Photo Jennifer Shahade

by NM Arun Sharma

With only two rounds to go, for the third consecutive day, Gilberto Luna II holds the top spot in the fantasy competition, and for the second day Jeremy Madison holds the second spot. The tournament itself has gotten quite interesting where it seemed a couple of days ago that GM Shabalov was going to run away with the competition, but now is in a dead heat with GM Onischuk with GM Kudrin only a half point behind. This also has caused quite a change in the "keys to success." Twelve-year old FM Robson and GM Onischuk have surpassed GM Shabalov in that department. Given the way the standings can shake up from day to day, holding onto first three days in a row as Luna has done really speaks well of his chances to capture the top place. But with two rounds still left to play anything really can happen. These are the top thirty-two teams.

Standings by Points:

29.5 Points: 1st
28.5 Points: 2nd
28 Points: 3rd
27.5 Points: 4th - 6th
27 Points: 7th - 15th
26.5 Points: 16th - 32nd
26 Points: 33rd - 62nd
25.5 Points: 63rd - 99th
25 Points: 100th - 146th
24.5 Points: 147th - 207th
24 Points: 208th - 255th
23.5 Points: 256th - 308th
23 Points: 309th - 341st
22.5 Points: 342nd - 353rd
22 Points: 354th - 365th
21.5 Points: 366th - 377th
21 Points: 378th - 385th
20.5 Points: 386th
19.5 Points: 387th

1st: Gilberto Luna II (2504.2857) - 29.5 points

Alex Onischuk 5.5
Jaan Ehlvest 4.5
Alexander Shabalov 5.5
Julio Becerra 4.5
Ray Robson 3.5
Michael Langer 4
Irina Zenyuk 2

Tiebreaker 1: 35.5 Points
Tiebreaker 2: 119 Moves

2nd: Jeremy Madison (2508.2857) - 28.5 Points

Jaan Ehlvest 4.5
Alexander Shabalov 5.5
Sergey Kudrin 5
Irina Krush 3.5
Justin Sarkar 2.5
Ray Robson 3.5
Michael Langer 4

Tiebreaker 1: 42 Points
Tiebreaker 2: 128 Moves

3rd: Ramie Jimenez (2508.2857) - 28 Points

Jaan Ehlvest 4.5
Yury Shulman 4.5
Julio Becerra 4.5
Irina Krush 3.5
Michael Mulyar 3.5
Ray Robson 3.5
Michael Langer 4

Tiebreaker 1: 46 Points
Tiebreaker 2: 72 Moves

4th: Irina Krush (2504.1429) - 27.5 points

Alex Onischuk 5.5
Jaan Ehlvest 4.5
Alexander Shabalov 5.5
Irina Krush 3.5
David Pruess 3
Ray Robson 3.5
Irina Zenyuk 2

Tiebreaker 1: 37 Points
Tiebreaker 2: 89 Moves

5th: Darrian Robinson (2506) - 27.5 Points

Alexander Shabalov 5.5
Eugene Perelshteyn 5.5
Julio Becerra 4.5
Alex Yermolinsky 3.5
Melikset Khachiyan 4
Ray Robson 3.5
Irina Zenyuk 2

Tiebreaker 1: 35.5 Points
Tiebreaker 2: 115 Moves

6th: Benjamin Katz (2509.5714) - 27.5 Points

Alex Onischuk 5.5
Yury Shulman 4.5
Alexander Shabalov 5.5
Josh Friedel 3
Robert Hess 3.5
Ray Robson 3.5
Irina Zenyuk 2

Tiebreaker 1: 48 Points
Tiebreaker 2: 105 Moves

7th: Olufemi Oyekan (2482.7143) - 27 Points

Alex Onischuk 5.5
Alexander Shabalov 5.5
Irina Krush 3.5
Justin Sarkar 2.5
Ron Burnett 2.5
Ray Robson 3.5
Michael Langer 4

Tiebreaker 1: 38.5 Points
Tiebreaker 2: 155 Moves

8th: Makalo Krienko (2492) - 27 Points

Hikaru Nakamura 4
Alex Onischuk 5.5
Alexander Shabalov 5.5
Justin Sarkar 2.5
Ray Robson 3.5
Michael Langer 4
Irina Zenyuk 2

Tiebreaker 1: 40 Points
Tiebreaker 2: 120 Moves

9th: Kevin Villarreal (2504.1429) - 27 points

Hikaru Nakamura 4
Alex Onischuk 5.5
Alexander Shabalov 5.5
Irina Krush 3.5
Jay Bonin 3
Ray Robson 3.5
Irina Zenyuk 2

Tiebreaker 1: 33 Points
Tiebreaker 2: 120 Moves

10th: Richard Reich (2505.4286) - 27 Points

Hikaru Nakamura 4
Eugene Perelshteyn 4.5
Melikset Khachiyan 4
Irina Krush 3.5
Robert Hess 3.5
Ray Robson 3.5
Michael Langer 4

Tiebreaker 1: 35.5 Points
Tiebreaker 2: 124 Moves

11th: Jose Morrero (2507.1429) - 27 Points

Hikaru Nakamura 4
Alex Onischuk 5.5
Irina Krush 3.5
Robert Hess 3.5
Michael Mulyar 3.5
Jay Bonin 3
Michael Langer 4

Tiebreaker 1: 35.5 Points
Tiebreaker 2: 111 Moves

12th: Tom Rampley (2507.2857) - 27 Points

Hikaru Nakamura 4
Alex Onischuk 5.5
Alexander Shabalov 5.5
Justin Sarkar 2.5
Ray Robson 3.5
Michael Langer 4
Irina Zenyuk 2

Tiebreaker 1: 40 Points
Tiebreaker 2: 120 Moves

13th: Jan Olderdissen (2508.2857) - 27 Points

Alex Onischuk 5.5
Alexander Shabalov 5.5
Irina Krush 3.5
David Pruess 3
Robert Hess 3.5
Justin Sarkar 2.5
Ray Robson 3.5

Tiebreaker 1: 40.5 Points
Tiebreaker 2: 89 Moves

14th - 15th: Angel Bao (2509.1429) - 27 Points

Hikaru Nakamura 4
Jaan Ehlvest 4.5
Eugene Perelshteyn 4.5
Robert Hess 3.5
Jay Bonin 3
Ray Robson 3.5
Michael Langer 4

Tiebreaker 1: 35 Points
Tiebreaker 2: 100 Moves

14th - 15th: Ryan Miller (2509.1429) - 27 points

Alex Onischuk 5.5
Gregory Kaidanov 4.5
Alexander Shabalov 5.5
Irina Krush 3.5
Robert Hess 3.5
Ron Burnett 2.5
Irina Zenyuk 2

Tiebreaker 1: 45 Points
Tiebreaker 2: 95 Moves

16th: Mel Romero (2491.7143) - 26.5 Points

Hikaru Nakamura 4
Alex Onischuk 5.5
Alexander Shabalov 5.5
Alex Ivanov 4.5
Ray Robson 3.5
Irina Zenyuk 2
Tom Braunlich 1.5

Tiebreaker 1: 35 Points
Tiebreaker 2: 90 Moves

17th: Vikas Kumar (2497) - 26.5 Points

Hikaru Nakamura 4
Alex Onischuk 5.5
Gregory Kaidanov 4.5
Alexander Shabalov 5.5
Michael Langer 4
Chouchanik Airapetian 1.5
Tom Braunlich 1.5

Tiebreaker 1: 41.5 Points
Tiebreaker 2: 102 Moves

18th: Daniel Cruz (2500.4286) - 26.5 Points

Hikaru Nakamura 4
Alex Onischuk 5.5
Jaan Ehlvest 4.5
Irina Krush 3.5
Ray Robson 3.5
Michael Langer 4
Chouchanik Airapetian 1.5

Tiebreaker 1: 35 Points
Tiebreaker 2: 93 Moves

19th: Norbert Albera (2502.5714) - 26.5 Points

Hikaru Nakamura 4
Alex Onischuk 5.5
Yury Shulman 4.5
Alexander Shabalov 5.5
Ray Robson 3.5
Chouchanik Airapetian 1.5
Irina Zenyuk 2

Tiebreaker 1: 35 Points
Tiebreaker 2: 120 Moves

20th: Henry Li (2503.2857) - 26.5 Points

Hikaru Nakamura 4
Alex Onischuk 5.5
Jaan Ehlvest 4.5
Irina Krush 3.5
Jay Bonin 3
Michael Langer 4
Irina Zenyuk 2

Tiebreaker 1: 36 Points
Tiebreaker 2: 100 Moves

21st: Andre Harding (2506.4286) - 26.5 Points

Alex Onischuk 5.5
Yury Shulman 4.5
Sergey Kudrin 5
Josh Friedel 3
Robert Hess 3.5
Jay Bonin 3
Irina Zenyuk 2

Tiebreaker 1: 45 Points
Tiebreaker 2: 97 Moves

22nd: Chris Falter (2506.8571) - 26.5 Points

Hikaru Nakamura 4
Alex Onischuk 5.5
Varuzhan Akobian 3.5
Melikset Khachiyan 4
Ray Robson 3.5
Michael Langer 4
Irina Zenyuk 2

Tiebreaker 1: 37.5 Points
Tiebreaker 2: 81 Moves

23rd: Adam Goldberg (2507.8571) - 26.5 Points

Alex Onischuk 5.5
Yury Shulman 4.5
Eugene Perelshteyn 4.5
Irina Krush 3.5
Robert Hess 3.5
Ray Robson 3.5
Michael Aigner 1.5

Tiebreaker 1: 41.5 Points
Tiebreaker 2: 91 Moves

24th - 26th: Daniel Macieg (2508) - 26.5 Points

Alex Ivanov 4.5
Sergey Kudrin 5
Julio Becerra 4.5
David Pruess 3
Robert Hess 3.5
Justin Sarkar 2.5
Ray Robson 3.5

Tiebreaker 1: 36 Points
Tiebreaker 2: 120 Moves

24th - 26th: Ken Branstetter (2508) - 26.5 Points

Hikaru Nakamura 4
Alexander Shabalov 5.5
Eugene Perelshteyn 4.5
Melikset Khachiyan 4
David Pruess 3
Michael Langer 4
Chouchanik Airapetian 1.5

Tiebreaker 1: 25.5 Points
Tiebreaker 2: 55 Moves

24th - 26th: Laurence Mota (2508) - 26.5 Points

Alexander Shabalov 5.5
Julio Becerra 4.5
Josh Friedel 3
Irina Krush 3.5
David Pruess 3
Robert Hess 3.5
Ray Robson 3.5

Tiebreaker 1: 46.5 Points
Tiebreaker 2: 93 Moves

27th - 28th: Alec Getz (2508.4286) - 26.5 Points

Alex Onischuk 5.5
Yury Shulman 4.5
Alex Stripunsky 3.5
Eugene Perelshteyn 4.5
Jay Bonin 3
Ray Robson 3.5
Irina Zenyuk 2

Tiebreaker 1: 34.5 Points
Tiebreaker 2: 102 Moves

27th - 28th: Valicio Pahla (2508.4286) - 26.5 Points

Hikaru Nakamura 4
Jaan Ehlvest 4.5
Alexander Shabalov 5.5
Irina Krush 3.5
Robert Hess 3.5
Ray Robson 3.5
Irina Zenyuk 2

Tiebreaker 1: 37 Points
Tiebreaker 2: 105 Moves

29th: James Dickson (2508.7143) - 26.5 Points

Alex Onischuk 5.5
Jaan Ehlvest 4.5
Alexander Shabalov 5.5
Irina Krush 3.5
Robert Hess 3.5
Justin Sarkar 2.5
Tom Braunlich 1.5

Tiebreaker 1: 39 Points
Tiebreaker 2: 113 Moves

30th: Ricardo Fabian (2509.2857) - 26.5 Points

Hikaru Nakamura 4
Alex Onischuk 5.5
Josh Friedel 3
Irina Krush 3.5
Jay Bonin 3
Ray Robson 3.5
Michael Langer 4

Tiebreaker 1: 36 Points
Tiebreaker 2: 110 Moves

31st: Jason Qian (2509.4286) - 26.5 Points

Alex Onischuk 5.5
Alexander Shabalov 5.5
Josh Friedel 3
Walter Browne 2.5
Bryan Smith 2.5
Ray Robson 3.5
Michael Langer 4

Tiebreaker 1: 45 Points
Tiebreaker 2: 96 Moves

32nd: Daniel Naroditsky (2509.8571) - 26.5 Points

Alex Onischuk 5.5
Yury Shulman 4.5
Alex Ivanov 4.5
Irina Krush 3.5
Robert Hess 3.5
Ray Robson 3.5
Michael Aigner 1.5

Tiebreaker 1: 39 Points
Tiebreaker 2: 95 Moves

Keys to Success (number of times each player appears in each of the top 32 teams)

Ray Robson 25
Alex Onischuk 23
Alexander Shabalov 19
Irina Krush 18
Michael Langer 16
Hikaru Nakamura 15
Irina Zenyuk 15
Robert Hess 13
Jaan Ehlvest 9
Yury Shulman 7
Justin Sarkar 7
Jay Bonin 7
Eugene Perelshteyn 6
Julio Becerra 5
Josh Friedel 5
David Pruess 5
Melikset Khachiyan 4
Chouchanik Airapetian 4
Alex Ivanov 3
Sergey Kudrin 3
Tom Braunlich 3
Gregory Kaidanov 2
Michael Mulyar 2
Ron Burnett 2
Michael Aigner 2
Varuzhan Akobian 1
Alex Stripunsky 1
Alex Yermolinsky 1
Walter Browne 1
Bryan Smith 1
Ildar Ibragimov 0
Boris Gulko 0
Dmitry Gurevich 0
Enrico Sevillano 0
Joe Bradford 0
Movses Movsisyan 0