GM Fabiano Caruana is the 2022 U.S. Champion, clinching his second title with a draw in the 13th and final round of the tournament against GM Levon Aronian, a first-time competitor in the U.S. Championship.
The U.S. Women’s Championship will be decided in a playoff tomorrow between GM Irina Krush and WGM Jennifer Yu. Krush drew a hard-fought game vs. IM Anna Zatonskih. Meanwhile, Yu scored a must-win victory vs. WGM Thalia Cerventes, tying with Krush and getting a rematch for the title.
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 Levon Aronian ½-½
Twelve minutes into the game, the players had already played 34 moves into a repetition draw. However, this was not your typical quick GM draw. As Caruana later explained: “Normally I would’ve liked to play, at least a little bit. Of course a draw is a good result in the last round, considering the tournament situation… It’s a big day for Levon, and I thought it would be wrong for me to play this game.”
GM Ray Robson vs. GM Jeffery Xiong ½-½
Ray Robson fought for the win and his chance at a playoff for the title but lost his advantage when Jeffery Xiong counterattacked on the kingside.
GM Dariusz Swiercz vs. GM Christopher Yoo 0-1
The youngest player in the U.S. Championship, Christopher Yoo, finished on a victory, winning a tactical game vs. GM Dariusz Swiercz.
GM Leinier Dominguez vs. GM Sam Shankland ½-½
Though both players were hoping to have a chance to play for the win, Leinier Dominguez vs. Sam Shankland ended in a 10 move draw. Shankland explains his disappointment with this result in his interview after the game: “I’m sorry for how this ended. I’ve been one of the most vocal critics of people making this Qe4-Qd4 draw in the Berlin. I wrote in my Chessable course that anyone who does this more than once with white just shouldn’t be invited to tournaments. I just felt like I owe the world an apology…”
GM Elshan Moradiabadi vs. GM Aleksandr Lenderman 0-1
Aleksandr Lenderman finished his tournament on a victory, battling for the upper hand vs. GM Elshan Moradiabadi for 72 moves.
The rest of the games ended in draws.
2022 U.S. Women’s Championship
WGM Thalia Cervantes vs. WGM Jennifer Yu 0-1
Jennifer Yu won a critical game with the black pieces vs. her closest competitor, Thalia Cervantes.
GM Irina Krush vs. IM Anna Zatonskih ½-½
Irina Krush and longtime rival Anna Zatonskih fought a close game to a king vs. king draw.
FM Alice Lee vs. WIM Megan Lee 0-1
Megan Lee capped off her tournament with a king attack victory.
FM Rochelle Wu vs. WGM Sabina Foisor 1-0
Rochelle Wu defeated Sabina Foisor with a clever interference tactic to win material.
WGM Tatev Abrahamyan and Sophie Morris-Suzuki also finished their tournaments with victories while Begim Tokhirjonova and Ruiyang Yan drew.
Irina Krush and Jennifer Yu will face each other in the playoff for the U.S. Women’s Chess Championship on Thursday, October 20. Watch the action live at 1:20pm CT with commentators GM Yasser Seirawan, WGM Anastasiya Karlovich, and GM Cristian Chirila.
