In the 4th round of the 2024 National Championship, GM Fabiano Caruana defeated GM Abhimanyu Mishra to advance to 3/4, narrowing the top five to one player. GM Ray Robson recorded another decisive result of the round, stopping a questionable pawn sacrifice by GM Awander Liang with a Nazidorf variation of the Sicilian Defense.
IM Carissa Yip continues to dominate the women’s event, promoting GM Irina Klash to 4/4. WGM Talia Cervantes, FM Megan Lee, and IM Gurulukbegim Tokirjonova won, giving Yip a one-point lead.
After a rest day on Tuesday, Round 5 of the U.S. Championship will begin on October 16th at 2:00 PM ET/8:00 PM CET/11:30 AM IST.
Round 4 Standings: Championship
Round 4 Standings: Women's Championship
US Championship
Caruana made up for missed opportunities by winning back-to-back matches at the U.S. Championship, and with his win in the fourth round his live rating slowly returned to 2800. He will play white pieces against Mishra, the 11th seed and youngest participant in the tournament. Caruana was looking for press opportunities.
Caruana doesn’t seem interested in a peaceful draw. Photo: Lennart Ootes/St. Louis Chess Club.
The defending champion chose an unusual line that the GM had previously played. Daniil Dubov vs. Mishra’s French defense and the 15-year-old Mishra spent time reacting early. But overall, he handled this unorthodoxy admirably.
Caruana commented that Misra “will take a few years to become a top player” but said he takes Misra very seriously. Photo: Lennart Ootes/St. Louis Chess Club.
On the verge of entering the second rook end with Drosh Queen, Caruana succeeded in creating a weakness for his pawn, and the position quickly snowballed.
Another defining match of the open event was Robson-Liang, which was an important match for the Puzzle Rush World Champion as he looks to overcome his late start to the event. Robson chose to play with Nijdorf and ended up getting a strong center augmented by his e-pawn and f-pawn. Feeling the heat, Liang decided to abandon the pawn.
A tense moment between Liang (left) and Robson (right). Liang’s quick movements in the early stages were likely the reason for the loss. Photo: Lennart Ootes/St. Louis Chess Club.
The sacrifice was inaccurate at best and Robson was able to capitalize on the mistake.
Win, lose or draw, Liang appears to be having a great time in St. Louis, building a tower in the sand as Robson calculates his path to victory in the fourth round. It was also spotted there.
How do you kill time when the other person is deep in thought? 🤔 While Awonder Liang, one of the leaders of the US Chess Championship, is busy building a mansion on the sand, Ray Robson is considering his next move. With over 40 minutes remaining, Awander definitely had time. pic.twitter.com/cp6M5M5hZX
— St. Louis Chess Club (@STLChessClub) October 14, 2024
The precise play of GMs Sam Shankland and Hans Niemann created a back-and-forth battle, with neither player able to establish a decisive advantage. Shankland acquired the pawn immediately after reaching time control, but the ending of the minor pieces remained approximately equal.
Shankland (left) is unlucky not to have scored higher despite his efforts in the last few rounds. Photo: Lennart Ootes/St. Louis Chess Club.
Witnessing Caruana’s victory in black would have been difficult for former co-leaders and GMs Wesley So and Sam Sevian, who were unable to penetrate the defense of their lower-rated opponents in white. Both players had a chance to win big, but Sebian could try to maintain his advantage by taking a pawn on move 26 against GM Christopher Yu.
The draw between GM Reinier Dominguez and GM Levon Aronian means both veterans will go into the rest day without a win, and the matchup with Shankland and Robson in Matchday 5 won’t give them much respite. .
Aronian will be hoping to turn the tournament around in the fifth round. Photo: Crystal Fuller/St. Louis Chess Club.
In the fifth round, Caruana will take on the struggling Yeo and Black, while a mouth-watering clash between Niemann and So will test the mettle of these frontrunners.
US Women’s Championship
U.S. chess legends Crash (left) and Yip (right) are competitors, teammates, and friends. Photo: Lennart Ootes/St. Louis Chess Club.
Modern Defense was the battleground for this massive clash, and Yip seized the opportunity to perform a song with the comical name “Pterodactyl, Beefeater Variation” with an improved version of Czech Benoni.
A skirmish over space and squares ensued, and from 45.Qb5 onwards, it seemed certain that Krush would win. Unfazed by the exposed king, Yip immediately played 45…Nb4! With little time to react to such a blow, Krush misplayed his next move and Yip quickly converted.
As the game drew to a close, Seirawan joked that the St. Louis Chess Club had “insured” the legendary Fisher Trophy. In some previous editions, the Fisher Prize promised a $64,000 jackpot bonus to players who won all the games. championship.
Seirawan (center) praised Yip’s ability to remain calm and collected. Image: St. Louis Chess Club/YouTube.
*It is worth noting that this award has never been offered in the women’s event and there is no mention in the 2024 regulations that this award will be offered.
There is no mention of the “Fisher Award” in the U.S. Championship prize fund.
At the moment, the biggest threat to Yip’s title defense appears to be Tokilijonova, who had an impressive finish against IM Anna Zatonskiy. Tokilijonova will face Yip in the fifth round. It’s expected to be a thrilling duel…
After a few turbulent rounds, Cervantes and Lee (Megan) both bounced back – Cervantes had a mock match against WGM Jennifer Yu’s London System, and Lee caused an upset that embarrassed WGM Tatev Abrahamian. Ta.
The course is par! Cervantes finished with 1 win, 1 loss, and 2 draws. Photo: Lennart Ootes/St. Louis Chess Club.
The dream of winning the women’s championship should not be given up on…if Tokilijonova defeats Yip on Wednesday, the door may open again for challengers.
How to watch?
The 2024 U.S. Chess Championship is a classic, invitation-only event to determine the United States Chess Champion. The 2024 U.S. Women’s Championship will also be held at the same time. Both events begin on October 11th and have the same format. It’s a 12-person, 11-round tournament with a total prize pool of $250,000 for the U.S. Championship and $152,000 for the U.S. Women’s Championship.
