US CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP 2018 ROUND 10

Back on the rest day after round 6 Shankland held a narrow half point lead over Caruana. If we fas forward to round 10 the gap between the same two players is identical. This is enough to give us a sense of déjà vu heading into the final round.

During the press briefing after round 9 Caruana stated that he felt 1.5/2 would be achievable for the final two rounds and would be enough to force a playoff match against Shankland. That was before both players won their tenth round games with the Black pieces. The net result is that Fabiano will need to go all out for a win against last placed Onischuk and then hope for the best.

Shankland also has a lot to play for in his final round game with White against Liang. Not only will a win seal his Championship title, it will also take him past the 2700 rating level for the first time. Following his round 10 victory, Shankland’s live rating moved up to 2698.

Onischuk,Alexander (2672) - Shankland,Samuel (2671)

US-ch Open 2018 Saint Louis (10), 28.04.2018

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bh4 0–0 D38: Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defence (4 Nf3 Bb4) 

8.e3 

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8...Bf5 9.a3N [9.Qb3 Bxc3+ 10.bxc3 Nbd7 11.Be2 c5 12.dxc5 g5 13.Nd4 Bg6 14.c6 bxc6 15.Nxc6 1/2–1/2 (46) So,W (2792)-Karjakin,S (2753) Wijk aan Zee 2018] 

9...Bxc3+! The position is equal. 

10.bxc3 Nbd7 11.Be2 c5 12.0–0 g5 13.Bg3 Ne4 14.c4 dxc4 15.Bxc4 Rc8 16.Rc1 Qe7 17.Bd3 Rfd8 18.Qe2 Nb6 [18...Ndf6 looks sharper. 19.Rfe1 cxd4 20.Rxc8 Rxc8 21.Nxd4 Bd7] 

19.Bxe4 Bxe4 20.Ne5 cxd4 21.Rxc8 Rxc8 22.exd4 Bf5 23.Qh5 Hoping for f4. 

23...f6 24.Ng4! Bxg4! 25.Qxg4 Qd7 26.Qf3 Nd5 27.Qh5 Kg7 28.f4? [28.Re1= and White is okay.] 

28...Qe8? [28...Nxf4–+ has better winning chances. 29.Bxf4 Qxd4+ 30.Rf2 Rc2] 

29.Qf3 Qe3+ 30.Qxe3 Nxe3µ Endgame KRB-KRN 

31.Rf3 Nd5 32.fxg5 hxg5 33.h4 gxh4 34.Bxh4 Kf7 35.Be1 b6 36.Bd2 Rc2 37.Rd3 Ke6 38.g4 Kd6 39.Kf1 Kc6! 40.Ke1 Kb5! 41.g5 fxg5 42.Bxg5 Kc4 43.Rg3 Nc3 Strongly threatening ...Ra2. 

44.d5 Nxd5 45.Kd1? 

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[45.Bd2µ was called for.] 

45...Rc3!–+ 46.Rg4+ 

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46...Kb3! 47.Rd4 [¹47.a4] 

47...Ne3+ 48.Bxe3 Rxe3 49.Kd2 Rh3  0–1

Zherebukh,Yaroslav (2640) - Caruana,Fabiano (2804)

US-ch Open 2018 Saint Louis (10), 28.04.2018

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 e6 3.Nf3 a6 4.g3 b5 5.Bg2 Bb7 6.d3 Nc6 7.0–0 B40: Sicilian: 2...e6, Unusual lines 

7...d6 8.Ng5 h6 9.Nh3 Nf6 10.f4 Be7 11.f5 [11.Kh1 Qc7 12.Bd2 0–0–0 1–0 (43) Bacrot,E (2708)-Karjakin,S (2781) Paris 2017] 

11...b4 

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12.Ne2N [12.Nb1 exf5 13.Rxf5 0–0 14.c4 Nd7 15.Rf1 Bf6 16.Nf4 1/2–1/2 (43) Tripoteau,N (2258)-Bricard,E (2456) Plancoet 2003] 

12...exf5 13.Rxf5 0–0 14.c4 bxc3 15.bxc3 Ne5 16.c4 Bc8 17.Rf1 Rb8ƒ Black is more active. 

18.Nhf4 

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[18.Qc2= remains equal.] 

18...g5!µ 19.Nd5 [¹19.Nh3] 

19...Nxd5 20.cxd5 

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20...Bf6! 21.d4 cxd4 22.Nxd4 Bg4 23.Qa4 [¹23.Qe1] 

23...Nd3–+ 24.Qc4 Rb4 25.Qxd3 Bxd4+ 26.Be3 Bxa1 27.Rxa1 [27.a3 is the only way for White. 27...Ra4 28.Rxa1] 

27...Qf6 28.Re1 Rc8 29.h3 Bd7 30.Qxa6? [30.a3 was worth a try. 30...Bb5 31.Qd1] 

30...Rc2 31.Rf1  0–1