Week 7 Game of the Week

This year Game of the Week will be decided upon by IM Greg Shahade and NM Arun Sharma together. First place each week will receive a $200 bonus prize ($150 going to the winner of the game, $50 to the loser), second place $75, and third place $50 (both second and third going entirely to the winner).


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1st Place: WGM Tatev Abrahamyan (LA) vs FM Eric Rodriguez (MIA) 1-0






















WGM Abrahamyan finished off her strong attack with 29. f6+! to which there was no satisfactory answer.



A bit one-sided of an affair, but a very nice Sicilian slaughter by WGM Abrahamyan, just dominating the game completely early on, developing a strong initiative, never letting it go, and then ending the game with a nice tactical sequence. The second strong attacking win by her in as many weeks to entrench her team, the Vibe, in second place.


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2nd Place: IM Conrad Holt (DAL) vs FM Joel Banawa (ARZ) 1-0






















After 19... Ng4, another very interesting struggle between these two players came about, with IM Holt again emerging on top.



The second bout this season between these two players was a near repeat winner. A very interesting struggle once again with several tough moments. While this game wasn't quite as long or rich as their first game, overall it was a well played game by IM Holt along with being quite entertaining and thus another worthy pick.


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3rd Place: NM Vadim Martirosov (BOS) vs IM Jay Bonin (PHI) 0-1






















With the nice trick 32... a6!, IM Bonin scored a nice endgame win.



Not the most exciting of games perhaps, but a very nicely played endgame by IM Bonin, topped off with a very subtle winning trick made this game a worthy third place finisher to us.