Finishing second in the 24-player, Swiss-style event was Shulman’s pal, GM Alexander Onischuk formerly of Ukraine and now a resident of Manassas, Baltimore. Onishchuk, who will be 33 in September, finished half a point behind Shulman.
In the women’s division, a 10-player round robin event, Anna Zatonskih won her second title by beating fellow New Yorker Irina Krush in the fifth and last game of their grueling tiebreaking match after they ended the regular tournament with a 7.5-1.5 score. Krush, 24, lost on time to Zatonskih, who will be 30 on June 17. Anna herself had 1 second left on her clock! Both ladies are formerly from Ukraine.
Game of the week. According to IM Jack Peters, who annotates our featured game, “Shulman does not produce flashy brilliancies. Instead, he plays solidly and defends well. His unspectacular style brought him four victories over grandmasters” in Oklahoma.
Here is the former Belarus champion against a veteran GM and former USSR champ — the only one with a plus score against the mighty Gary Kasparov (+3-1=4).
White: GM Boris Gulko (2559)
Black: GM Yury Shulman (2606)
Catalan Opening
U.S. Championship, Tulsa 2008
1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 g3 The Catalan Opening. dxc4 5 Bg2 Instead of 5 Qa4+, White offers a gambit. a6 6 Ne5 A sideline to 6 0-0 b5 7 Ne5. c5 7 Na3!? cxd4 8 Naxc4 Bc5 9 Bd2 Nd5 10 Rc1 0-0 11 0-0 Nd7 12 Nd3 White has adequate compensation for the pawn. It’s difficult for Black to develop his Queenside. Ba7 More promising than 12…b6 13 Nxc5 bxc5 14 e4! dxe3 15 fxe3, when White’s Bishops work well. 13 Ba5 Qe7 14 Qb3 Rb8 15 Nce5 Delaying…b7-b6 by eyeing c6. Nxe5 16 Nxe5 Qf6 17 Nd3 b6 18 Bb4 Rd8 19 Bxd5!? Not bad. White could nearly force a draw by 19 Rc6 Bb7 20 Bxd5 Rxd5 21 Qxd5 exd5 22 Rxf6 gxf6 23 Rc1. Rxd5 20 Rc7 Bb7 21 Be7 Qf5 22 Qc2?! Maybe White feared 22 Nb4! Qh3, threatening 23 …Qxh2+. But 23 f3 Rh5 24 Rf2 is safe and keeps chances about even. e5 23 Rc1 h6 24 Nb4?? Overlooking Black’s counterplay. After 24 f3 b5 25 Bc5, Black cannot easily exploit his extra pawn. d3! 25 exd3 A little tougher is 25 Nxd3 Rd7 (intending 26…Qe4) 26 Ne1 Qe6 27 Rxd7 Qxd7 28 Bb4, but Black should win with 28…Qd5 29 Nf3 e4. Rd7 Threatening both 26…Qf3 and 26…a5. Suddenly White’s King is in danger and his Knight lacks a safe retreat. 26 Rxb7 Hopeless, but 26 d4 Rxc7! 27 Qxc7 exd4 28 Nc6 Qf3 leaves White tied up and unable to resist the d-pawn. For example, 29 Bb4 d3 30 Be1 b5 sets up 31…d2. Rbxb7 27 Qc8+ Kh7 28 Nxa6 Qxd3 29 Nb4 Also 29 Nc7 Qd2 costs White a piece. Qd2 30 Bf8 Rb8 and White Resigns.
Puzzler.
White — pawns on b3, b4, h2; Qa8, Ke1, Be4, Ne7
Black — pawns on a5, b5, e5, g5; Na7, Bb6, Ke3
White to play and mate in three moves.
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