GM Sam Shankland was the only player to gain ground in round 9, defeating GM Christopher Yoo to join the tie for third. GM Fabiano Caruana continues to lead with GM Ray Robson trailing by half a point. In the U.S. Women’s Championship, WGM Jennifer Yu leapfrogged into clear first with a victory over FM Ashritha Eswaran.
Check out the full replay of live coverage from the day here. The time control for the event is 90 minutes for 40 moves plus 30 minutes for the rest of the game; with a 30-second increment starting from move 1.
2022 U.S. Championship
GM Fabiano Caruana vs. GM Awonder Liang ½-½
GM Awonder Liang continues to play entertaining chess, unleashing a fresh take on the “copycat trap” variation in the Petroff Defense vs. Caruana.
GM Sam Shankland vs. GM Christopher Yoo 1-0
In a Reverse Sicilian, 15-year-old GM Christopher Yoo made the fearless choice to sacrifice part of his king’s pawn cover to take away his opponent’s ability to castle. In the resulting wild game, Shankland’s king in the center proved to be safer than Yoo’s kingside castled one.
GM Leinier Dominquez vs. GM Sam Sevian ½-½
GM Leinier Dominquez certainly played for a win this round despite ultimately drawing. He pressed with an extra pawn and later even two, rejected multiple repetition draw offers, let his clock get as low as one second, and squeezed everything he could out of the opposite-color bishop ending for 113 moves vs. GM Sam Sevian.
The remaining four games ended in draws.
2022 U.S. Women’s Championship
WGM Begim Tokhirjonova vs. WIM Megan Lee 1-0
WGM Begim Tokhirjonova created a powerful passed pawn to win material vs. WIM Megan Lee.
FM Ashritha Eswaran vs. WGM Jennifer Yu 0-1
When the players traded into an early ending from a Caro-Kann Defense, Yu organized her pieces effectively to create pressure against FM Ashritha Eswaran’s center.
WGM Thalia Cervantes vs. WGM Sabina Foisor 1-0
WGM Thalia Cervantes creatively surrounded her opponent’s king and started a powerful attack.
This was a rare round where there were more draws than decisive games.
Round 10 of the 2022 U.S. & U.S. Women’s Chess Championships will take place on Saturday, October 15. Watch the action live at 1:20pm CT with commentators GM Yasser Seirawan, WGM Anastasiya Karlovich, and GM Cristian Chirila.
