Game of the Year -- 18th Place

This is the third part in a series of articles which will count down to revealing what game was voted as the 2011 USCL Game of the Year. For more information on exactly how this process works and the prize information, please refer to: Game of the Year Contest


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18th Place: GM Hikaru Nakamura (STL) vs GM Melikset Khachiyan (LA) 0-1






















In an already wild game, rather than taking the perpetual, GM Nakamura boldly pressed forward with 35. Rg1, leading to an exciting finish in one of the biggest upsets in USCL History.



Below are the comments from the judges on why they ranked the game where they did and in parentheses is the ranking given by that judge and the number of points awarded for that ranking.



FM Ingvar Johannesson (9th Place, 12 points): This game started as a reversed Leningrad. Having played 1. f4 myself several times I thought Khachiyan's opening play was very classical, and he had no problems in the opening and might even claim to be slightly better. It felt like Khachiyan then took over as Nakamura's position felt overextended and weak. Then Khachiyan sacked the exchange (he also did in Week 5, I have a very educated guess about who his favourite player is, starts with P and ends with etrosian!). Then I think he went a bit overboard sacking another exchange (26... Be7 followed by some normal moves, and I place this top three for sure) which probably wasn't necessary but I guess he was all-in for glory at that point. Overall a good game by Khachiyan but slips a little because of the fact that he messed up a bit, and Nakamura could have taken a perpetual but went a little crazy trying to win.



FM Victor Shen (13th Place, 8 points): One of the biggest upsets of the season. It's not often that you see a World Top Ten player lose with White period. Of course it was an imperfect game as Nakamura optimistically spurned perpetual check but later blundered in the ensuing unbalanced endgame. Though the quality of the game may not have been as high as one might have hoped from these strong players, it was an impressive and unexpected upset nevertheless.



FM Ron Young (15th Place, 6 points): Ah, December. Christmas carols, year-end lists, Shahade family birthdays, and deciding how much weight to assign the Nakamura factor in the GOTY voting. Black did play well, and if he was guided at all by White's well-known aversion to draws, all the more admirable. It did seem that Hikaru thought of nothing but winning, up to but not beyond the moment he realized he had to resign.



FM Alisa Melekhina (16th Place, 5 points): Undoubtedly one of the reasons this game was chosen as a Wildcard was because of the caliber of the player on the White side of the board. However, it seems that Nakamura just didn't take this game seriously enough, to his own detriment, and underestimated the strength of his GM opponent. Known for playing the Dutch with Black, his experiment of using the same set-up for White did not succeed. After losing objectivity in his desire to win and haughtily refusing to force a draw, this game ended on a dubious note with a Pawn race favoring Khachiyan.



GM Alex Lenderman (20th Place, 1 point): This game might very well be one where the fans were most excited about, not only about the upset factor, but also because of so many turning points!

But in fact the upset factor seems like the only intriguing factor for me in this game, nothing else. I won't go too in depth, but in simplest terms: White didn't develop his Queenside pieces until move 18 and by that time was already much worse. Then 23. Qxc5 was not very accurate, 23. Bd5+! was better first to take away 23... Kh8. (23... Kh8?? 24. Nxg6+). After 23. Bd5+ Be6 Black's Bishop is passive and then 24. Qxc5 would have left White slightly worse but managable. But for some reason White played 23... Qxc5 in a couple of seconds (thanks ICC). 25. Bd5+? was also a huge lemon, self-pinning himself and misplacing the Bishop while 25. Rxe5 pretty much forces a Queen trade. 24... Rd8 25. Ng2 g5 was probably better than 24... Re5?!, keeping more of an advantage, and Black would be in control. But 25. Bd5+? validated Black's inaccurate 24... Re5, and after 25... Kg7 Black is simply winning.

26... Be7! looked just winning also as after the only move 27. Qc4 (or 27. Qb5 a6 doesn't change much) then 27... Qb6+ 28. Kh1 Rh5! with a simple mating attack. White's King is too exposed, and Black has too many pieces attacking. The second exchange sacrifice seems too extreme, I wonder if it was a bailout to make sure to secure a draw, or if Black missed something. But Black did play that move relatively quickly in three minutes in a tough position, just like White played 25. Bd5+ in thirty seconds, also very mysterious. So the logical outcome after White's very poor opening and Black's poor execution should've been a fighting draw, and should've ended in a perpetual check.

Those factors would already be enough for me to rank this game low. Add to that that White overpressed not once, but actually twice and then did not find the drawing continuation in the endgame, 45. c5= and once again 46. c5= after spending less than a minute for each move, and that Black squandered his advantage at least a couple of times, as exciting as this game was, and as much of an upset it was, all these negative factors about it left me an easy decision to rank this game last.



Total Score of Nakamura vs Khachiyan: (18th Place, 32 Points)


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Stay tuned for sixteen more such articles as the field shrinks by one game almost every day to see which of the following games will be the 2011 Game of the Year!


Week 2: SM Jorge Sammour-Hasbun (BOS) vs IM Lev Milman (MAN) 1-0 Article

Week 3: GM Giorgi Kacheishvili (NY) vs SM Jorge Sammour-Hasbun (BOS) 0-1 Article

Week 5: GM Cristian Chirila (DAL) vs GM Melikset Khachiyan (LA) 0-1 Article

Week 6: GM Julio Sadorra (DAL) vs IM Gabriel Battaglini (CAR) 1-0 Article

Week 7: WGM Tatev Abrahamyan (LA) vs FM Eric Rodriguez (MIA) 1-0 Article

Week 8: GM Julio Becerra (MIA) vs FM Joaquin Banawa (STL) 1-0 Article

Week 9: GM Jesse Kraai (SF) vs GM Julio Sadorra (DAL) 1-0 Article

Week 10: GM Yury Shulman (CHC) vs IM Mackenzie Molner (ARZ) 1-0 Article

Quarterfinals: GM Yury Shulman (CHC) vs GM Cristian Chirila (DAL) 1-0 Article

Semifinals: IM Zhanibek Amanov (LA) vs GM Josh Friedel (CHC) 0-1 Article

Championship: GM Mesgen Amanov (CHC) vs GM Giorgi Kacheishvili (NY) 0-1 Article

Wildcard #1: GM Pascal Charbonneau (NY) vs GM Varuzhan Akobian (SEA) 1-0 Article

Wildcard #2: GM Mesgen Amanov (CHC) vs IM Zhanibek Amanov (LA) 1-0 Article

Wildcard #3: IM Marc Esserman (BOS) vs GM John Fedorowicz (NY) 1-0 Article

Wildcard #5: SM Jorge Sammour-Hasbun (BOS) vs IM Robert Hungaski (NE) 1-0 Article

Wildcard #6: IM Zhanibek Amanov (LA) vs FM Slava Mikhailuk (SEA) 1-0 Article

Wildcard #7: GM Sam Shankland (NE) vs SM Jorge Sammour-Hasbun (BOS) 1-0 Article



Eliminated:


18th Place (32 Points): GM Hikaru Nakamura (STL) vs GM Melikset Khachiyan (LA) 0-1 Article Elimination Article

19th Place (30 Points): Christopher Wu (NJ) vs NM James Black (MAN) 1-0 Article Elimination Article

20th Place (27 Points): IM Conrad Holt (DAL) vs FM Joel Banawa (LA) 1-0 Article Elimination Article

Game of the Year -- 19th Place

This is the second part in a series of articles which will count down to revealing what game was voted as the 2011 USCL Game of the Year. For more information on exactly how this process works and the prize information, please refer to: Game of the Year Contest


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19th Place: Christopher Wu (NJ) vs NM James Black (MAN) 1-0






















With the calm 28. Rxg7!, despite allowing the capture of his Queen with check, NM Wu quickly finished off a nice mating attack



Below are the comments from the judges on why they ranked the game where they did and in parentheses is the ranking given by that judge and the number of points awarded for that ranking.



GM Alex Lenderman (11th Place, 10 points): Christopher Wu definitely did his homework and demonstrated that he knew the straightforward plan following the opening theory in the Paulsen g3 line. But Black simply made it too easy. 19... d5 was very much called for to blunt White's attack and to pressure the e4 pawn, thus trying to gain a grip on the f5 square. If White then plays 20. f5, seemingly the only topical line, then after 20... gxf5 Black is up a pawn and seems fine and defending. So perhaps White's 19. Nd1?! didn't turn out too well after all even though it is very topical - perhaps 19. Qf2 was instead called for. Either way White's opening shouldn't have been a success, but White got what he wanted after 19... b5?! 20. Ne3.

Black could've still played 20... d5 instead of the lemon 20... Kh8? though with less effect because the f5 square is already guarded by the Knight. But what really got this game out of the top ten was the fact that White botched a clear win and let Black get back into the game. If White found 22. Nf6! or 22. f5!? first, then 22... Bxf6 is forced (mate on h7 is threatened) after which 23. gxf6 Ng8 24. f5! exf5 25. Bh6! with mate coming, then this game probably would make the top ten though probably not top five. But unfortunately this was missed and after 22. Bc3? e5 23. fxe5?! (even here 23. f5 was stronger and probably winning though more complicated), 23... Bxg4! 24. Qxg4 if Black had found 24... b4! instead of 24... dxe5?, the game would have been still unclear. If White tries 25. Bd4!? then 25... Qc4! holds f7 and now very importantly, the Bishop is deflected into a bad square, d4, where now exd6 is impossible due to Bxd4+ winning for Black. Therefore, Black will simply regain a Pawn with a fine game! Most White can hope for here is a slight advantage after 25. c3!? dxe5 26. Bf2. 25... Nc6 besides the natural dxe5 is also possible. White can also try 25. Be1!? Bxe5 26. Rxf7 but of course this is a much better version for Black with the Bishop nice and active instead of being behind a Pawn on e5. 26... Kg8 for Black after 26. Rxf7, and Black has good play. If 27. Rf1, then 27... Qxc2, and if 27. Rf2?! then 27... a4! and Bd4. Finally White can try the most principled 25. exd6 Qa7+ 26. Kh1 bxc3 27. dxe7 Rxe7 28. bxc3, and again most White can hope for is a slight edge and the game is still very much in doubt 27. Rxf7? fails miserably to 27... cxb2, and the Pawn will be a problem for White.

With this stuff being missed, and Black's defense also not being ideal, after 24... dxe5? 25. Rxf7, White won with a nice mating pattern, a beautiful finish. The fact that it was a nice finish and not GMs playing, I bumped the ranking up a little bit to eleventh, but with all the inaccuracies and the straightforward nature of it, it wasn't good enough for me for the top ten.



FM Ingvar Johannesson (14th Place, 7 points): Another sharp Sicilian. White's attacking scheme is well known, and this had been played before up to 18. Rf1. Black seemed to somewhat voluntarily place his head on the guillotine with the seemingly redundant move 20... Kh8. White could have been more clinical with 22. Nf6 which is just crushing after 22... Bxf6 23. gxf6 Ng8 24. f5. So overall bad play by Black, and White even missed some stuff. The rest of the game was rather straightforward but even though somewhat obvious, we must give White a cookie for allowing his Queen to be captured with check, nice finish.



FM Alisa Melekhina (14th Place, 7 points): Amongst the other choices, this Board Four game did not seem out of place at all. After being on the offensive, White martyred his Queen to finish Black off in a study-like fashion. Black should have put up more resistance by playing 19... d5, possibly following up with Nf5. White blazed through with a thematic attack, but it most likely would not have succeeded against better defense. This reminds me of some of my own earlier (and even current) games when I used to play the Closed Sicilian or Grand Prix attack and would score quick victories over unwitting opponents, but this style of chess is a bit immature, and I look forward to seeing these players grow out of it as they progress.



FM Ron Young (16th Place, 5 points): Letting one's Queen go with check is not an everyday activity, but once White got to land his Rook on f7 with capture, it was clearly time for the Black King to start writing his memoirs.



FM Victor Shen (20th Place, 1 point): A nice attacking effort by the young Wu. Unfortunately, as Black didn't put up very much resistance (Wu could have even ended things as early as move 22 with Nf6!), I couldn't give this a higher ranking. Leaving the Queen en prise (with check!) was a nice touch though.



Total Score of Wu vs Black: (19th Place, 30 Points)


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Stay tuned for seventeen more such articles as the field shrinks by one game almost every day to see which of the following games will be the 2011 Game of the Year!


Week 2: SM Jorge Sammour-Hasbun (BOS) vs IM Lev Milman (MAN) 1-0 Article

Week 3: GM Giorgi Kacheishvili (NY) vs SM Jorge Sammour-Hasbun (BOS) 0-1 Article

Week 5: GM Cristian Chirila (DAL) vs GM Melikset Khachiyan (LA) 0-1 Article

Week 6: GM Julio Sadorra (DAL) vs IM Gabriel Battaglini (CAR) 1-0 Article

Week 7: WGM Tatev Abrahamyan (LA) vs FM Eric Rodriguez (MIA) 1-0 Article

Week 8: GM Julio Becerra (MIA) vs FM Joaquin Banawa (STL) 1-0 Article

Week 9: GM Jesse Kraai (SF) vs GM Julio Sadorra (DAL) 1-0 Article

Week 10: GM Yury Shulman (CHC) vs IM Mackenzie Molner (ARZ) 1-0 Article

Quarterfinals: GM Yury Shulman (CHC) vs GM Cristian Chirila (DAL) 1-0 Article

Semifinals: IM Zhanibek Amanov (LA) vs GM Josh Friedel (CHC) 0-1 Article

Championship: GM Mesgen Amanov (CHC) vs GM Giorgi Kacheishvili (NY) 0-1 Article

Wildcard #1: GM Pascal Charbonneau (NY) vs GM Varuzhan Akobian (SEA) 1-0 Article

Wildcard #2: GM Mesgen Amanov (CHC) vs IM Zhanibek Amanov (LA) 1-0 Article

Wildcard #3: IM Marc Esserman (BOS) vs GM John Fedorowicz (NY) 1-0 Article

Wildcard #4: GM Hikaru Nakamura (STL) vs GM Melikset Khachiyan (LA) 0-1 Article

Wildcard #5: SM Jorge Sammour-Hasbun (BOS) vs IM Robert Hungaski (NE) 1-0 Article

Wildcard #6: IM Zhanibek Amanov (LA) vs FM Slava Mikhailuk (SEA) 1-0 Article

Wildcard #7: GM Sam Shankland (NE) vs SM Jorge Sammour-Hasbun (BOS) 1-0 Article



Eliminated:


19th Place (30 Points): Christopher Wu (NJ) vs NM James Black (MAN) 1-0 Article Elimination Article

20th Place (27 Points): IM Conrad Holt (DAL) vs FM Joel Banawa (LA) 1-0 Article Elimination Article

Game of the Year -- 20th Place

This is the first part in a series of articles which will count down to revealing what game was voted as the 2011 USCL Game of the Year. The entrants are the thirteen Games of the Week along with the seven Wildcards (full list). There are five judges who ranked the games from 1st to 20th. If a game is ranked in 1st place by a judge, it receives 20 points, if it's ranked 2nd place it receives 19 points, and so on with 20th place receiving 1 point, and the games are then ranked by their total number of points. If there is a tie at a certain total, whichever amongst those games have higher individual rankings will win on tiebreak (e.g., a game which gets 1st + 4th rankings is higher than a game which gets 2nd + 3rd).


The five judges are:

FM Ingvar Johannesson
GM Alex Lenderman
FM Alisa Melekhina
FM Victor Shen
FM Ron Young


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20th Place: IM Conrad Holt (DAL) vs FM Joel Banawa (LA) 1-0






















The already messy and strange game went up another notch with FM Banawa uncorking 23... Nxd5!? After many complications and twists, IM Holt eventually emerged on top, the first of his many victories in an incredible season.



Below are the comments from the judges on why they ranked the game where they did and in parentheses is the ranking given by that judge and the number of points awarded for that ranking.



FM Alisa Melekhina (8th Place, 13 points): As I was looking through this game, I thought that Banawa had overstepped with 19... e4 and was punished for his optimism. However, the game soon became more complex with Black even having winning chances around 29... Rxa3 after Holt's inaccurate 29. Be2. Of course the winning 33... Qb8 followed by the unexpected ... d5 was understandably counterintuitive after having moved the Queen to e8 only a few moves earlier, so it is difficult to reproach Black for faltering at the end.

This game is an excellent demonstration of the practical aspect of chess, and shows what we stand to lose if chess becomes absorbed by play against computers or advanced chess. With so many top level games being either completely one-sided or equal all throughout until a slight advantage is capitalized on, this is a rare, exciting battle that deserves a top ten ranking due to its fighting spirit. The players rallied with the advantage until the final mistake, epitomizing a real chess struggle.



FM Victor Shen (12th Place, 9 points): A very exciting, fighting game. Banawa initiated complications with 19... e4!?, though perhaps out of necessity. Holt then defended pretty accurately and gained a winning advantage despite being under a lot of pressure, until his blunder 29. Be2?? Suddenly the tide swung in Black's favor, but he missed the strong 33... Qb8! to attack f4. After that, the mistake 34... Ra4 allowed White to regain the initiative and mop up. Sure, when you analyze with the computer, you can see all the mistakes, but it was an exciting game nevertheless.



GM Alex Lenderman (19th Place, 2 points): Fun finish, entertaining for the fans, but if you ask Conrad Holt, this might be very well the game he's least happy about from his great first season in the USCL. Maybe nerves were a factor here. White played the opening curiously, with moves like h4 and b4 (generally not recommended to play on both sides on the same time, especially with a space advantage), and White seemed to give Black good counterplay chances as with 19... Ng3 20. fxg3 Nf5, it is a very unclear game.

However, Black self-destructed into a lost position quickly with 19... e4? 20. g4 (maybe Black missed this move or underestimated it). Point is, that Black gave away too many pawns which became actually a good shelter for White's king. 21... Ng3 was also better than 21... Be5?!, after which White can just take the knight on h5, followed by Qc2 and Kd1+-. 22. Nf3 was also probably good enough.

The real problem with this game is of course that White after just getting a winning game self-destructed into a lost position with 29. Be2?? (29. Bg2 was just winning, or even the curious computer 29. h5!? as the escape square e2 is very important. And then if black found 32... Ra2!! instead of 32... Rxh1?!, 33. Qxa2 Qxe4+, all of a sudden Black is having a tremendous initiative and taking all of White's Pawns. Even after 32... Rxh1 33. Ke3, all Black had to do is find 33... Qb8! taking the b-file away from White's heavy pieces, prophylaxis, and on 34. Bxg6 d5!, Black will be on top. Instead the position first became equal and then 34... Ra4? was losing. 34... d5! followed by Ra4 was the only chance, and it would lead to a perpetual check according to the computer. Nice mating pattern for White at the end but in reality just a comedy of errors.



FM Ingvar Johanesson (19th Place, 2 points): This game was in somewhat new territory in terms of theory early on although it's a well known position type. Seems like the balance was more or less kept till move 19 when Black had to find the computeresque 19... Ng3 to keep the balance. After that some wild play ensued in which it was difficult to find the best moves. White seemed to be on top of things then slipped up, but Black then returned the favour. An exciting game but too many errors for me to put this anywhere but near the bottom.



FM Ron Young (20th Place, 1 point): Back in the day, "rich in vicissitudes" was praise comparable to "the cat's pajamas", but modern chess science frowns on too many vicissitudes. To put it another way, "that swing" is a nice thing, but "those swings" lead to dizziness, and there were a couple pretty big ones.



Total Score of Holt vs Banawa: (20th Place, 27 Points)


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Stay tuned for eighteen more such articles as the field shrinks by one game almost every day to see which of the following games will be the 2011 Game of the Year!


Week 2: SM Jorge Sammour-Hasbun (BOS) vs IM Lev Milman (MAN) 1-0 Article

Week 3: GM Giorgi Kacheishvili (NY) vs SM Jorge Sammour-Hasbun (BOS) 0-1 Article

Week 4: Christopher Wu (NJ) vs NM James Black (MAN) 1-0 Article

Week 5: GM Cristian Chirila (DAL) vs GM Melikset Khachiyan (LA) 0-1 Article

Week 6: GM Julio Sadorra (DAL) vs IM Gabriel Battaglini (CAR) 1-0 Article

Week 7: WGM Tatev Abrahamyan (LA) vs FM Eric Rodriguez (MIA) 1-0 Article

Week 8: GM Julio Becerra (MIA) vs FM Joaquin Banawa (STL) 1-0 Article

Week 9: GM Jesse Kraai (SF) vs GM Julio Sadorra (DAL) 1-0 Article

Week 10: GM Yury Shulman (CHC) vs IM Mackenzie Molner (ARZ) 1-0 Article

Quarterfinals: GM Yury Shulman (CHC) vs GM Cristian Chirila (DAL) 1-0 Article

Semifinals: IM Zhanibek Amanov (LA) vs GM Josh Friedel (CHC) 0-1 Article

Championship: GM Mesgen Amanov (CHC) vs GM Giorgi Kacheishvili (NY) 0-1 Article

Wildcard #1: GM Pascal Charbonneau (NY) vs GM Varuzhan Akobian (SEA) 1-0 Article

Wildcard #2: GM Mesgen Amanov (CHC) vs IM Zhanibek Amanov (LA) 1-0 Article

Wildcard #3: IM Marc Esserman (BOS) vs GM John Fedorowicz (NY) 1-0 Article

Wildcard #4: GM Hikaru Nakamura (STL) vs GM Melikset Khachiyan (LA) 0-1 Article

Wildcard #5: SM Jorge Sammour-Hasbun (BOS) vs IM Robert Hungaski (NE) 1-0 Article

Wildcard #6: IM Zhanibek Amanov (LA) vs FM Slava Mikhailuk (SEA) 1-0 Article

Wildcard #7: GM Sam Shankland (NE) vs SM Jorge Sammour-Hasbun (BOS) 1-0 Article



Eliminated:


20th Place (27 Points): IM Conrad Holt (DAL) vs FM Joel Banawa (LA) 1-0 Article Elimination Article

Wildcard Game #7

Wildcard #7: GM Sam Shankland (NE) vs SM Jorge Sammour-Hasbun (BOS) 1-0


Arun Sharma: This game did have some errors, including an opening move order mishap, but it was a nice effort against the top Board One All Star in his only defeat of the season. A not badly played game overall with an attractive finish makes this game a reasonable addition to the GOTY Contest in my view.


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And with that the twenty games in the GOTY Contest are set! They are:



Week 1: IM Conrad Holt (DAL) vs FM Joel Banawa (LA) 1-0 Article

Week 2: SM Jorge Sammour-Hasbun (BOS) vs IM Lev Milman (MAN) 1-0 Article

Week 3: GM Giorgi Kacheishvili (NY) vs SM Jorge Sammour-Hasbun (BOS) 0-1 Article

Week 4: Christopher Wu (NJ) vs NM James Black (MAN) 1-0 Article

Week 5: GM Cristian Chirila (DAL) vs GM Melikset Khachiyan (LA) 0-1 Article

Week 6: GM Julio Sadorra (DAL) vs IM Gabriel Battaglini (CAR) 1-0 Article

Week 7: WGM Tatev Abrahamyan (LA) vs FM Eric Rodriguez (MIA) 1-0 Article

Week 8: GM Julio Becerra (MIA) vs FM Joaquin Banawa (STL) 1-0 Article

Week 9: GM Jesse Kraai (SF) vs GM Julio Sadorra (DAL) 1-0 Article

Week 10: GM Yury Shulman (CHC) vs IM Mackenzie Molner (ARZ) 1-0 Article

Quarterfinals: GM Yury Shulman (CHC) vs GM Cristian Chirila (DAL) 1-0 Article

Semifinals: IM Zhanibek Amanov (LA) vs GM Josh Friedel (CHC) 0-1 Article

Championship: GM Mesgen Amanov (CHC) vs GM Giorgi Kacheishvili (NY) 0-1 Article

Wildcard #1: GM Pascal Charbonneau (NY) vs GM Varuzhan Akobian (SEA) 1-0 Article

Wildcard #2: GM Mesgen Amanov (CHC) vs IM Zhanibek Amanov (LA) 1-0 Article

Wildcard #3: IM Marc Esserman (BOS) vs GM John Fedorowicz (NY) 1-0 Article

Wildcard #4: GM Hikaru Nakamura (STL) vs GM Melikset Khachiyan (LA) 0-1 Article

Wildcard #5: SM Jorge Sammour-Hasbun (BOS) vs IM Robert Hungaski (NE) 1-0 Article

Wildcard #6: IM Zhanibek Amanov (LA) vs FM Slava Mikhailuk (SEA) 1-0 Article

Wildcard #7: GM Sam Shankland (NE) vs SM Jorge Sammour-Hasbun (BOS) 1-0 Article



Now the Game of the Year Contest is finally ready to begin. The first elimination will be shown within the next few days so be sure to keep tabs on the USCL website so you don't miss any of the action!

Wildcard Game #6

Wildcard #6: IM Zhanibek Amanov (LA) vs FM Slava Mikhailuk (SEA) 1-0


Greg Shahade: Clearly I like people named Amanov. I thought it was an aesthetically pleasing exchange sacrifice, and it was instructive to see how much White's minor pieces dominated the action.

Wildcard Game #5

Wildcard #5: SM Jorge Sammour-Hasbun (BOS) vs IM Robert Hungaski (NE) 1-0


Arun Sharma: A game which I really felt should have won GOTW in Week 1 in place of the game which wound up nudging it out, Holt vs Banawa. Like many GOTW decisions, whether this opinion is correct is very much a matter of taste, with the two games being very different stylistically.

For me personally, while the Holt game was more entertaining, the Sammour-Hasbun game seemed very, very clean by the winner with not too many mistakes overall which I definitely cannot claim the same for the other game. As such, I personally would have preferred this to be the winner then, and thus it seems appropriate to add this to the GOTY Contest.

Wildcard Game #4

Wildcard #4: GM Hikaru Nakamura (STL) vs GM Melikset Khachiyan (LA) 0-1


Greg Shahade: It was obviously a sloppy game as Nakamura went completely crazy trying to win, but it was also very exciting and involved one of the top ten players in the world. I'm curious to see where the Game of the Year Judges will rank it.

Wildcard Game #3

Wildcard #3: IM Marc Esserman (BOS) vs GM John Fedorowicz (NY) 1-0


Arun Sharma: Another game, which like my first pick, finished a close second in GOTW during its time in a decision that I'm still unsure of. It was a very different style than the game which ended up nudging it out, Shulman vs Chirila, and like many things perhaps a matter of taste as to which game was preferable. However, the fact that the Shulman game was the match deciding win while the Esserman game ended up being for naught was also a definite factor as the decision could well have gone the other way if not for that.

This game's probably most attractive point was the shot 25. Ke2!, likely a bit of home preparation, though it had in fact been played before. How impressive this was, well, there has been more than one debate over the seasons about how high an importance should be placed on home preparation, or how much something having been played before should count against someone, and just as stated earlier, it's very much a matter of opinion.

Whatever anyone might think, it was a close decision to me as to whether this should have won GOTW during its time so, like my first pick, I think it's very appropriate to throw this game into the mix of the GOTY Contest and let the GOTY Judges render the final verdict!

Wildcard Game #2

Wildcard #2: GM Mesgen Amanov (CHC) vs IM Zhanibek Amanov (LA) 1-0


Greg Shahade: Personally I felt this game should have won Game of the Week when it had the chance, but after some discussion we settled on putting it in third place. It's not really important to me whether someone followed twenty moves of theory or made a mistake somewhere in the opening. It was an exciting game which was very complex and interesting, and the fans loved and enjoyed it.

Wildcard Game #1

Wildcard #1: GM Pascal Charbonneau (NY) vs GM Varuzhan Akobian (SEA) 1-0


Arun Sharma: This was a game which was very close to winning GOTW during its time but eventually ended up as a close second. I'm really unsure whether the decision which wound up being made was the correct or not - the game which wound up finishing ahead of it, Sadorra vs Battaglini, was a good game as well, though very different stylistically.

While probably the opinions will be extremely varied as to which one should have won - there's no question that this game was a smooth, well played win against a very strong player. So for that reason, and to also allow the GOTY judges to render their own verdict on which game they thought was better, it seems only appropriate to throw this game into the mix that is the Game of the Year Contest.

2011 Game of the Year Contest

The awards for this year's GOTY Contest will be:


Prizes:

1st: $700 ($600 to the winner, $100 to the loser)
2nd: $400
3rd: $300
4th: $200
5th: $100


The judging panel will, as usual, be somewhat different than last year, with three veterans along with two newcomers:


FM Ingvar Johannesson
GM Alex Lenderman
FM Alisa Melekhina
FM Victor Shen
FM Ron Young


Once more, be sure to keep an eye out on the USCL website for the announcement of the seven Wildcard games which will begin within the next couple of days!

2011 Rookie of the Year and Most Improved Player

Each of these awards includes a $100 bonus to the winner.


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Rookie of the Year:








NM William Fisher (PHI)






For the Rookie of the Year, there were really only two people who could reasonably be considered for the award, Fisher and IM Conrad Holt (DAL). Both had amazing seasons which normally would have won this award running away, but unfortunately each chose to pull off their amazing feat at the same time as the other, leaving one of them to unluckily be left out. In the end, despite how impressive both were, given Fisher's slightly better record, especially when noting the questionable nature of one of Holt's victories which came about due to an accidental resignation, we felt the nod had to be given to Fisher. Again both players were more than worthy of winning this, but there being only one prize, we did have to choose one of the two.

While no other player was really in the league of either of these two, there were definitely some other rookies who had some great seasons, most notably NM Sam Schmakel (CHC), FM Jorge Pelaez (MIA), and several of the other young Board Four players who turned in very solid seasons. All were impressive, but again not anywhere near the level of the two main candidates.


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Most Improved Player:








IM Mackenzie Molner (ARZ)











This award had several players who seemed to be reasonable candidates - a choice that very much depended on what criterion among the many involved in picking this award one considered to be most important. After weighing all the factors, we felt IM Molner was the most deserving. This being his sixth season in the USCL, and having been very up and down through the years playing entirely on Boards Two and Three, to move to having such a strong performance playing nearly exclusively on Board One we felt to be the most notable improvement by a player in the League this season. His strong season included a nice tactical win over many time League MVP GM Becerra as well as a creative win against IM Naroditsky, with him and IM Altounian really keeping the Arizona team in serious playoff contention until the very end. Only a tough couple of losses to end the season prevented Molner from being both a serious MVP contender and All Star candidate.


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And so, the individual player awards are now complete! Congratulations to everyone who helped make this USCL season so exciting. Be sure to stay in tune with the USCL website to keep track of what is happening with the Game of the Year Contest as the Wildcard games will start being announced soon!

2011 Board One All Stars

For the criteria that was used to determine these All Stars refer to the first post on the subject.


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1st Team: SM Jorge Sammour-Hasbun (BOS)











This was a fairly easy decision as Sammour-Hasbun had the best record, highest performance rating, and scored two big wins with Black against the player who wound up being the second team All Star, GM Kacheishvili. The first win also won Game of the Week while the second occurred in the Playoffs, signifying the importance of his performance.

While the Quarterfinals win wound up being for naught in the grand scheme of things, it was really an incredible season by Sammour-Hasbun. With the relocation of the Boston team lessening their ability to use their GMs, the importance of the role he played cannot be understated. The Boston team continues to be one of the better teams in the USCL year after year, having made the postseason the last six seasons but have still been unable to quite make it to the very end at the top. But if there are more seasons like this in store for their new top player, that could well change very soon.

Record: 6.0 / 7 (86%)

Performance Rating: 2849


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2nd Team: GM Giorgi Kacheishvili (NY)











This was a closer decision as both GM Kacheishvili and GM Finegold could potentially have laid claim to this position, each having some factors in their favor. In the end, due to Kacheishvili's much tougher opposition (as evidenced by his superior performance rating despite having an inferior record), along with the importance of many of his wins, he was given the nod for the second spot.

Among these important wins obviously none can measure up to the win in the Championship the decisive game there, which won Game of the Week. Another of his many impressive victories with Black was a win which helped New York start the season off right against GM Margvelashvili.

With his performance, Kacheishvili becomes one of the very few heroes of two USCL Championships, being the main key to New York's victory in both the 2009 and 2011 League Championship. Having a strong ability to outplay strong players with the Black pieces is a rare gift indeed, and as long as he leads the Knights, it will be hard to count them out as real Championship contenders in any season.


Record: 7.5 / 11 (68%)

Performance Rating: 2740


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3rd Team: GM Ben Finegold (STL)






After receiving a spot on the third All Star Team on Board Three in 2010, GM Finegold managed to top that in 2011, moving up to doing the same on Board One with a superior record despite tougher opposition.

As noted, Finegold was a serious candidate for the second team also with his great record, but unfortunately the close decision wound up going against him. But his importance in keep the St. Louis team competitive could not be overlooked as he scored many nice wins, a win in opening week against fellow All Star GM Kraai and a nice technical effort against IM Molner.

While his team had a very disappointing season, with the Arch Bishops now having a two time All Star as a core member of their squad, they can still be hopeful of what the future might bring. If they can shore up the weak points of their effort this year, St. Louis could quickly become a very solid team in no time.


Record: 6.5 / 8 (81%)

Performance Rating: 2719


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Other Candidates:


Three other players who had solid seasons but weren't quite impressive enough to make it to the team were GM Yury Shulman (CHC) (4.5 / 7, 2631 Performance), GM Alex Stripunsky (MAN) (4.0 / 6, 2750 Performance), and GM Sam Shankland (NE) (3.0 / 4, 2772 Performance), each of whom scored a big win (a playoff clinching win by the first and wins against one of the top All Stars for the other two). All were also very important to their team, Shulman scoring the decisive win for the Blaze in the Quarterfinals, Stripunsky in leading the Applesauce back to the postseason after a three year hiatus, and Shankland in bringing the Nor'easters back from a terrible start to the brink of the Playoffs. But while all had very nice seasons, none were quite on par with the All Stars in our eyes.


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And so those are the All Star Teams! To recap, they are (using December 2011 USCF Ratings):



First Team:

1. SM Jorge Sammour-Hasbun (BOS) (2607)
2. IM Conrad Holt (DAL) (2548)
3. IM Jay Bonin (PHI) (2404)
4. NM William Fisher (PHI) (2348)

Average Rating: 2477


Second Team:

1. GM Giorgi Kacheishvili (NY) (2667)
2. IM Levon Altounian (ARZ) (2493)
3. WGM Tatev Abrahamyan (LA) (2339)
4. NM Sam Schmakel (CHC) (2218)

Average Rating: 2429


Third Team:

1. GM Ben Finegold (STL) (2585)
2. GM Jesse Kraai (SF) (2567)
3. IM Angelo Young (CHC) (2391)
4. Roland Feng (SEA) (2110)

Average Rating: 2413


What remains now is to give out are the Rookie of the Year and Most Improved Player Awards which will be both be announced in the couple of days.


After that comes the main postseason attraction, the Game of the Year Contest, which will start with the listing of the seven wildcard games that will join the thirteen Games of the Week and then the actual contest itself. This will also begin in just a few days so be sure to keep a close eye on the USCL website for all the announcements!

2011 Board Two All Stars

For the criteria that was used to determine these All Stars refer to the first post on the subject.

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1st Team: IM Conrad Holt (DAL)

The choosing of the Board Two All Stars was fairly straightforward in our eyes, both in regards to who should make it and their order.

The top spot was easily awarded to IM Holt for his rather incredible record against very stiff opposition. Among his many nice efforts was a wild win against FM Banawa, which won Game of the Week, and a big win with Black in the Quarterfinals against GM M Amanov.

Previously having been the only team to win two Championships, the Dallas team had struggled in the past couple of seasons due in part to not having a truly standout player with the departure of GM Kuljasevic from the team. Clearly IM Holt may well be that star they have been looking for as without question he is a big reason why the Destiny made it back to the postseason this year. And if he can perform even close to similarly in future seasons, the Dallas team will definitely be a major contender.

Record: 9.0 / 10 (90%)

Performance Rating: 2744

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2nd Team: IM Levon Altounian (ARZ)

Another fairly easy decision as IM Altounian also had a superb, nearly perfect season which would generally have been worthy of making the first team if not for IM Holt's incredible season.

Altounian, unlike most All Stars, very quietly seemed to put together his great season, just scoring win after win and being largely responsible for keeping the Arizona team in real playoff contention until the very end despite their extreme struggles on the lower two boards. He got them started off with what ended up being a match deciding victory in Week 1 against FM Rodriguez as well as a a big win in Interdivision Week against FM Griego.

While the Arizona team as a whole almost certainly did not have a season that they were pleased with, he and IM Molner really provided a huge spark for the Scorpions at the top, by far the best performance the Arizona team has shown at the top in their USCL seasons. Should they do so again next year, if the lower boards can regain their usual solid form, the Scorpions may well return to the powerhouse that won the Western Division in 2010.

Record: 5.5 / 6 (92%)

Performance Rating: 2762

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3rd Team: GM Jesse Kraai (SF)

Another fairly simple decision as GM Kraai was very active and had a very good score, winning five games and losing only one.

His strong season also included several very dominating victories, most notably a crushing victory against near All Star GM Sadorra which won Game of the Week as well as a brutal victory against IM Vojinovic in the final week of the regular season which sent the Mechanics to the postseason.

After two solid but unspectacular seasons, GM Kraai definitely seemed to hit his stride this year which could be great news for the San Francisco team. With them always having some strong up and comers to fill out their roster, if he can be a force at the top once again, the Mechanics can become a super dangerous team quickly.

Record: 6.5 / 9 (72%)

Performance Rating: 2708

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Other Candidates:

The strongest candidate who didn't end up quite making it was FM Kassa Korley (CAR) (5.0 / 8, 2533 Performance). Despite being out rated in all of his games, he scored a nice +2, while being very active. His performance was certainly impressive but not quite as good as the three All Stars. Three other players who also had strong seasons were GM Julio Sadorra (DAL) (4.0 / 6, 2629 Performance), GM Pascal Charbonneau (NY) (3.0 / 4, 2757 Performance), and IM Eli Vovsha (MAN) (3.0 / 4, 2716 Performance). All were very good contributors to their team's effort but also not quite on the level of the three All Stars.

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Stay tuned as in the next couple of days we will wrap up the All Stars with Board One!