Fabiano Caruana has now a full-point lead at the U.S. Championship, as his closest chaser before round 8, Hans Niemann, was defeated by Ray Robson on Friday. Niemann is now sharing second place with Leinier Dominguez, Wesley So and Abhimanyu Mishra the latter beat Sam Sevian in round 8. Meanwhile, in the U.S. Women’s Championship, Carissa Yip and Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova cannot stop winning, as each obtained a fourth consecutive win on Friday and now have a 2-point lead over their closest chasers. | Photo: Austin Fuller
After a full-on bloodbath in round five, the players cooled down a bit in the Open section of the 2023 U.S. Championships. With six drawn games, GM Fabiano Caruana remains in the lead with Niemann following closely at his heels, but this doesn’t mean the games were boring.
The first rest day at the 2023 U.S. and U.S. Women’s Championships certainly allowed players to recharge, as round five marked the bloodiest round so far. There were a total of ten decisive games, with only one draw per section. Let's take a look at the most notable moments.
At the end of a period in most sports, athletes are eager to score going into the intermission: maybe even a buzzer-beater. The 2023 U.S. and U.S. Women’s Championships were no different, as the last round before the first rest day showcased immense energy on almost every board. Players were going all-in in their opposite-side-castling pawn races, patiently squeezing in objectively drawn endgames, and even king-walking to the center of the board with queens present!
Wins in rounds 3 and 4 allowed Fabiano Caruana to go into the first rest day as the sole leader at the U.S. Championship in Saint Louis. Three players are sharing second place with 2½/4 points: Sam Shankland, Hans Niemann and Abhimnayu Mishra. In the women’s championship, Carissa Yip and Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova are sharing the lead with 3/4 points each. | Photo: Crystal Fuller