The U.S. Championship is being played in a spirit of sportsmanship and professionalism throughout, and this could be witnessed in the pairing between U.S. Women’s champion Woman’s Grandmaster Anna Zatonskia and Grandmaster Gregory Kaidanov from Kentucky, another of the top seeds.
Due to a minor ailment, WGM Zatonskih, the only mother in the 24-player field on Mother’s Day, had to attend St. Louis University Hospital for treatment for a minor ailment. Unfortunately this meant she was unable to play her round three game and would have had to automatically forfeit the loss to her opponent without a move being played – but, in a true act of sportsmanship, Kaidanov – who could easily have claimed a win by default – magnanimously offered to postpone their match-up until the official rest day on Friday, when they will both play catch-up on the day the rest of the field are on a break.
Source: http://www.saintlouischessclub.org/
Only expect the best from Kaidanov.
That’s the right spirit !
Postpone a game in the swiss tournament is a stupid, not any act of sportmanship, how to make pairing for Kaidanov and Zatonskih before the rest day?
Hope Anna will be OK, as it looks like she is out of the tournament now, where we have now Mr. Eckert – a 2200 mostly inactive player, what we need for the championship where players like Lenderman, Kudrin or Yermolinsky were not invited. The best decision to kick Mr. Lawton now and play the tournament with 22 players.
Remember what did Russians in 2004 (the only Russian (not USSR) Championship where Kasparov played and won), when Kramnik withdrew from a tournament they eliminated from the tournament former FIDE World Champion Khalifman, but did not add on 21-year old at that time the first candidate Jakovenko, who was on site and availible. They were training did not make the tournament weaker.
It is the National Tournament, and if we have guys like Kamsky, Nakamura and Onishuk it is not a place for guys like Lawton and Eckert (filler in the National Championship?)
Some people disagree with you.
for goodness sake, can u please type in proper english. I am sure most of us have difficulty understanding what u were trying to convey in your msg.
“It is the National Tournament, and if we have guys like Kamsky, Nakamura and Onishuk it is not a place for guys like Lawton and Eckert (filler in the National Championship?)”
If they are filler for the National Championship, then it must mean that you are filler for this blog cowardly Anonymouse.
I thought so…
Am I old-fashioned? I would have expected everyone to show the same courtesy of GM Kaidanov.
There is no justification for kicking out Mr. Lawton or any other player just because there are an odd number of players. Continue as a normal Swiss and either have a bye or a house player, as USCF rules say.
Some of these people are racists. They discriminate against a Black man like Mr. Lawton, or against GMs Kaidanov or Polgar because they’re non-American born. This is the way how the top brass of the USCF function for years.
Actually, the event is not sportsmanlike throughout. The treatment of Mr. Lawton in round 2was despicable.
It will be tough to be too xenophobic in the USCF: “16 of the 20 top rated U.S. chess players are from the former Soviet Union.”
Source: http://www.soc.lsu.edu/sana
Its wonderful that in a game where we are out to crush one another there still can be such acts of sportsmanship and goodwill. I LOVE THIS GAME. Bravo! GM Kaidanov