov,R (2617) Bundesliga 0203 2002 (14.3) 16.Rxc5 52 Ne7 5:53 17.Rfc1 6:21 Rfc8 1:46 18.Qa4 5:35
Hoping for Rxc7. 18...Rxc5 12:24 19.Rxc5 1:49 Qd8 6 20.b4 2:22 f6 6:12 21.Qa3 10:28 Rxc5 9:47 22.bxc5 19 Bg6 4:48 23.Bd3 9:20 Bxd3 1:49 24.Qxd3= 7       Endgame KQN-KQN Nc6 2:33 25.Qb3 2:28 Qd7 54 26.Ne1 52 g5 2:45 27.Nd3 56 Kg7 53 28.Qb6 5:31 h6 4:22 29.Nb4 3:03 Nxb4 26 30.Qxb4 4 KQ-KQ e5 3:11 31.Qb6 2:50 exd4 1:15 32.exd4 8 h5 1:42 33.Kf1 2:18 Kg6 1:20 The position is equal. 34.Qb1+ 1:12 Kh6 1:30 35.Qb6 5:03 Kg6 11 36.Qb1+ 10 Kh6 9 37.Qb6 7 Kg6 33 Weighted Error Value: White=0.05 (flawless) /Black=0.03 (flawless) ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Xiong,J2693Mishra,A2599½–½2023D13USA Championship 20231.1
Aronian,L2742Caruana,F2786½–½2023D02USA Championship 20231.2
Niemann,H2667Swiercz,D2621½–½2023C78USA Championship 20231.3
Robson,R2699Sevian,S26980–12023C11USA Championship 20231.4
So,W2753Dominguez Perez,L2745½–½2023C45USA Championship 20231.5
Tang,A2504Shankland,S2698½–½2023A45USA Championship 20231.6
Caruana,F2786Dominguez Perez,L2745½–½2023C54USA Championship 20232.1
Swiercz,D2621So,W2753½–½2023C67USA Championship 20232.2
Sevian,S2698Niemann,H26670–12023E05USA Championship 20232.3
Shankland,S2698Robson,R2699½–½2023A20USA Championship 20232.4
Mishra,A2599Tang,A25041–02023C55USA Championship 20232.5
Aronian,L2742Xiong,J2693½–½2023C42USA Championship 20232.6
Dominguez Perez,L2745Swiercz,D2621½–½2023C78USA Championship 20233.1
Robson,R2699Mishra,A25990–12023E01USA Championship 20233.2
So,W2753Sevian,S2698½–½2023E04USA Championship 20233.3
Tang,A2504Aronian,L2742½–½2023USA Championship 20233.4
Niemann,H2667Shankland,S26980–12023C54USA Championship 20233.5
Xiong,J2693Caruana,F27860–12023E32USA Championship 20233.6
Aronian,L2742Robson,R2699½–½2023C54USA Championship 20234.1
Xiong,J2693Tang,A2504½–½2023E11USA Championship 20234.2
Shankland,S2698So,W2753½–½2023D35USA Championship 20234.3
Caruana,F2786Swiercz,D26211–02023C54USA Championship 20234.4
Sevian,S2698Dominguez Perez,L2745½–½2023C54USA Championship 20234.5
Mishra,A2599Niemann,H26670–12023B31USA Championship 20234.6
Niemann,H2667Aronian,L27421–02023B40USA Championship 20235.1
Swiercz,D2621Sevian,S2698½–½2023A21USA Championship 20235.2
Robson,R2699Xiong,J26931–02023C43USA Championship 20235.3
Dominguez Perez,L2745Shankland,S26981–02023B47USA Championship 20235.4
Tang,A2504Caruana,F27860–12023A45USA Championship 20235.5
So,W2753Mishra,A25991–02023B87USA Championship 20235.6
Xiong,J2693Niemann,H2667½–½2023C47USA Championship 20236.1
Mishra,A2599Dominguez Perez,L2745½–½2023C54USA Championship 20236.2
Tang,A2504Robson,R2699½–½2023A47USA Championship 20236.3
Aronian,L2742So,W2753½–½2023C54USA Championship 20236.4
Shankland,S2698Swiercz,D2621½–½2023C88USA Championship 20236.5
Caruana,F2786Sevian,S2698½–½2023A29USA Championship 20236.6
Robson,R2699Caruana,F2786½–½2023B51USA Championship 20237.1
Niemann,H2667Tang,A2504½–½2023C70USA Championship 20237.2
Sevian,S2698Shankland,S2698½–½2023D43USA Championship 20237.3
So,W2753Xiong,J2693½–½2023C54USA Championship 20237.4
Swiercz,D2621Mishra,A2599½–½2023C15USA Championship 20237.5
Dominguez Perez,L2745Aronian,L2742½–½2023C67USA Championship 20237.6
Mishra,A2599Sevian,S26981–02023E15USA Championship 20238.1
Caruana,F2786Shankland,S2698½–½2023C54USA Championship 20238.2
Aronian,L2742Swiercz,D2621½–½2023C90USA Championship 20238.3
Xiong,J2693Dominguez Perez,L2745½–½2023C67USA Championship 20238.4
Robson,R2699Niemann,H26671–02023C88USA Championship 20238.5
Tang,A2504So,W2753½–½2023D02USA Championship 20238.6
Shankland,S2698Mishra,A25990–12023C18USA Championship 20239.1
So,W2753Robson,R26991–02023C50USA Championship 20239.2
Dominguez Perez,L2745Tang,A25041–02023C41USA Championship 20239.3
Niemann,H2667Caruana,F27860–12023C54USA Championship 20239.4
Sevian,S2698Aronian,L2742½–½2023D40USA Championship 20239.5
Swiercz,D2621Xiong,J2693½–½2023D27USA Championship 20239.6
Caruana,F2786Mishra,A25991–02023B52USA Championship 202310.1
Robson,R2699Dominguez Perez,L2745½–½2023C65USA Championship 202310.2
Niemann,H2667So,W2753½–½2023C54USA Championship 202310.3
Aronian,L2742Shankland,S26981–02023C54USA Championship 202310.4
Xiong,J2693Sevian,S2698½–½2023D38USA Championship 202310.5
Tang,A2504Swiercz,D26211–02023A40USA Championship 202310.6
Sevian,S2698Tang,A25041–02023C88USA Championship 202311.1
Dominguez Perez,L2745Niemann,H2667½–½2023C88USA Championship 202311.2
So,W2753Caruana,F2786½–½2023E32USA Championship 202311.3
Mishra,A2599Aronian,L27421–02023E61USA Championship 202311.4
Shankland,S2698Xiong,J2693½–½2023D35USA Championship 202311.5
Swiercz,D2621Robson,R26990–12023E11USA Championship 202311.6

Tokhirjonova wins, Yip draws

From round 5 until round 8 in the U.S. Women’s Championship, Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova and Carissa Yip both scored win after win to remain as co-leaders with an increasing advantage over the remaining tournament contenders.

Finally, in round 9, one of the two in-form players got to take the sole lead, as Tokhirjonova beat Ruiyang Yan while Yip was finally held to a draw, by Nazi Paikidze.

Tokhirjonova got an advantage as early as on move 7, as her opponent mistakenly grabbed the b4-pawn with her king still in the centre.

Tokhirjonova vs. Yan

6...Bxb4 is bad due to the usual 7.Qa4+, and after 7...Nc6 8.Ne5 Black is forced to play the ugly 8...Rb8. Tokhirjonova found the most precise way to punish her opponent until move 11, when she lost a bit of her edge. Nonetheless, she emerged an exchange up and managed to convert her advantage into an extremely valuable 45-move win.

Tokhirjonova now stands a half point ahead of Yip and 2½ points ahead of Irina Krush and Alice Lee. With two rounds to go, this has become officially a 2-horse race!

Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova

Sole leader — Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Tatev Abrahamyan

Tatev Abrahamyan beat Anna Zatonskih on Sunday | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Round 9 results

Standings after round 9

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1.d4 4 Nf6 13 2.c4 9 g6 6 3.Nc3 7 Bg7 3 4.e4 11 d6 2 5.Be2 11 0-0 5 6.Nf3 9 Nbd7 11 7.0-0 2:27 e5 19 8.Be3 26 Qe7 5 9.d5 5:59 c5 18 10.Ne1 4:42 Kh8 56 11.Nd3 7:06 Ng8 10 12.Qd2 30 f5 1:45 13.exf5 1:08 gxf5 13 14.f4 58 e4 1:52 15.Nf2 14 Bf6 13:54 16.h3 12:20 a6 21:03 17.g4 5:37 Bh4 25 18.Kh2 7:41 h6 5:30 19.Rg1 1:58 Ndf6 10:14 20.a4 5:55 Bd7 2:00 21.Rg2 6:16 Rae8 10:55 22.gxf5 10:15 Bxf5 5:22 23.Rag1 23 Qc7 5:19 24.Bd1 8:11 Qb6 5:12 25.Ne2 6:34 a5 29 26.Nc3 2:36 Qd8 7:21 27.Nb5 1:08 Ne7 1:54 28.Qc3 2:02 Rf7 2:55 29.Bh5 1:56 Ref8 1:10 30.Bxf7 27 Rxf7 3 31.b3 3:17 Kh7 23 32.Bc1 1:58 Ng6 36 33.Qe3 12 Qf8 2:36 34.Qe2 1:04 b6 48 35.Be3 1:32 Qe7 1:26 36.Nc3 47 Bxf2 1:06 37.Qxf2 30 Nh5 3 38.Rxg6 1:29 Bxg6 5 39.Qg2 51 Rg7 1:06 40.Qg4 21 Qf6 46 41.Ne2 10:13 Bf7 11:52 42.Qd7 27 Qb2 5 43.Qf5+ 2:10 Kh8 19 44.Qc8+ 6:21 Kh7 5 45.Qf5+ 28 Kh8 27 46.Qc8+ 3 Bg8 5:54 47.Rxg7 17 Nxg7 3 48.Qg4 6 Bf7 2:33 49.Qg2 3 Nf5 11 50.Bg1 10:53 Bh5 12 51.Ng3 1:23 Qxg2+ 5 52.Kxg2 2 Bf3+ 6 53.Kf2 39 Nxg3 1:00 54.Kxg3 2 Bd1 5 55.f5 50 Bxb3 5 56.Kf4 6 Bxc4 3 57.Kxe4 7 Bf1 3 58.Bh2 2:14 Bg2+ 42 59.Ke3 10 Bxh3 5:47 60.Bxd6 44 Bxf5 4 61.Bc7 10 Bd7 3 62.Bxb6 6 Bxa4 4 63.Bxc5 12 Bd7 11 64.Kd2 43 Kg7 20 65.Kc3 47 Kf6 8 66.Bf2 29 Ke5 8 67.Kb2 13 Kxd5 5 68.Bh4 11 Bb5 6 69.Bd8 11 a4 4 70.Bh4 9 Bc6 7 71.Bd8 7 Bb5 6 72.Bh4 7 Bc6 2 73.Bd8 9 Bb5 2 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Krush,I2437Yip,C2372½–½2023E94USA-ch Women 20231.1
Yu,J2294Abrahamyan,T2262½–½2023E71USA-ch Women 20231.2
Paikidze,N2316Eswaran,A22911–02023E01USA-ch Women 20231.3
Zatonskih,A2364Pourkashiyan,A2288½–½2023E36USA-ch Women 20231.4
Yan,R2205Cervantes Landeiro,T2303½–½2023B70USA-ch Women 20231.5
Lee,A2388Tokhirjonova,G2350½–½2023E05USA-ch Women 20231.6
Eswaran,A2291Tokhirjonova,G23500–12023C68USA-ch Women 20232.1
Abrahamyan,T2262Lee,A23881–02023C42USA-ch Women 20232.2
Yip,C2372Yu,J22941–02023B12USA-ch Women 20232.3
Pourkashiyan,A2288Yan,R2205½–½2023B56USA-ch Women 20232.4
Cervantes Landeiro,T2303Krush,I2437½–½2023D48USA-ch Women 20232.5
Paikidze,N2316Zatonskih,A2364½–½2023E06USA-ch Women 20232.6
Yan,R2205Paikidze,N2316½–½2023B11USA-ch Women 20233.1
Zatonskih,A2364Eswaran,A22911–02023E92USA-ch Women 20233.2
Tokhirjonova,G2350Abrahamyan,T22621–02023E04USA-ch Women 20233.3
Yu,J2294Cervantes Landeiro,T2303½–½2023D77USA-ch Women 20233.4
Lee,A2388Yip,C23720–12023E92USA-ch Women 20233.5
Krush,I2437Pourkashiyan,A22881–02023D35USA-ch Women 20233.6
Zatonskih,A2364Yan,R2205½–½2023E36USA-ch Women 20234.1
Pourkashiyan,A2288Yu,J22941–02023C84USA-ch Women 20234.2
Paikidze,N2316Krush,I2437½–½2023D20USA-ch Women 20234.3
Eswaran,A2291Abrahamyan,T22620–12023C02USA-ch Women 20234.4
Yip,C2372Tokhirjonova,G2350½–½2023C45USA-ch Women 20234.5
Cervantes Landeiro,T2303Lee,A23880–12023D12USA-ch Women 20234.6
Lee,A2388Pourkashiyan,A22881–02023E97USA-ch Women 20235.1
Tokhirjonova,G2350Cervantes Landeiro,T23031–02023B36USA-ch Women 20235.2
Krush,I2437Zatonskih,A23641–02023D32USA-ch Women 20235.3
Abrahamyan,T2262Yip,C23720–12023E73USA-ch Women 20235.4
Yu,J2294Paikidze,N23161–02023E16USA-ch Women 20235.5
Yan,R2205Eswaran,A2291½–½2023B30USA-ch Women 20235.6
Cervantes Landeiro,T2303Abrahamyan,T2262½–½2023D37USA-ch Women 20236.1
Eswaran,A2291Yip,C23720–12023B06USA-ch Women 20236.2
Pourkashiyan,A2288Tokhirjonova,G23500–12023C71USA-ch Women 20236.3
Paikidze,N2316Lee,A23880–12023D45USA-ch Women 20236.4
Zatonskih,A2364Yu,J22941–02023D31USA-ch Women 20236.5
Yan,R2205Krush,I2437½–½2023B41USA-ch Women 20236.6
Tokhirjonova,G2350Paikidze,N23161–02023B12USA-ch Women 20237.1
Yip,C2372Cervantes Landeiro,T23031–02023B56USA-ch Women 20237.2
Yu,J2294Yan,R2205½–½2023E06USA-ch Women 20237.3
Krush,I2437Eswaran,A2291½–½2023E92USA-ch Women 20237.4
Lee,A2388Zatonskih,A23641–02023E05USA-ch Women 20237.5
Abrahamyan,T2262Pourkashiyan,A2288½–½2023C42USA-ch Women 20237.6
Krush,I2437Yu,J2294½–½2023D35USA-ch Women 20238.1
Yan,R2205Lee,A2388½–½2023B33USA-ch Women 20238.2
Eswaran,A2291Cervantes Landeiro,T23031–02023C56USA-ch Women 20238.3
Zatonskih,A2364Tokhirjonova,G23500–12023D30USA-ch Women 20238.4
Paikidze,N2316Abrahamyan,T2262½–½2023E04USA-ch Women 20238.5
Pourkashiyan,A2288Yip,C23720–12023C77USA-ch Women 20238.6
Lee,A2388Krush,I2437½–½2023E11USA-ch Women 20239.1
Abrahamyan,T2262Zatonskih,A23641–02023C42USA-ch Women 20239.2
Yip,C2372Paikidze,N2316½–½2023B12USA-ch Women 20239.3
Tokhirjonova,G2350Yan,R22051–02023A14USA-ch Women 20239.4
Cervantes Landeiro,T2303Pourkashiyan,A2288½–½2023E11USA-ch Women 20239.5
Yu,J2294Eswaran,A2291½–½2023E67USA-ch Women 20239.6
Yan,R2205Abrahamyan,T22620–12023C11USA-ch Women 202310.1
Krush,I2437Tokhirjonova,G23501–02023E51USA-ch Women 202310.2
Zatonskih,A2364Yip,C23720–12023B07USA-ch Women 202310.3
Yu,J2294Lee,A23880–12023D28USA-ch Women 202310.4
Eswaran,A2291Pourkashiyan,A2288½–½2023B90USA-ch Women 202310.5
Paikidze,N2316Cervantes Landeiro,T23031–02023E60USA-ch Women 202310.6
Yip,C2372Yan,R22050–12023B45USA-ch Women 202311.1
Abrahamyan,T2262Krush,I24371–02023B48USA-ch Women 202311.2
Tokhirjonova,G2350Yu,J22940–12023E51USA-ch Women 202311.3
Lee,A2388Eswaran,A22911–02023E70USA-ch Women 202311.4
Pourkashiyan,A2288Paikidze,N23160–12023B12USA-ch Women 202311.5
Cervantes Landeiro,T2303Zatonskih,A23640–12023A13USA-ch Women 202311.6

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Carlos Colodro is a Hispanic Philologist from Bolivia. He works as a freelance translator and writer since 2012. A lot of his work is done in chess-related texts, as the game is one of his biggest interests, along with literature and music.
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