Friday, May 27, 2016

(1218) U. S. A. -- Favorite to Win the 2016 World Chess Olympiad (TBN-May 16, 2016)



NAKAMURA VS. KRAMNIK IN THE 2012 W.C.O. IN ISTANBUL, TURKEY
                   In the USA vs. Russia match at the 2012 World Chess Olympiad, Hikaru Nakamura, right, outwitted former world champion Vladimir Kramnik in the much anticipated meeting of two chess giant countries. http://palau-chess.blogspot.com/2013/03/mingling-with-worlds-top-chess-players.html
 Another former world champion Ruslam Ponomariov, left, is watching the game. Roberto Hernandez gave him his card upon seeing him watching Palau’s first participation in Olympiad. 
                                       (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

U. S. A. --FAVORITE TO WIN THE 
        2016 WORLD CHESS OLYMPIAD





In 2015 Wesley So’s US Championship was derailed when he lost a 6-move forfeit game against Varuzhan Akobian. This year they got to play a full game, or at least 24 moves, which was all it took for So, currently No. 3 US player, to crush his opponent. That saw Wesley join Fabiano Caruana, No. 1, in the lead before the rest day, while Hikaru Nakamura, US current No. 2 chess player, also moved up with an easy win over Sam Shankland. Gata Kamsky could have been the hero of the day, but spoiled a brilliancy prize against 15-year-old Jeffery Xiong.
                Kamsky was featured together with Judit Polgar in the 81st Issue of Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez at this link: http://palau-chess.blogspot.com/2012/05/kamsky-polgarchess-phenoms-tbn-july-9.html
                Wesley So seems to have put his troubles last year behind him and is the co-leader, with all eyes on his next game vs. Hikaru Nakamura, who became USA’s youngest master at age 10.
                It was a dramatic day in the US Championship, and one that could very easily have seen five decisive games: The game everyone was talking about was So-Akobian, first because of the backstory from a year ago, but then because of some scintillating attacking chess. Wesley noted afterwards his 7.c3 “was inspired because Kasparov played it 14 years ago”, and he was already looking forward to the prospect of it being played in the blitz tournament with Garry after the main event is over. Akobian was soon thinking hard, and missed a potential lifeline at the end as he was down to only a couple of minutes. Wesley commented, “I saw this, but I was kind of praying, that he wouldn’t find it!”     
                Spanish GM Pepe Cuenca takes us through the game:
It was a similar story in Nakamura-Shankland, with Hikaru out-preparing Sam and relishing his opponent’s failure to exchange queens early on. It developed into a massacre that was essentially over just after move 20, though it dragged on to move 37.
                It looked like being a day on which the youngsters met their match. Akshat Chandra was soon in such deep trouble against Alexander Onischuk that Nakamura was again kicking himself for the draw he conceded against the 16-year-old in Round 3. There was no great escape for Akshat.
                Caruana and So lead on the tournament’s only rest day. The top players of their respective countries (Italy and Philippines) changed federation in the same year to make a formidable USA team in this year’s World Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan where China is the defending champion.
                THE PARTICIPANTS OF 2016 USA CHAMPIONSHIP, THEIR PLACINGS AFTER 5 ROUNDS AND THEIR FIDE RATINGS:
1. Caruana, Fabiano (2795) 2. So, Wesley (2773)
3. Nakamura, Hikaru (2787)  4. Robson, Ray (2663)  


5. Onischuk, Alexander (2664)
6. Xiong, Jeffery (2618)
7. Kamsky, Gata (2678)
8. Shankland, Samuel L (2656)
9. Lenderman, Aleksandr (2618)
10. Akobian, Varuzhan (2615)
11. Shabalov, Alexander (2528)
12. Chandra, Akshat (2477) 



Solution to last week’s puzzle No. 4371: 1. …Qxh3+!! 2. Kxh3 Rh5+ 3. Kg3 Ne4 mate.




This week’s puzzle No. 4372: Black to move and mates in 3 (Solution next issue) 






Sources: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
               Tia Belau Newspaper
               Pages 11-12
               Volume 25
               Issue 39
              May 16, 2016

             Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
             The Beginning of Chess in Palau
             By Roberto Hernandez
             To be published as a book in the future

             Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez
             Tia Belau Newspaper
             March 15, 2012 -- April 2013
             http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
             April 2013 -- May 16, 2016

             The History of Chess in Palau
             By Roberto Hernandez
             June 09, 2002 -- May 16, 2016   






 

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