SHANKLAND WINS US CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP 2018 ROUND 11

Caruana won the Candidates in Berlin with a +4 score. Likewise, +4 was enough to win the Grenke tournament. In Saint Louis he went one better and scored +5, but that was only good enough for second place. Sam Shankland went +6 to claim the title.

Shankland’s victory in round 11 was significant for more reasons. His rating goes up to 2701 the day before the next FIDE rating list is due to be published. This will move him up to number 45 on the world rankings, gain him a spot on the US Olympiad team and give him the classification of “Super GM”. Being 2700+ will likely secure Sam invitations to some Super tournaments over the coming months too.

Shankland,Samuel (2671) - Liang,Awonder (2552)

US-ch Open 2018 Saint Louis (11), 29.04.2018

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.c3 Nf6 6.Bf4 Bg4 7.Qb3 e5  B13: Caro-Kann: Exchange Variation and Panov-Botvinnik Attack 

8.h3 exf4 9.hxg4 Qe7+ White is slightly better. 

10.Kf1 

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10...0–0–0N [10...Ne4 11.Qc2 0–0–0 12.Nd2 Re8 13.Bxe4 dxe4 14.Re1 f5 15.gxf5 1–0 (25) Demchenko,A (2671)-Yurtseven,M (2415) Lisbon 2018] 

11.Nd2 Black must now prevent Re1. 

11...g6 12.Re1 Qc7 13.g5 Nh5 14.Be2ƒ White has good play. 

14...Ng7 15.Ngf3 Ne6 16.Bb5 Bg7 17.Qa4 Rd6 18.Nb3 b6 [18...a6²] 

19.Nc1 Nb8 20.Nd3 

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20...Kb7 Black wants to play . ..a6. 

21.Nb4! Qd8 22.Ne5 Qc7 23.Qb3 Rhd8 [¹23...Bxe5 24.Rxe5 (24.Nxd5 Qd8+-) 24...Qd8 25.Nxd5 a6] 

24.Rxh7+- a6 25.Bd3 Ka7 26.Qa4 a5 27.Bb5 Kb7 28.Nbd3 Rg8 29.Nf3 Rh8 30.Rxh8 Bxh8 31.a3 Nc6 32.Bxc6+ Rxc6 33.Nde5 Bxe5 34.Nxe5 Rd6 35.Qe8 Rd8 [¹35...Nxg5 36.Nxf7 Qc4+ 37.Kg1 Nxf7] 

36.Qxf7 Nxg5 37.Qxc7+ Kxc7 38.Nxg6 KRN-KRN 

38...f3 39.Nf4 Kc6 40.gxf3 Nxf3 41.Re6+ Kb5 [41...Rd6 was necessary. 42.Rxd6+ Kxd6] 

42.Ke2 Ng1+ 43.Kd3  1–0

Caruana,Fabiano (2804) - Onischuk,Alexander (2672)

US-ch Open 2018 Saint Louis (11), 29.04.2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 b5 6.Bb3 Bb7 7.d3 Be7 8.Re1 0–0 9.a4 Re8 10.Nbd2 Bf8 11.Nf1 C88: Closed Ruy Lopez: Anti-Marshall Systems [11.c3 Na5 12.Bc2 c5 13.d4 exd4 14.cxd4 d5 15.e5 Ne4 16.axb5 axb5 17.Nxe4 dxe4 18.Rxe4 Nb3 19.Rxa8 Bxa8 20.Ng5 Nxc1 21.Qh5 h6 22.Qxf7+ Kh8 23.Rg4 Qa5 24.h4 1–0 (24) Anand,V (2762)-Svidler,P (2757) Moscow 2016] 

11...Na5 12.Ba2 d5 13.axb5 White is slightly better. 

13...axb5 14.exd5 Bxd5 15.Bg5 

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15...Bxa2N [15...Nc6 16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.Bxd5 Qxd5 18.Qe2 Qe6 1–0 (98) Achermann,J (2203)-Donzellotti,G (2213) ICCF email 2010] 

16.Rxa2 e4 17.Bxf6 Qxf6 18.Rxe4 Rxe4 19.dxe4 Strongly threatening Ne3. 

19...Rd8 20.Qe2 Nc4 21.c3 Bc5 22.Ra1 g6 23.e5ƒ White is in control. 

23...Qc6 24.Ng3 Re8 [Black should play 24...Qd5² ] 

25.b3± Nb6 26.Ra5 Bf8 

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27.Qxb5 White is clearly better. 

27...Qxb5 28.Rxb5 Ra8 [28...Nd7± 29.Rd5 Nb6] 

29.h4  1–0