18 - 30 April 2018 Click here for the Women group
The US Chess Championships took place in Saint Louis. Championship players: Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura, Wesley So, Alex Onischuk, Ray Robson, Sam Shankland, Varuzhan Akobian, Jeffery Xiong, Alex Lenderman, Awonder Liang, Yaroslav Zherebukh and Zviad Izoria. Women's Championship: Irina Krush, Anna Zatonskih, Tatev Abrahamyan, Nazi Paikidze, Sabina Foisor, Jennifer Yu, Annie Wang, Maggie Feng, Anna Sharevich, Dorsa Derakhshani, Akshita Gorti and Rusudan Goletiani. Sam Shankland won his first title with the high score of 8.5/11 half a point clear of Fabiano Caruana who pushed him all the way after overpressing and losing to Zviad Izoria in round 4. Nazi Paikidze beat Annie Wang in an Armageddon tie-break playoff for the women's title.
Results of US Chess Championships 2018
| USA Champs 2018 Saint Louis | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||
| 1. | Shankland, Samuel | g | USA | 2671 | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8½ | 2884 | |||||||
| 2. | Caruana, Fabiano | g | USA | 2804 | ½ | * | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 2836 | |||||||
| 3. | So, Wesley | g | USA | 2786 | ½ | ½ | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 6½ | 2728 | |||||||
| 4. | Nakamura, Hikaru | g | USA | 2787 | ½ | ½ | ½ | * | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 5½ | 2663 | |||||||
| 5. | Lenderman, Aleksandr | g | USA | 2599 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | * | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 5½ | 2680 | |||||||
| 6. | Robson, Ray | g | USA | 2660 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | * | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 5½ | 2674 | |||||||
| 7. | Izoria, Zviad | g | USA | 2599 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | * | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 5 | 2644 | |||||||
| 8. | Xiong, Jeffery | g | USA | 2665 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 5 | 2638 | |||||||
| 9. | Liang, Awonder | g | USA | 2552 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | * | ½ | 0 | ½ | 4½ | 2619 | |||||||
| 10. | Zherebukh, Yaroslav | g | USA | 2640 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | * | ½ | ½ | 4½ | 2611 | |||||||
| 11. | Akobian, Varuzhan | g | USA | 2647 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | * | 1 | 4½ | 2610 | |||||||
| 12. | Onischuk, Alexander | g | USA | 2672 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | * | 3 | 2498 | |||||||
| Round 1 (April 18, 2018) | Live Show  |
Recap |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nakamura, Hikaru | Robson, Ray | ½-½ | 33 | C45 | Scotch Game | |
| Lenderman, Aleksandr | Shankland, Samuel | ½-½ | 41 | A07 | Barcza System | |
| Xiong, Jeffery | Izoria, Zviad | ½-½ | 62 | A48 | King's Indian Defence /c2-c4 | |
| Liang, Awonder | Caruana, Fabiano | ½-½ | 52 | B31 | Sicilian Rossolimo | |
| Zherebukh, Yaroslav | So, Wesley | 0-1 | 53 | B51 | Sicilian Rossolimo | |
| Onischuk, Alexander | Akobian, Varuzhan | 0-1 | 25 | A84 | Dutch | |
| Round 2 (April 19, 2018) | Live Show |
Recap |
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| Shankland, Samuel | Xiong, Jeffery | ½-½ | 30 | A10 | Dutch, QI and KID Systems | |
| Caruana, Fabiano | Lenderman, Aleksandr | 1-0 | 23 | C18 | French Winawer | |
| So, Wesley | Onischuk, Alexander | 1-0 | 45 | C84 | Ruy Lopez Centre Attack | |
| Nakamura, Hikaru | Zherebukh, Yaroslav | ½-½ | 33 | C43 | Petroff's Defence | |
| Robson, Ray | Izoria, Zviad | 1-0 | 40 | C65 | Ruy Lopez Berlin | |
| Akobian, Varuzhan | Liang, Awonder | 1-0 | 35 | E10 | Blumenfeld Counter Gambit | |
| Round 3 (April 20, 2018) | Warm Up Show Live Show |
Recap |
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| Lenderman, Aleksandr | Akobian, Varuzhan | ½-½ | 69 | D37 | QGD 5.Bf4 | |
| Izoria, Zviad | Shankland, Samuel | 0-1 | 34 | D41 | Semi-Tarrasch Defence | |
| Xiong, Jeffery | Caruana, Fabiano | 0-1 | 49 | A61 | Benoni | |
| Liang, Awonder | So, Wesley | ½-½ | 57 | C03 | French Tarrasch | |
| Zherebukh, Yaroslav | Robson, Ray | 1-0 | 51 | D14 | Slav Exchange | |
| Onischuk, Alexander | Nakamura, Hikaru | ½-½ | 40 | A41 | Modern Defence | |
| Round 4 (April 21, 2018) | Live Show |
Recap |
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| Caruana, Fabiano | Izoria, Zviad | 0-1 | 81 | C53 | Giuoco Piano | |
| So, Wesley | Lenderman, Aleksandr | ½-½ | 46 | A06 | Zukertort Opening | |
| Nakamura, Hikaru | Liang, Awonder | ½-½ | 32 | A08 | Barcza System | |
| Robson, Ray | Shankland, Samuel | 0-1 | 44 | C83 | Ruy Lopez Open | |
| Zherebukh, Yaroslav | Onischuk, Alexander | ½-½ | 30 | E06 | Catalan | |
| Akobian, Varuzhan | Xiong, Jeffery | ½-½ | 48 | D83 | Gruenfeld 4.Bf4 | |
| Round 5 (April 22, 2018) | Live Show |
Recap |
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| Shankland, Samuel | Caruana, Fabiano | ½-½ | 44 | D27 | QGA | |
| Lenderman, Aleksandr | Nakamura, Hikaru | ½-½ | 41 | E98 | King's Indian Classical | |
| Izoria, Zviad | Akobian, Varuzhan | ½-½ | 52 | A29 | English Four Knights | |
| Xiong, Jeffery | So, Wesley | ½-½ | 22 | E06 | Catalan | |
| Liang, Awonder | Zherebukh, Yaroslav | ½-½ | 30 | C48 | Four Knights Rubinstein | |
| Onischuk, Alexander | Robson, Ray | ½-½ | 51 | D85 | Gruenfeld Defence | |
| Round 6 (April 23, 2018) | Warm Up Show Live Show |
Recap |
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| So, Wesley | Izoria, Zviad | ½-½ | 30 | D02 | Queen's Pawn Game | |
| Nakamura, Hikaru | Xiong, Jeffery | ½-½ | 31 | C26 | Vienna Game | |
| Robson, Ray | Caruana, Fabiano | 0-1 | 39 | C42 | Petroff's Defence | |
| Zherebukh, Yaroslav | Lenderman, Aleksandr | ½-½ | 30 | D37 | QGD 5.Bf4 | |
| Akobian, Varuzhan | Shankland, Samuel | 0-1 | 59 | E36 | Nimzo Indian 4.Qc2 | |
| Onischuk, Alexander | Liang, Awonder | ½-½ | 34 | D41 | Semi-Tarrasch Defence | |
| Round 7 (April 25, 2018) | Live Show |
Recap |
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| Shankland, Samuel | So, Wesley | ½-½ | 50 | D85 | Gruenfeld Defence | |
| Caruana, Fabiano | Akobian, Varuzhan | 1-0 | 30 | C11 | French Defence | |
| Lenderman, Aleksandr | Onischuk, Alexander | 1-0 | 43 | A28 | English Four Knights | |
| Izoria, Zviad | Nakamura, Hikaru | 1-0 | 92 | A04 | Dutch System | |
| Xiong, Jeffery | Zherebukh, Yaroslav | ½-½ | 46 | E04 | Catalan | |
| Liang, Awonder | Robson, Ray | ½-½ | 72 | C65 | Ruy Lopez Berlin | |
| Round 8 (April 26, 2018) | Live Show |
Recap |
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| So, Wesley | Caruana, Fabiano | ½-½ | 46 | C42 | Petroff's Defence | |
| Nakamura, Hikaru | Shankland, Samuel | ½-½ | 38 | A01 | Larsen Opening | |
| Robson, Ray | Akobian, Varuzhan | 1-0 | 144 | C11 | French Defence | |
| Liang, Awonder | Lenderman, Aleksandr | 0-1 | 40 | C42 | Petroff's Defence | |
| Zherebukh, Yaroslav | Izoria, Zviad | ½-½ | 35 | E10 | Blumenfeld Counter Gambit | |
| Onischuk, Alexander | Xiong, Jeffery | ½-½ | 30 | D85 | Gruenfeld Defence | |
| Round 9 (April 27, 2018) | Warm Up Show Live Show |
Recap |
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| Shankland, Samuel | Zherebukh, Yaroslav | 1-0 | 71 | D37 | QGD 5.Bf4 | |
| Caruana, Fabiano | Nakamura, Hikaru | ½-½ | 53 | C65 | Ruy Lopez Berlin | |
| Lenderman, Aleksandr | Robson, Ray | ½-½ | 71 | D90 | Gruenfeld Flohr | |
| Izoria, Zviad | Onischuk, Alexander | ½-½ | 47 | D58 | Queens Gambit Tartakover | |
| Xiong, Jeffery | Liang, Awonder | ½-½ | 30 | B12 | Caro Kann Advanced | |
| Akobian, Varuzhan | So, Wesley | ½-½ | 34 | D82 | Gruenfeld 4.Bf4 | |
| Round 10 (April 28, 2018) | Live Show |
Recap |
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| Nakamura, Hikaru | Akobian, Varuzhan | 1-0 | 50 | C17 | French Winawer | |
| Lenderman, Aleksandr | Xiong, Jeffery | 0-1 | 55 | A20 | English Opening | |
| Robson, Ray | So, Wesley | ½-½ | 40 | C88 | Ruy Lopez Closed | |
| Liang, Awonder | Izoria, Zviad | 1-0 | 67 | C65 | Ruy Lopez Berlin | |
| Zherebukh, Yaroslav | Caruana, Fabiano | 0-1 | 31 | B23 | Sicilian Closed | |
| Onischuk, Alexander | Shankland, Samuel | 0-1 | 49 | D38 | QGD Ragozin | |
| Round 11 (April 29, 2018) | Live Show |
Recap |
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| Shankland, Samuel | Liang, Awonder | 1-0 | 43 | B13 | Caro Kann Exchange | |
| Caruana, Fabiano | Onischuk, Alexander | 1-0 | 29 | C78 | Ruy Lopez Moeller Defence | |
| So, Wesley | Nakamura, Hikaru | ½-½ | 30 | E32 | Nimzo Indian 4.Qc2 | |
| Izoria, Zviad | Lenderman, Aleksandr | ½-½ | 30 | C43 | Petroff's Defence | |
| Xiong, Jeffery | Robson, Ray | 0-1 | 37 | C53 | Giuoco Piano | |
| Akobian, Varuzhan | Zherebukh, Yaroslav | ½-½ | 32 | D83 | Gruenfeld 4.Bf4 | |
