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SemiFinal GamesDownloadAll games are now available in our Download Section.. You can also play through the games with a one diagram per move format, including commentary from Grandmaster Michael Rohde, in our Autoplay Section. |
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Overview | Games in PGN | |
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Round 1 Seirawan and Benjamin both win with White, and jump to early leads. Our exclusive Postgame Interviews. | Site Report | Games in PGNAutoplay |
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Round 2 | Site Report | Games in PGN |
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Round 3 | Site Report | Games in PGN |
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Round 4 | Site Report | Games in PGN |
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 Round 4Site Report by NM Matt GuthrieAfter their semi-final match ended deadlocked at 2-2 with a draw today, Yasser Seirawan and Larry Christiansen embarked on a marathon series of mini-matches. The G/25 match was tied, each player winning with White. The same occurred in the G/15 match. No less than 3 G/5 matches were necessary before Christiansen finally overwhelmed Seirawan's Kalashnikov Sicilian. The two players played 11 total games today, not a one being drawn, in a total time of only slightly less than 12 hours. The first 5 games of the saga will be posted later tonight, the rest will folow later, when the scoresheets have been deciphered.The last 6 games have now been included. Matt suggests that you remember the factors of fatigue and pressure involved when going over them--yes, even Grandmasters drop pieces and miss knight forks! Autoplay Games with diagrams and commentarySeirawan/Christiansen, All Rounds Games in PGN formatSemiFinals Round 4All SemiFinals Rounds Round 3Site Report by NM Matt GuthrieJoel Benjamin became the first qualifier for the US Championship Finals, after treating spectators to the sight of a Catalan System turning into a vicious Kingside attack. Joel conducted the attack with elan, swinging his Knight across from the Queenside by way of the seemingly inaccessible d7 square, and then sacrificing it on f6. Noteworthy is that Kaidanov's c8 Bishop never moved throughout the entire game. In the second semi-final, Larry Christiansen won a wild slugfest against Yasser Seirawan from an opening that transposed rapidly from a Pirc to a KID Samisch to a Benoni. Larry's central and Queenside pressue eventually led to an invasion down the c-file, after which some elegant tactical play led to an easy pawn up ending. Larry stated after the game that he was especially proud of his ...Qe5, after which he believes White to be lost. The concluding game of their match will be played tomorrow at 12:30 PDT, not 3:30 as originally scheduled.Autoplay Games with diagrams and commentaryBenjamin-Kaidanov, Round 3Commentary by Grandmaster Michael Rohde Seirawan/Christiansen, All Rounds Games in PGN formatSemiFinals Round 3All SemiFinals Rounds Round 2Site Report by NM Matt GuthrieBoth semi-final games today featured exchange sacrifices which ultimately proved sufficient only for draws. Against Seirawan, Christiansen invested an exchange almost immediately out of the opening. During the post-mortem Yasser was amazed that he was not just winning the position, as one resource after another for White kept appearing. Yasser disliked his ...Qc4, exchanging queens, which came very close to losing in many lines. Following the time control there was no logical way for either side to play for a win.Kaidanov-Benjamin was balanced throughout the early going, as a typical IQP position evolved from a QGA. Toward the end Joel sacrificed an exchange, but almost immediately after Gregory forced a perpetual check, which Joel could only avoid by taking a bad queen trade. Autoplay Games with diagrams and commentaryKaidanov-Benjamin 1/2-1/2, Round 1Commentary by Grandmaster Michael Rohde Seirawan/Christiansen, All Rounds Games in PGN formatSemiFinals Round 2Round 1Site Report by NM Matt GuthrieBoth White players, Seirawan and Benjamin, won hard fought games of over 60 moves to take 1-0 leads in their matches against Larry Christiansen and Gregory Kaidanov, respectively. Yasser got a nice endgame squeeze, while Joel won a couple of pawns when tactics erupted around the time control.Both winners gave brief Autoplay Games with diagrams and commentaryBenjamin-Kaidanov, Round 1Commentary by Grandmaster Michael Rohde Seirawan-Christiansen, Round 1 Games in PGN formatSemiFinals Round 1
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