Great Day for California - Round 4 of the US Championship (w Analysis)
Posted: 6 years, 8 months ago
by IM Vignesh Panchanatham
For our other coverage, see days one, two, three, and five (with analysis of the win by BAC coach GM Zviad Izoria over world championship challenger, GM Fabiano Caruana.)
In the fourth round of the US Championship, the California delegation reigned supreme!
GM Shankland used his massive queenside pawn block in combination with open files to defeat GM Robson and join the leading group. In the surprise of the round, if not the tournament, GM Izoria shocked GM Caruana! Izoria held a roughly equal, if not slightly better position, throughout the game, and near the end, Caruana became too aggressive, and overextended in the rook and knight endgame.
The other four games all ended in draws. GM Liang maintained a solid defense in an odd French Defense against GM Nakamura and never gave an inch. After an interesting exchange sacrifice, GM So was only able to reach a pawn-up Q+N vs. Q+B, and GM Lenderman was able to find a perpetual. GM Akobian was able to win a pawn and expose the black king in his game against GM Xiong, but inaccuracies hurt his chances for a full point. In a tame Catalan, GM Zherebukh was not able to gain an advantage against GM Onischuk and agreed to a draw.
Past Daily Analysises
Day 3 (Izoria vs Shankland)
Day 2 (Robson vs Izoria)
Day 1 (Xiong vs. Izoria)
