U.S.A Championship 2021 Oct.6-18

[Metro]

The 2021 U.S. Championship is a 12-player round-robin.Men compete for $194,000 in prize money as well as the coveted title of U.S. Champion. First prize is $50,000 whilst in the Womens it is $25,000.If two or more players tie for first place a playoff will be held. Players receive 90 minutes for the first 40 moves followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30 second increment . Draw offers are not allowed before move 30.

1       Caruana, Fabiano     2800 
2	So, Wesley           2778
3	Dominguez Perez,L    2760 
4	Shankland, Sam       2720  
5	Xiong, Jeffery       2700
6	Robson, Ray          2673
7	Sevian, Samuel       2654
8	Swiercz, Dariusz     2647
9	Bruzon Batista, L    2645
10	Naroditsky, Daniel   2623
11	Lenderman, Aleksandr 2607
12	Burke, John          2554

Official website: www.uschesschamps.com
https://chess24.com/en/watch/live-to...hip-2021/1/1/1
Games start 0500 AEDT

[MichaelBaron]

The 2021 U.S. Championship is a 12-player round-robin.Men compete for $194,000 in prize money as well as the coveted title of U.S. Champion. First prize is $50,000 whilst in the Womens it is $25,000.If two or more players tie for first place a playoff will be held. Players receive 90 minutes for the first 40 moves followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30 second increment . Draw offers are not allowed before move 30.

1       Caruana, Fabiano     2800 
2	So, Wesley           2778
3	Dominguez Perez,L    2760 
4	Shankland, Sam       2720  
5	Xiong, Jeffery       2700
6	Robson, Ray          2673
7	Sevian, Samuel       2654
8	Swiercz, Dariusz     2647
9	Bruzon Batista, L    2645
10	Naroditsky, Daniel   2623
11	Lenderman, Aleksandr 2607
12	Burke, John          2554

Official website: www.uschesschamps.com
https://chess24.com/en/watch/live-to...hip-2021/1/1/1
Games start 0500 AEDT

Good to see Caruana and So playing alongside the ''mortals''.

[Ian Rout]

I've heard of eleven of those players but I had to look up John Burke.

According to Wikipedia he is the 2020 US Junior Champion and reached 2601 in September 2015 (born 2001) making him the youngest player to reach 2600 - it doesn't say if this is FIDE or USCF but I'd guess the latter.

The absences are interesting - no Aronian or Nakamura. I also hadn't previously discovered that Bruzon had defected to USA.

[Desmond]

I've heard of eleven of those players but I had to look up John Burke.

According to Wikipedia he is the 2020 US Junior Champion and reached 2601 in September 2015 (born 2001) making him the youngest player to reach 2600 - it doesn't say if this is FIDE or USCF but I'd guess the latter.

According to his FIDE rating progress card, he reached 2603 in Sept 2015. That's a pretty handy increase from 2258 in July 2015!

[Scott Colliver]

I've heard of eleven of those players but I had to look up John Burke.

According to Wikipedia he is the 2020 US Junior Champion and reached 2601 in September 2015 (born 2001) making him the youngest player to reach 2600 - it doesn't say if this is FIDE or USCF but I'd guess the latter.

The absences are interesting - no Aronian or Nakamura. I also hadn't previously discovered that Bruzon had defected to USA.

Earlier in the year Nakamua was saying he was going to be playing and it was his only planned classical tournament. However he is now not playing and is playing in the FIDE Grand Swiss. No idea what changed his mind.

[Metro]

The absences are interesting - no Aronian or Nakamura. I also hadn't previously discovered that Bruzon had defected to USA.

I have not heard any comment from Naka. regarding his absence.He has commitments to his Twitch stream.The classical time control is not his preferred.He prefers rapid and blitz.I would also surmise he does not need the money.He said he just won $20,000,finishing 5th in the Meltwater event.

[Metro]

I've heard of eleven of those players but I had to look up John Burke.

Burke wins his first game versus Polish-American Swiercz with Black.He has to be happy about that.Next up he has white versus Lenderman.He has to have decent winning chances.

[Vlad]

According to his FIDE rating progress card, he reached 2603 in Sept 2015. That's a pretty handy increase from 2258 in July 2015!

Yes, the story was that FIDE introduced a change 6 years ago, where suddenly k factor jumped to 40. If you were an underrated junior with a rating of about 2200+ and you had a number of unprocessed tournaments from previous periods, you could suddenly jump to unbelievable heights. Burke was an extreme example of this as his rating jumped to 2600+. For a while, everybody in the USA was getting extremely excited if they learnt that they were paired against this boy.

3 years ago in the match of the Millenials, he represented the USA team and scored 1 draw and 3 losses from 4 games.

He has improved since then and could make it to the USA championship. However, 6 years after he was gifted a 2600 rating he is still rated only 2550 (and he is an improving junior). It just shows how ridiculous some of the decisions by FIDE could be.

[Kevin Bonham]

Yes, the story was that FIDE introduced a change 6 years ago, where suddenly k factor jumped to 40. If you were an underrated junior with a rating of about 2200+ and you had a number of unprocessed tournaments from previous periods, you could suddenly jump to unbelievable heights. Burke was an extreme example of this as his rating jumped to 2600+. For a while, everybody in the USA was getting extremely excited if they learnt that they were paired against this boy.

Yes this is an especially silly case of overshooting. Over two periods he jumped from 2258 to 2603 based on 34 games in which he performed at 2466.

[Ian Rout]

Burke wins his first game versus Polish-American Swiercz with Black.He has to be happy about that.Next up he has white versus Lenderman.He has to have decent winning chances.

Well he drew that one and lost to Fabi so is on 1.5/3 (top score is 2 by several players).

The Bobby Fischer Prize for 100% (assuming it's still being offered - Mr Sinquefield might as well put it up because he won't be paying out too often) was off the table after two rounds. The Colonel Moreau Trophy stayed live for a round longer.

[Metro]

1	Lenderman, Aleksandr    4/6	
2	Robson, Ray             4/6	
3	Dominguez Perez, L      3½/6	
4	So, Wesley              3½/6	
5	Sevian, Samuel          3½/6

Robson has not played Wesley or Fabi.Lenderman has played Wesley.Wesley has played Fabi.so he is well placed.Fabi.lost his past 2 games.5 rounds remaining.

[MichaelBaron]

Fabi is -1. If he loses 3 or so more rating points...will move down from number 3 to number 5 in the world!

[Metro]

1	Lenderman, Aleksandr   4½/7	
2	So, Wesley             4½/7	
3	Sevian, Samuel         4½/7

An Australian GM has predicted a Lenderman win.Personally,I am opting for Wesley.

[Metro]

1	Lenderman, Aleksandr   5/8	
2	So, Wesley             5/8	
3	Sevian, Samuel         5/8

[Metro]

1  Lenderman, Aleksandr  5½/9	
2  So, Wesley            5½/9	
3  Sevian, Samuel        5½/9

2 key boards tonight.If Fabi wins tonight it becomes interesting.He moves to 6 points.

	
GM Sevian, S.    - GM So, Wesley  
GM Lenderman, A. - GM Caruana, F.