With just 2 rounds to go, there is a log jam at the top of the leaderboard. The top 3 seeds Kamsky, Nakamura and Onischuk all have 5 points. The young rising star GM-elect Robert Hess is keeping the big three company at the top. Both Akobian and the reigning champion Shulman are just 1/2 point behind at 4.5 points.
The biggest match of the day will take place on board 1 between Kamsky and Onischuk.
Here are the full standings after 7 rounds:
No. Name St Rate Rd1 Rd2 Rd3 Rd4 Rd5 Rd6 Rd7 Rd8 Score
1. GM Kamsky, Gata (1)…….. NY 2798 W13 W6 D5 D9 D2 D4 W7 A3 5.0
2. GM Nakamura, Hikaru (2)…. NY 2757 W18 D8 W4 D5 D1 D3 W6 A11 5.0
3. GM Onischuk, Alexander (3). VA 2736 D9 W20 D8 D4 W22 D2 W5 A1 5.0
4. IM Hess, Robert (17)……. NY 2545 W15 W16 L2 D3 W21 D1 W9 A5 5.0
5. GM Shulman, Yury (4)……. IL 2697 W10 W21 D1 D2 W9 D6 L3 A4 4.5
6. GM Akobian, Varuzhan (7)… CA 2664 W24 L1 W14 W16 W8 D5 L2 A7 4.5
7. GM Benjamin, Joel (9)…… NJ 2650 D22 W19 L9 D11 W20 W21 L1 A6 4.0
8. GM Ehlvest, Jaan (10)…… NY 2649 W11 D2 D3 D12 L6 D10 W19 A9 4.0
9. GM Friedel, Joshua (15)…. NH 2568 D3 W12 W7 D1 L5 W11 L4 A8 4.0
10. IM Sevillano, Enrico (16).. CA 2549 L5 W25 D11 L22 W18 D8 W12 A14 4.0
11. IM Brooks, Michael (22)…. MO 2419 L8 W18 D10 D7 W16 L9 W14 A2 4.0
12. GM Kaidanov, Gregory (8)… KY 2662 D19 L9 -X- D8 D14 W22 L10 A13 3.5
13. GM Ibragimov, Ildar (13)… CT 2628 L1 D24 D15 L14 D17 W20 W21 A12 3.5
14. IM Robson, Ray (18)…….. FL 2542 L16 W17 L6 W13 D12 W15 L11 A10 3.5
15. GM Christiansen, Larry (5). MA 2681 L4 D22 D13 D18 D19 L14 W23 A20 3.0
16. GM Becerra, Julio (6)…… FL 2672 W14 L4 W20 L6 L11 L19 W25 A17 3.0
17. GM Gulko, Boris (12)……. NJ 2631 L20 L14 L19 W23 D13 W25 D18 A16 3.0
18. GM Shabalov, Alexander (14) PA 2620 L2 L11 W25 D15 L10 W23 D17 A19 3.0
19. IM Krush, Irina (20)……. NY 2496 D12 L7 W17 L21 D15 W16 L8 A18 3.0
20. Hughes, Tyler (24)……… CO 2293 W17 L3 L16 W25 L7 L13 W22 A15 3.0
21. GM Khachiyan, Melikset (11) CA 2632 W25 L5 D22 W19 L4 L7 L13 A23 2.5
22. IM Shankland, Samuel (21).. CA 2464 D7 D15 D21 W10 L3 L12 L20 A25 2.5
23. FM Eckert, Doug D (25)….. IL 2278 -U- -U- -U- L17 W25 L18 L15 A21 1.0
24. IM Zatonskih, Anna (19)…. NY 2503 L6 D13 -F- -U- -U- -U- -U- -U- 0.5
25. Lawton, Charles (23)……. MO 2350 L21 L10 L18 L20 L23 L17 L16 A22 0.0
Here are the pairings for round 8 (Saturday, May 16, 11:00 am)
| Board | White | Rating | Result | Black | Rating |
| 1. | GM Gata Kamsky (5) | 2798 | – | GM Alexander Onischuk (5) | 2736 |
| 2. | IM Robert Hess (5) | 2545 | – | GM Yury Shulman (4½) | 2697 |
| 3. | IM Michael Brooks (4) | 2419 | – | GM Hikaru Nakamura (5) | 2757 |
| 4. | GM Varuzhan Akobian (4½) | 2664 | – | GM Joel Benjamin (4) | 2650 |
| 5. | GM Joshua Friedel (4) | 2568 | – | GM Jaan Ehlvest (4) | 2649 |
| 6. | IM Ray Robson (3½) | 2542 | – | IM Enrico Sevillano (4) | 2549 |
| 7. | GM Gregory Kaidanov (3½) | 2662 | – | GM Ildar Ibragimov (3½) | 2628 |
| 8. | GM Larry Christiansen (3) | 2681 | – | Tyler Hughes (3) | 2293 |
| 9. | GM Boris Gulko (3) | 2631 | – | GM Julio Becerra (3) | 2672 |
| 10. | GM Alexander Shabalov (3) | 2620 | – | IM Irina Krush (3) | 2496 |
| 11. | GM Melikset Khachiyan (2½) | 2632 | – | FM Doug Eckert (1) | 2278 |
| 12. | Charles Lawton (0) | 2350 | – | IM Samuel Shankland (2½) | 2464 |
Official website: http://saintlouischessclub.org/US-Championship-2009-Round-8
Go Akobian!
Hess! Hess! Hess!
Go GM Susan Polgar!
Hess, after today will have played ALL top 6 seeded players. #1 Kamsky, #2 Nakamura, #3 Onischuk, #4 Shulman, #5 Christiansen, #6 Becerra. Note that he had black against #1, #2, and #3.
Hesssssssss!