The U.S. Championships From A To Z
A to Z, as in Akobian to Zatonskih. Gata Kamsky defeated Alex Lenderman on the white side of a King's Indian Attack while Varuzhan Akobian knocked of Ray Robson with Black in a Catalan. As a result Akobian leads the U.S. Championship with 5/7, half a point ahead of Kamsky and a full point ahead of Alexander Onischuk (drew with Timur Gareev), Joshua Friedel (beat Alejandro Ramirez), Daniel Naroditsky (beat Sam Shankland) and Lenderman.
In the women's event Anna Zatonskih jumped in front when Camilla Baginskaite blundered into mate in two in a rook and knight vs. rook ending. That put her at 5/6, half a point ahead of Irina Krush who could only draw with Alisa Melekhina. Krush was winning, but it was a "fire on board" game that, short of time, she didn't manage to stabilize. Meanwhile, Tatev Abrahamyan beat Sabina-Francesca Foisor to keep in contact with the leaders; she has 4/6. As for the 13-year-old Ashritha Eswaran, she lost again and has fallen to -1. She'll soon be a player to reckon with in these championships, but not this year.
Tomorrow is a rest day for both tournaments, and after that the men will play the next four days while the women will play two days, have another rest day, and then finish on the same day as the open/men's section.