Four co-leaders
There were again no short draws in the open section, even though only two games produced winners. Wesley So defeated Ray Robson, his former college roommate from their days at Webster University. So's victory came after a tense middlegame in which he sacrificed an exchange for activity, but the resulting ending was approximately balanced. As time ran short, Robson began to falter, and his final mistake on move 39 allowed So to secure the full point shortly after the time control.
In this two-volume video course former world-champion and startrainer Rustam Kasimdzhanov shows you the ins and outs of this hugely complex opening.The other decisive result was recorded by Sam Shankland, who overcame Dariusz Swiercz in a curious encounter. Shankland admitted afterwards that he had initially intended to play a different move but changed his mind mid-execution. The oversight left him worse, facing the prospect of a pawn-down endgame. Swiercz, however, misjudged the position and ended up giving away a pawn himself. Despite the defensive resources available, he gradually slipped into a lost position, allowing Shankland to claim his first win of the event.
Dariusz Swiercz | Photo: Lennart Ootes
The remaining games ended drawn but included plenty of tension. Fabiano Caruana, the three-time defending champion, found himself in deep trouble against 15-year-old Andy Woodward. Caruana had entered an unusual opening setup, capturing a pawn on b7 a few moves later.
Woodward's reply, 8...Nd4, was a brilliant tactical resource that left the world number three in serious difficulty. By move nine, Caruana was objectively lost, but Woodward overestimated his compensation and eventually allowed his experienced opponent to escape with half a point. Caruana thus extended his unbeaten streak in the US Championship to 42 classical games.
Andy Woodward | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Hans Niemann also survived a major scare, as Grigoriy Oparin came close to victory before the position slipped away. Meanwhile, Levon Aronian and Awonder Liang contested the day's longest game. Aronian could have obtained an endgame a pawn up, but instead entered one a pawn down. The error was not fatal, but it made for a long evening - the game continued for 104 moves before peace was finally agreed.
The King‘s Indian Attack is a universal opening: easy to learn, flexible, and rich in both tactical and positional opportunities.
Levon Aronian and Awonder Liang | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Shankland 1-0 Swiercz
Analysis by GM Karsten Müller
Standings after round 2
All games
Sargsyan beats Krush, leads with perfect score
The women's event once again delivered more decisive action, with four of six games producing winners. Anna Sargsyan continued her impressive debut campaign by defeating eight-time champion Irina Krush to reach a perfect 2/2. Krush, who had won brilliantly the previous day, played ambitiously and seemed to have the upper hand for most of the game.
However, in a sharp endgame with both kings exposed, she went wrong near the finish. Her decision to play 44...Rb6 instead of 44...Rf6 allowed Sargsyan to break through decisively.
In this insightful video course, Grandmaster David Navara shares practical advice on when to calculate deeply in a position — and just as importantly, when not to.
In this insightful video course, Grandmaster David Navara shares practical advice on when to calculate deeply in a position — and just as importantly, when not to.
Free sample video: Introduction
Free sample video: Invisible moves
44...Rb6 fails to 45.Rf1 Rb1 46.Bf4+ (crucially this is a check) Kg6 47.Qg8+ and Black resigned - after 47...Kh5 there is 48.Qe8+ Qg6 49.Qh8+, with mate next move.
The Armenian-born player, now representing the United States, remained calm about her start, emphasising that it was still early in the tournament.
Anna Sargsyan | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Nazi Paikidze moved into sole second place on 1½ points after defeating Atousa Pourkashiyan. Paikidze took a calculated risk that changed the course of the game, while her opponent's decision to exchange pieces on g5 around move 23 proved to be the turning point. The resulting structure favoured Black's attack, and Paikidze converted confidently.
Sixteen-year-old Rose Atwell recovered well from her first-round loss by defeating Thalia Cervantes. The day also saw a birthday celebration for Alice Lee, who turned sixteen during the round. The organisers marked the occasion with cupcakes at the venue, and Lee celebrated in style with a resounding win over Jennifer Yu. Her opponent's weakening pawn push with ...f7-f5 allowed Lee to launch a strong sacrificial attack, which she brought to a close with a precise and energetic finish.
Alice Lee turned 16 on Monday | Photo: Lennart Ootes
From Mating with a queen; a rook; two bishops; a knight and a bishop; to the basics of pawn endgames – here you will gain the necessary know-how to turn your endgame advantages into victories!
Nazi Paikidze stands in sole second place | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Standings after round 2
All games
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