US CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP 2018 ROUND 8

There were draws at the top end of the leader board, meaning no change to the leaders.

Lenderman scored his second successive victory to move up to a single point off the lead.

Robson and Akobian played a Knight and Bishop checkmate all the way to the end.

So,Wesley (2786) - Caruana,Fabiano (2804)

US-ch Men 2018 Saint Louis (8), 26.04.2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.Bd3 d5 6.0–0 C42: Petroff Defence: 3 Nxe5 and unusual White 3rd moves 

6...Be7 7.Re1 Nd6 

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8.c3N White is slightly better. [8.Nc3 with more complications. 8...c6 9.Qe2 Nd7 (9...Bg4 10.b3 Bxf3 11.Qxf3 0–0 12.Ba3 Nc8 ½–½ (55) Movsesian,S (2747)-Harikrishna,P (2686) Sarajevo 2009) 10.b4 Nf8 11.b5] 

8...0–0 9.Bc2 c6 10.d4 The position is equal. 

10...Bf5 11.Bf4 

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Bxd6 is the strong threat. 

11...Bxc2 12.Qxc2 Na6 13.Nbd2 Nc7 14.Re2 Re8 15.Rae1 Bf8 16.Ne5 [16.Rxe8 seems wilder. 16...Ndxe8 17.Be5 Ne6 18.Qb3 Qb6 19.h4] 

16...Qf6 17.Bg3 Qf5 18.Qxf5 [18.Nd3 feels hotter. 18...Rxe2 19.Rxe2 Re8 20.Nf1 Ne6 21.Ne3] 

18...Nxf5 19.Nd3 Nxg3 20.hxg3 f6 21.g4 Kf7 22.Nf3 Rxe2 23.Rxe2 Ne6 24.g3 a5 25.Kg2 a4 26.Re1 Re8 27.Rh1 h6 28.Re1 Nc7 29.Rxe8 Kxe8= Endgame KBN-KNN 

30.Ng1 b6 31.b3 axb3 32.axb3 g5 33.Ne2 Kd7 34.Kf1 Ke6 35.f3 Nb5 36.Nb2 Bd6 37.Kf2 Bc7 38.Nd1 Nd6 39.Ne3 f5 40.gxf5+ Nxf5 41.Nxf5 Kxf5 KB-KN 

42.g4+ Ke6 43.Ke3 b5 44.Kf2 Bd6 45.b4 Bf4 46.Nxf4+ gxf4  ½–½

Liang,Awonder (2552) - Lenderman,Aleksandr (2599)

US-ch Men 2018 Saint Louis (8), 26.04.2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Bd6 7.0–0 0–0 8.c4 c6 9.Nc3 Nxc3 10.bxc3 dxc4 11.Bxc4 Bf5 12.Re1 C42: Petroff Defence: 3 Nxe5 and unusual White 3rd moves 

12...Nd7 13.Bg5 Qa5 14.Nh4 With the idea Be7.The position is equal. [14.Qb3 b5 15.Bf1 Rfe8 16.c4 Be6 17.Qc2 bxc4 18.Bxc4 Bxc4 19.Qxc4 Qd5 ½–½ (30) Anand,V (2783)-Caruana,F (2807) Saint Louis 2017] 

14...Nb6 15.Bb3 

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c4 is the strong threat. 

15...Bd7 16.Bd2 Rae8 17.Rxe8N [17.Qf3 Re7 18.g3 Rfe8 19.Ng2 Be6 1–0 (36) Clair,M (2185)-Armand,L (1859) France AJEC 2002] 

17...Rxe8 18.Rb1 Qa6 19.Qh5 Nc4 [19...Nd5!? 20.Nf3 Be6³] 

20.Nf3 

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Strongly threatening Ng5. 

20...h6 21.h3 Be6 [21...b5³] 

22.Re1= Qb5 23.Qh4 Nxd2 24.Nxd2 Qd3 25.Ne4! Bc7 And now ...Bxb3 would win. 

26.f3 b6 27.Qf2 Kf8 28.Rd1 Qb5 29.Qb2 Bxb3 30.axb3 Kg8 31.c4 Qb4 32.d5 cxd5 33.cxd5 Be5ƒ Black has the initiative. 

34.Qc2! f5 35.Qc6 [35.Nf2³] 

35...Kf8µ 36.d6? [36.Nf2µ is a better chance.] 

36...fxe4–+ Black is clearly winning. 

37.d7 Rd8 38.Qe6 Qc5+ 39.Kh1 e3 Hoping for ...e2. 

40.f4 Bf6  0–1

Robson,Ray (2660) - Akobian,Varuzhan (2647)

US-ch Men 2018 Saint Louis (8), 26.04.2018

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be3 Qb6 8.Na4 Qa5+ 9.c3 c4 10.b4 Qc7 11.Be2 Be7 12.0–0 0–0 C11: French: Classical System: 4 e5 and 4 Bg5 dxe4 

13.Qd2 [13.Qc2 b5 14.Nc5 Nxc5 15.dxc5 a5 16.a3 Bd7 17.Nd4 Nxd4 18.Bxd4 axb4 19.axb4 Rxa1 20.Rxa1 1–0 (33) Caruana,F (2779)-Ivanchuk,V (2731) Elancourt 2013] 

13...f5 

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14.exf6N [14.Nb2²; or: 14.Nb2 b5 15.a4 bxa4 16.Nxa4 a5 17.Nc5 Nxc5 18.bxc5 Ba6 19.Kh1 Bb5 20.Rg1 1/2–1/2 (69) Zontakh,A (2440)-Lembak,J (2290) Litomysl 1994] 

14...Nxf6= The position is equal. 

15.Qc2 b6 16.Ne5 Bb7 17.Nb2 b5 18.a4 a6! 19.Bf3 Bd6 20.Rae1 Ne7 [20...Ne4!?] 

21.a5 Nf5 22.Nd1 Ne4 23.Bc1 Qe7 24.g3 

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[24.Bxe4² dxe4 25.Nf2] 

24...Rad8 [24...Nxc3!³ 25.Qxc3 Bxb4] 

25.Bg4 Ba8 26.Nf2 [26.Nf3±] 

26...Nxc3! 27.Bxf5 exf5 28.Qxc3 Bxb4 29.Qb2 Bxe1 30.Rxe1 b4 31.Ned3! Qc7 32.Nxb4 Qxa5 33.Bd2 Qb5 34.Qa1 a5 35.Nc2 a4 36.Nd1 Qb3 37.Nce3 Rb8 38.Nc3 Strongly threatening Rb1. 

38...Qb2 39.Qxb2 Rxb2 40.Bc1 Rb3 41.Nxa4 Bc6 42.Nc5 Rb1 43.Kf2 g6 ...Ra8 is the strong threat. 

44.Nc2 Ra8 Hoping for ...Ra2. [44...Re8 with more complications. 45.Rf1 c3 46.Rg1 Kf7 47.h3 Ra8] 

45.Ba3 Rxe1 [45...Rab8 keeps more tension. 46.Re6 Be8 47.Re7 Bc6 48.Rc7 Be8] 

46.Kxe1 Kf7 47.Kd2 h6 48.h4 Kf6 49.Bb2 Rb8 50.Bc3 Rb1 [50...Ra8= keeps the balance.] 

51.Nb4± Ba8 52.Nca6! Rg1 53.Nc7 Bb7 54.Nbxd5+ Bxd5 55.Nxd5+ Kf7 56.Ne3 And now d5 would win. 

56...Rxg3 57.d5 g5 

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58.hxg5 [Of course not 58.Nxf5?! Rd3+ 59.Kc2 gxf4³; 58.Nxc4 gxh4 59.Ne5+ Ke7µ; 58.h5!±] 

58...hxg5= 59.fxg5 Rxg5? [59...f4= and Black stays safe. 60.Nxc4 Rxg5] 

60.Be5+- Ke7? [60...Rh5 61.Nxc4 Rh4] 

61.Bf4 [¹61.Kc3 Rh5 62.Kxc4] 

61...Rh5 62.Nxc4 Rh3 63.Ke2? [Only move: 63.Nb6+- Threatens to win with d6+. 63...Ke8 64.Be5] 

63...Rc3? [63...Rb3=] 

64.Ne3? [White should play 64.d6++- Ke6 65.Nb6 Rc2+ 66.Kd3] 

64...Kf6= 65.Bd6 Rb3 66.Kf3 Threatening Kf4. 

66...Rd3 67.Bc7 Rd4 68.Bd8+ Ke5 69.Bc7+ Kf6 70.Bb6 Ra4 71.Bd8+ Ke5 72.Bc7+ Kf6 73.Bf4 Rd4 74.Bg3 Ra4 75.Bh2 Rd4 76.Bc7 Ra4 77.Bd6 Rd4 78.Bc7 Ra4 79.Ng2 Rc4 80.Bb8 Rb4 81.Bc7 Rc4 82.Bg3 Rd4 83.Ne3 Ra4 84.Bd6 Rd4 85.Ba3 Threatening mate with Bb2. 

85...Ra4 86.Bb2+ Kg6! 87.Be5 Ra3 88.Ke2 Kf7 

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[Better is 88...Ra4!² ] 

89.Nc4 [Inferior is 89.Nxf5 Ra5=; White should try 89.Kd2! ] 

89...Ra4? [89...Rb3± 90.Kd2 Kg6] 

90.Kd3+- Ra2 91.Kd4 Rf2 92.Bg3 Rg2 93.Bf4 Re2 94.Kc5 Kf6 95.Be5+ Ke7 96.Bg3 Rc2 97.Kd4 Re2 98.Ne3 Rd2+ 99.Ke5 Re2 100.Bf4 Kd7 101.Kxf5 Rd2 102.Ke5 Re2 103.Kd4 Rf2 104.Be5 Rd2+ 105.Kc5 Re2 106.Nc4 Rc2 107.Bf4 Rc3 108.Kd4 [¹108.Bd2 Rc2 109.Kd4 Ke7 110.Bb4+ Kf6 111.Ba5 Ke7 112.Bb4+ Kf6 113.Be1] 

108...Rb3 109.Kc5 [¹109.Bh6 Rh3 110.Ne5+ Ke7 111.Bg5+ Kd6 112.Bf4] 

109...Rc3 110.Kb4 Rh3 111.Nb6+ Ke7 112.Bc7 [¹112.Kc5 Rd3 113.Bg5+ Kf7 114.Nd7] 

112...Rh1 113.d6+ Ke6 114.d7 Rb1+ 115.Kc3 Rd1 116.d8Q Rxd8 117.Bxd8 Kd6 118.Kd4 Kc6 119.Nc4 Kd7 120.Bg5 Kc6 121.Bf4 Kb7 122.Kd5 Ka7 123.Kc6 Ka8 124.Be3 Kb8 125.Nd6 Ka8 126.Nb5 Kb8 127.Nc7 Kc8 128.Ba7 Kd8 

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129.Nd5 White mates.
129...Ke8 130.Kd6 Kf7 131.Ne7 Kf6 132.Be3 Kf7 133.Bg5 Ke8 134.Nc6 Kf7 135.Ne5+ Ke8 136.Ke6 Kf8 137.Kd7 Kg7 138.Ke7 Kg8 139.Bh6 Kh7 140.Bf8 Kg8 141.Ng4 Kh7 142.Kf7 Kh8 143.Bg7+ Kh7 144.Nf6# 1–0