Top rated US player in the Reykjavik Open, GM Yuri Shulman, suffered a defeat against Bulgarian GM Ivan Cheparinov (2709) in the 7th round of the tournament.
Shulman defended with the Czech Benoni, which has a reputation of a solid but somewhat passive opening. Cheparinov locked the queenside, left the king uncastled but behind paws shield, and started operating on the kingside.
Before the time control Shulman played 36…Be1 and it looked like the tactics are working in his favor, but Cheparinov calculated further and struck back with 38. Nxf4.
White won the material and quickly consolidated the pieces to wrap up the game.
FM Adarsh Jayakumar played a quick draw with black pieces against the legendary Icelandic GM Fridrik Olafsson. After over-sleeping the yesterday’s round, Jayakumar was probably content to reverse the negative trend and seek for a victory in next game with white. (USA pairings below).
Yaacov Norowitz played another wild game even if the opening was innocuous Queen’s Gambit Declined. White was Chessdom commentator Aman Hambleton (Canada).
The position after 18…Nc5 resembled the famous Makagonov-Botvinnik clash from 1940′s. The difference was that Norowitz’s knight was poorly placed on f8, so he simply moved it ahead and sacrificed a piece for two pawns!
White king was left in the center and poorly protected so Hambleton tried to reorganize the pieces and repel the attack.
Black threw in an exchange too and started harassing the enemy king. Hambleton gave up the queen and a strange position arose – white had 2R+N+2P versus Q+6P. However, both kings were left out in the open and the game was drawn after moves repetition. (Replay game here).
IM John Bartholomew won a second game in the row and is now the best performing American, together with Norowitz. They both stand on 5/7 points. Bartholomew played a model Semi-Slav defence with black to beat FM Brede Kvisvik from Norway.
IM Vladimir Prosviriakov played a grueling 109-moves draw against the local GM Stefan Kristjansson. Prosviriakov held a difficult rook endgame being a pawn down.
IM Erik Andrew Kislik run his own king into a tactical blow and resigned soon after. IM Irina Krush lost to Norwegian FM Carl Fredrik Ekeberg.
Stephen Jablon and Gregory Hisnay won their games and increased the count to 3 points each. Kent Evenson and Mikhail Kruglyak were defeated.
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Round 8 USA pairings:
IM Bartholomew John 2435 5 – GM Solak Dragan 2603 5
NM Norowitz Yaacov 2432 5 – GM Xiu Deshun 2530 5
IM Arngrimsson Dagur 2375 4,5 – GM Shulman Yury 2563 4,5
FM Jayakumar Adarsh 2271 4,5 – IM Zumsande Martin 2419 4,5
IM Kislik Erik Andrew 2359 4 – Bergthorsson Jon Thor 2125 4
IM Prosviriakov Vladimir 2297 4 – Frick Renato 2075 4
Van Heirzeele Daniel 2125 3,5 – IM Krush Irina 2460 3,5
What’s wrong with Irina?
Girls just can’t beat the boys!