The 1996 US Championship was an exciting event, featuring 14 of the top American players, including 1995 US Junior Champion Tal Shaked. This page includes final standings, the crosstable, links to player biographies, background on the tournament, and round by round notes.
This event was co-sponsored by the United States Chess Federation, the New Jersey State Chess Federation, and Interplay.
US CHESS is the nickname of the United States Chess Federation, also called USCF. This organization is a member of FIDE, the world chess organization that grants the World Championship title once held by Bobby Fischer. The USCF has over 70,000 members, and publishes two chess magazines: CHESS LIFE for adults, and SCHOOLMATES for scholastic players. In addition to the prestigious US Invitational Championship now underway, the USCF also sponsors the US Junior Championship, the US Blind Championship, and many other events throughout the year. It also acts as the sanctioning body for all "USCF- rated" tournaments, and maintains the national rating database of all tournament players in the United States.
13 rounds in an all-play-all format. Players score one point for a win, half- point for a draw, zero points for a loss. Games are played every day at 4 p.m. local time, with July 20th and 21st set aside as rest days. Time control is 40/2 (40 moves in 2 hours), then 20/1, with no adjournments.
Winner's name is shown in UPPER CASE
KAIDANOV-Khmelnitsky
IIvanov-ALBURT
GULKO-Shaked
Christiansen-DGUREVICH
Yermolinsky-AIvanov DRAW
Dzindzichashvili-Benjamin DRAW
Shabalov-deFirmian DRAW
ALBURT-Kaidanov
YERMOLINSKY-DGurevich
Khmelnitsky-GULKO
Benjamin-Shabalov DRAW
Shaked-Dzindzichashvili DRAW
deFirmian-Christiansen DRAW
A.Ivanov-I.Ivanov DRAW
Final Standings
9.0 Yermolinsky
8.0 Kaidanov, Gulko
7.5 D Gurevich
7.0 A.Ivanov
6.0 Shabalov, Alburt, Dzindzichashvili, Benjamin, deFirmian,
Christiansen
5.5 Shaked
5.0 Khmelnitsky, I.Ivanov
Players are shown in descending rating order as of the June 1996 Top 50 Players List
______________________1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 01 Gulko G X 0 = = 1 0 = = = 1 = 1 1 1 8.0 2683, NJ 02 Yermolinsky G 1 X 0 = 1 1 1 = = = = = 1 1 9.0 - New Champ! 2672, OH 03 Kaidanov G = 1 X = = = 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 8.0 2671, KY 04 Ivanov,A G = = = X = 0 1 1 = 0 1 = 1 0 7.0 2659, MA 05 deFirmian G 0 0 = = X = = = = = = 1 = = 6.0 2655, NY 06 Gurevich G 1 0 = 1 = X = 1 = = 1 = = 0 7.5 2652, IL 07 Benjamin G = 0 1 0 = = X = = = = = = = 6.0 2647, NY 08 Christiansen G = = 1 0 = 0 = X 1 = 0 = = = 6.0 2644 09 Dzindzichashvili G = = 0 = = = = 0 X 1 = = = = 6.0 2628, MA 10 Alburt G 0 = 1 1 = = = = 0 X 0 1 0 = 6.0 2624, NY 11 Shabalov G = = 0 0 = 0 = 1 = 1 X = 0 1 6.0 2619, PA 12 Ivanov,I I 0 = 0 = 0 = = = = 0 = X = 1 5.0 2604, AZ 13 Khmelnitsky I 0 0 0 0 = = = = = 1 1 = X 0 5.0 2599, PA 14 Shaked I 0 0 0 1 = 1 = = = = 0 0 1 X 5.5 2500, AZ
Well, the championship is underway. There was a bit of confusion over use of the new USCF Game Timers, since none of the players had ever seen this type of digital clock (new from the USCF) before, but that was smoothed over before the round began. The surprise of the round was 18 year old Tal Shaked's victory over IM Khmelnitsky. Shaked is in the tournament only because he won the US Junior last year, and is rated quite a bit lower than the other players, although he does have an International Master title. Gulko defeated Alburt and Yermolinsky defeated deFirmian in a highly complex Queen and Pawn ending.
There were a number of decisive games. Shabalov-Christiansen was shown at chess.net, and looked like a case of a poor choice in opening: Christiansen was in trouble from about move 15. Tal Shaked accepted material in exchange for a lack of development against Lev Alburt, then had to struggle to keep his Queen from being trapped and the game ended in a draw.
Round 3 was also notable for Shaked's win over the 1995 Co-Champion Alexander Ivanov. Shaked now has 2.5/3.
Shaked defeats GM Dmitry Gurevich in another exciting game, and takes sole lead in the event. In another sharp battle, GM Dzindzichashvili won against GM Alburt. 1995 US Co-Champion Alexander Ivanov recovered from his third round loss to IM Shaked with a win over IM Khmelnitsky. His Co-Champion Nick deFirmian, though, didn't fare as well as GM Gulko scored a full point against him. Meanwhile, the "The Yerminator", GM Yermolinsky, had a draw with the Black pieces against GM Christiansen, dropping Yermolinsky one half point back of Tal Shaked.
In another exciting up and down game, Tal Shaked managed a draw against the other 1995 US Co-Champion in the event, GM Nick deFirmian. Since Yermolinsky drew with Dzindzichashvili, that leaves Shaked in sole possession of first. Three-time US Champion Lev Alburt defeated A. Ivanov for his first victory of the event. Joel Benjamin startled analysts by sacrificing a Knight for two pawns on move four of his game with Boris Gulko. Although Gulko had an advantage for most of the game, Benjamin did manage eventually to draw it.
The only decisive game of this round was Larry Christiansen's defeat of GM Kaidanov, moving Christiansen into one of the top 4 spaces as the event nears the end of the first half. Junior champion Tal Shaked drew with yet another former US Champion today when he managed a half-point against GM Joel Benjamin, himself a former junior superstar. Shaked remains in sole possession of first place. There will be one more game on Friday, and then a two day rest period for the players.
Dmitry Gurevich defeated Alexander Ivanov and Kaidanov defeated Yermolinsky in a classic exhibition of "better pawns make better endings." Most of the remaining players seemed content to coast into their two day rest period (or perhaps they were in a hurry to catch the telecast of the Opening Ceremonies for the Olympics!). Yermolinsky lost tonight, and Gulko and Christiansen drew with each other. Shabalov defeated Shaked, but with Yermolinsky's defeat and the draw between Christiansen and Gulko, Shaked remains in sole possession of first as we reach the half-way point of the event.
Several decisive games this round. Kaidanov defeated IM Ivanov, and IM Khmelnitsky defeated his second GM of the event with a win against GM Shabalov. Yermolinsky defeated Gulko in a hard-fought battle. Once again, Tal Shaked's game lasted the longest of the round. GM Larry Christiansen (yet another former US Champion) sacrificed a piece for two pawns and better piece position as they approached time control, but Shaked, after initially suffering from awkward pieces, managed to struggle back to a better position. After a complex ending in which Christiansen had 4 pawns and R against 2 pawns, R, and B, the game ultimately ended in a draw.
Only two draws this round, and lots of changes in the standings. Kaidanov continues his streak (three wins in a row) with a full point against GM Dzindzichashvili to move into second position. Boris Gulko shows excellent form in a win against IM Igor Ivanov. And Yermolinsky (the "Yerminator") scores against Tal Shaked, knocking the Jr. Champion all the way from 1st to 3rd in the standings. 1995 Co-Champion Alexander Ivanov recovers from his recent slump with a nice win against GM Joel Benjamin. Four rounds left in the Championship, and it looks wide open, with 7 players within one point of the leader...
The "Yerminator" rolls on: Yermolinsky defeats IM Khmelnitsky, and now leads the field by a full point. GM Gulko broke GM Kaidanov's string of wins with a draw. Both Ivanovs won, though: 1995 Co-Champion Alexander Ivanov defeated GM Shabalov, while IM Igor Ivanov earned his point against 1995 US Jr. Champion Tal Shaked. The remaining games were draws. Now only one player, Kaidanov, is within one point of the leader, with another three players being a point and a half point back. From now on, every win is critical: and every loss disastrous.
Yermolinsky draws with Alburt, while Kaidanov defeats Shaked. D. Gurevich also wins against Shabalov. Alexander Ivanov defeated Christiansen, and IM Igor Ivanov drew with IM Khmelnitsky.
Yermolinsky draws with A.Ivanov, while Kaidanov defeats IM Khmelnitsky, so Yermolinsky and Kaidanov now share the first position going into the last round. In other decisive games, Alburt defeated IM Ivanov. In two more important games, Gulko defeated Shaked to move within one point of the leaders, while D. Gurevich defeated Christiansen, so that he is only one-half point back.
Yermolinsky defeats D.Gurevich, and Alburt defeats Kaidanov: so Yermolinsky is the new US Champion!
Duif's Place is sponsored by:
Copyright 1996, Jade River Designs, Atlanta,
Georgia.
All rights reserved.