US Open Chess Blog

US Open Chess Blog
from the OCA “What’s New” page

7 Aug 06 -

US OPEN NEWS
The Official US Open Website lists 4 Oklahoma players: Jim Berry, Chuck Unruh, Charles M Unruh and Blake Vernon. Pairings and results are being posted there also. The Unruhs are playing in the traditional schedule that began yesterday evening, and the others are playing in the 6-day schedule. Chuck and Charles will be forwarding their games and those of other Oklahoma players to be posted for your enjoyment in the Interactive Games under Oklahoma Misc Games 2006.

News Flash from Chuck Unruh at the US Open in Chicago.....
Charles Junior goes 3-0-0 in Sunday Class B Quad!

The Denker and Polgar Championships began yesterday with High School Champion John Cope and Girls Champion Rachel Farell representing Oklahoma in these events, respectively. Both are near the top of the bottom half and played up quite a bit in the first round. John’s hard fought round 1 game against expert Vaishna Aradhyula of Arizona is now in the Interactive Games under Oklahoma Misc Games 2006.

The Unruh’s drew their round 2 games last night and both games are now online. The games on the traditional schedule start at 7pm and run late. It sounds like some sleep schedule changes may be planned.

Monroi is using their electronic scoresheet system to broadcast and save many of the Games from the US Open, Denker and Polgar Championships. They’re posting photos from these events at www.monroi.com/tournamentgate/USOpen06. To access the live game broadcasts and pgn archives, click on the “Live Broadcast…” link just below the photos link.

8 Aug 06 -

US OPEN NEWS
In round 2 of the Denker, John Cope played a Scotch Game to secure his first full point. In the Polgar, the 1300 rated Ananya Roy who drew a 1969 rated player in round 1 seems very under rated and outplayed Rachel Farell.

Laura Lee, the Polgar representative from North Carolina with 2-0-0, gave Chuck Unruh a very fine US Open 3rd round game until a late middlegame blunder. Laura Lee with purple hair highlights may just take the Polgar. You can't tell the serious players by gender or looks.

Also in the 3rd round of the US Open, Charles Unruh was on a roll until he dropped a rook in the endgame. We all know how that feels...

9 Aug 06 -

US OPEN NEWS
Rachel Farell posted a win today in the Polgar and Jim Berry won his first round of the six day schedule.

The rest of us just couldn't get it together. John Cope was up material against Expert player Matthew Fouts of Indiana and faltered in a very close endgame. Charles was once again on a roll but played 49.Qc4? for the draw by repetition. Blake Vernon played way up in the first two rounds of the six day schedule and produced no upsets.

I only remember losing three tournament games with the white pieces in the last several years and two of them were against the mighty Caro Kann. Stating this was his first time to use this defense in tournament play, Douglas Stanley, my fourteen year old opponent, out plays me in the opening and gains a kingside attack. Unfortunately, I took far too much time for a good defense. Short on time, my game craters under the pressure with 22.g3?

Chuck

Day 4 Summary:
Rachel Farell (1422) 1-1-1 Polgar
John Cope (1865) 1-0-2 Denker
Charles Unruh (1740) 0-2-2 Traditional Schedule
Chuck Unruh (2117) 2-1-1 Traditional Schedule
Jim Berry (1947) 1-0-1 Six Day Schedule
Blake Vernon (1375) 0-0-2 Six Day Schedule

10 Aug 06 -

US OPEN NEWS
It was a split day for the OK contingent at the US Open. Jim Berry and Blake Vernon both had a win and a loss in their two games on the 6-day schedule. After the early 5th round today, the 6-day schedule will merge with the traditional schedule for the evening 6th round of both.

Today was another rough day for endgames for our Denker and Polgar Champions. John went on to lose the full point in a drawn position. After some unlikely losses, it was good to see him smiling this evening. Rachel has a good sense of the opening and her overall game has improved this week. In round four, she had a the endgame advantage and overlooked a knight sacrifice for her remaining pawns and a draw.

Charles is really jinxed this week. Up a piece in the fifth round, he gave the piece back with interest.

My game lacked energy out of a Kings Indian Defense. Jennifer Acon had the better position for most of the game before coming down with a bad bishop problem. A strong knight and rook ending to get back on track.

Chuck

Chuck's round 5 game was broadcast live on the Monroi website. Be sure to check out the site for other games live from the US Open.

Day 5 Summary:
Rachel Farell (1422) 1-2-1 Polgar
John Cope (1865) 1-0-3 Denker
Charles Unruh (1740) 0-2-3 Traditional Schedule
Chuck Unruh (2117) 3-1-1 Traditional Schedule
Jim Berry (1947) 2-0-2 Six Day Schedule
Blake Vernon (1375) 1-0-3 Six Day Schedule

11 Aug 06 -

US OPEN NEWS
Most of us were on the road to chess recovery today. John Cope was the first game finished in the Denker. He defeated Jesse Blashe and still had time for a round of golf.

Rachel Farell was up a pawn in a bishop of opposite color endgame against Dana Hannibal. Bishops of opposite color endgames are notorious draws and Rachel scored the half point.

Charles was too tired after celebrating a victory and will post his game tomorrow. Hopefully, with this win he now has the confidence for a good finish in the final three rounds.

Jim Berry told me of his loss (actually a draw) to an up and coming eight year old that has his own chess web site. I may need to visit this web site for a few pointers. After all, I can feel Jim's pain from my loss to a junior in the earlier rounds.

Blythe Buscher, the Kansas Girls Champion in the Polgar sent along her best game of the tournament for our web site. Blythe participated in the recent OKC Summer Open and worked her way to board two against Judson Temple. She has three points going into the final Polgar round.

My sixth round game had energy, complications and a few mistakes all in twenty eight moves. James Egerton gets behind in development and is saddled with minor pieces on the back rank. With four and half points, tomorrow should be a very challenging round.

Chuck

Day 6 Summary:
Rachel Farell (1422) 1-3-1 Polgar
John Cope (1865) 2-0-3 Denker
Charles Unruh (1740) 1-2-3 Traditional Schedule
Chuck Unruh (2117) 4-1-1 Traditional Schedule
Jim Berry (1947) 3-1-2 Six Day Schedule
Blake Vernon (1375) 1-0-5 Six Day Schedule

12 Aug 06 -

US OPEN NEWS
Rachel Farell finished the Polgar with a last round draw against Cheryl Liu. Our Oklahoma Girl's Champion only lost one game in her first ever Polgar competition. Afterwards, Rachel was collecting a few Grandmaster signatures on chess board before the evening US Open round seven. The weight of the chess world was now off her shoulders.

John Cope had a very long final game against Rober Lau, a higher rated opponent. If John's score were based on determination and focus, this should have been his round. Unfortunately, no upsets today and John went on to finish the Denker with 2-0-4.

Charles won the under 1900 Quick Chess Prize in the Quick Chess side event with 3-2-0. In the US Open round he also won and finished well before the games.

Once again, time management is a major consideration in my 7th round game. With six seconds to go, I played the blunder 26...Nxe4 against Chess Master, Igor Tsyganov. Early in the game, my weak queen sortie with Qa5 results in an uphill struggle from my side of the board. In good style, Igor held the advantage throughout the game and there were few chances for an upset.

Chuck

Oklahoma's adopted GM Yuri Shulman will be playing on board 1 tonight at 7pm. You can watch his game live at www.monroi.com/tournamentgate/USOpen06/

Day 7 Summary:
Rachel Farell (1422) 1-4-1 Polgar
John Cope (1865) 2-0-4 Denker
Charles Unruh (1740) 2-2-3 Traditional Schedule
Chuck Unruh (2117) 4-1-2 Traditional Schedule
Jim Berry (1947) 3-1-3 Six Day Schedule
Blake Vernon (1375) 2-0-5 Six Day Schedule

13 Aug 06 -

US OPEN NEWS
**Day 8 Results**

Hello Oklahoma Chess,

Sure is quiet around here without the Polgar and Denker tournaments. How quiet? So quiet that Jim Berry and Chuck Unruh quietly settle for draws once again with players less than fourteen years old. Luckily, Gordon Ruan, a class A player and junior surprised me and offered a draw in the time pressure. The final position isn't pretty for the home team and can be viewed at www.ochess.org.

Charles was up material again and failed to press the advantage. In fact, I was a little shocked that he dropped his game in Round 8. Both of us are now in this for the learning experience.

Grandmaster Yury Shulman, a well known vistor to Oklahoma, is leading the tournament. Yury plays chess on a level equal to his gracious personality. Last evening, he gave the ochess web site permission to post his US Open 2006 games.

Round 9 in thirty minutes! Go Yuri!!

Chuck

**Day 9 Results**

Hello Oklahoma,

The final round of the US Open was our best with Jim Berry, Charles Unruh and Chuck Unruh scoring points (and Blake Vernon too). Charles was black and revisited the classic main line of the Benko Gambit. Active tactics on the queen side soon netted a white pawn and the game in sixty moves.

When I set down across from Todd Plagemann, a class A rated chess player from Illinois, it was with the idea of a six hour struggle. Todd opened with the Grand Prix Attack against my Pirc-Sicilian. The game novelty occurs on his 13.Qb4, instead of posting the Queen on f2 in reaction to 10....Nd4. A black pawn sacrifice opens the counter attack and white must lose material after move twenty-one. The game miniature was a great way to end the tournament.

Yury settled for a draw and a final score of 8 points. His score may very well win the tournament outright.

Chuck

Final Summary:
Rachel Farell (1422) 1-4-1 Polgar
John Cope (1865) 2-0-4 Denker
Charles Unruh (1740) 3-2-4 Traditional Schedule
Chuck Unruh (2117) 5-2-2 Traditional Schedule
Jim Berry (1947) 4-2-3 Six Day Schedule
Blake Vernon (1375) 4-0-5 Six Day Schedule

On the OCA Interactive Games page under Oklahoma Misc Games 2006, you’ll find many Oklahoma player’s games from the 2006 US Open, plus US Open Champion GM Yuri Shulman's last 4 games by permission.