43rd US Chess championship :: Chandler, AZ 1997

<< [ Competition summary || Knock-out || Division A | Division B || Information | Tournament Review ] >>


Knock-out

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pos. name Elo flag SF F
W GM Benjamin, Joel 2580 USA 3
2½—½		 2
3½—2½
RU GM Christiansen, Larry Mark 2550 USA 4
2—2		 1
2½—3½
SF GM Kaidanov, Gregory   USA 1
½—2½
SF GM Seirawan, Yasser   USA 2
2—2

Second semifinal ended 2-2; Christiansen advanced after playoff (detailed playoff game score not available in the source crosstable).

Semifinals

2nd - 5th September 1997


name Elo flag 1 2 3
GM Benjamin, Joel USA 1 ½ 1
GM Kaidanov, Gregory USA 0 ½ 0

name Elo flag 1 2 3 4
GM Christiansen, Larry Mark USA 0 ½ 1 ½
GM Seirawan, Yasser USA 1 ½ 0 ½


Final

7th - 12th September 1997


name Elo flag 1 2 3 4 R1.1 R1.2
GM Benjamin, Joel 2580 USA 1 0 ½ 1 ½ ½
GM Christiansen, Larry Mark 2550 USA 0 1 ½ 0 ½ ½






Division A

pos. name Elo flag 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 pts + = -
⇑ 1. GM Benjamin, Joel   USA ● ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 5 3 4 0
⇑ 2. GM Christiansen, Larry Mark   USA ½ ● ½ ½ 1 1 1 ½ 5 3 4 0
3. GM Fedorowicz, John   USA ½ ½ ● ½ ½ ½ 1 1 4½ 2 5 0
4. GM Gulko, Boris   USA 0 ½ ½ ● ½ ½ 1 ½ 3½ 1 5 1
5. GM Yermolinsky, Alexander   USA ½ 0 ½ ½ ● ½ ½ 1 3½ 1 5 1
6. GM Browne, Walter Shawn   USA 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ● ½ 1 3 1 4 2
7. Zamora, Jorge Jr.   USA ½ 0 0 0 ½ ½ ● 1 2½ 1 3 3
8. GM Ivanov, Alexander   USA 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 0 0 ● 1 0 2 5

Round by round results

1st round
GM Benjamin, Joel USA 1 - 0 USA GM Ivanov, Alexander
GM Christiansen, Larry Mark USA 1 - 0 USA Zamora, Jorge Jr.
GM Fedorowicz, John USA ½ - ½ USA GM Browne, Walter Shawn
GM Gulko, Boris USA ½ - ½ USA GM Yermolinsky, Alexander
1.-2. Benjamin, Christiansen — 1; 3.-6. Fedorowicz, Gulko, Yermolinsky, Browne — ½; 7.-8. Zamora, Ivanov — 0;

2nd round
GM Ivanov, Alexander USA 0 - 1 USA GM Yermolinsky, Alexander
GM Browne, Walter Shawn USA ½ - ½ USA GM Gulko, Boris
Zamora, Jorge Jr. USA 0 - 1 USA GM Fedorowicz, John
GM Benjamin, Joel USA ½ - ½ USA GM Christiansen, Larry Mark
1.-4. Benjamin, Christiansen, Fedorowicz, Yermolinsky — 1½; 5.-6. Gulko, Browne — 1; 7.-8. Zamora, Ivanov — 0;

3rd round
GM Christiansen, Larry Mark USA ½ - ½ USA GM Ivanov, Alexander
GM Fedorowicz, John USA ½ - ½ USA GM Benjamin, Joel
GM Gulko, Boris USA 1 - 0 USA Zamora, Jorge Jr.
GM Yermolinsky, Alexander USA ½ - ½ USA GM Browne, Walter Shawn
1.-5. Benjamin, Christiansen, Fedorowicz, Gulko, Yermolinsky — 2; 6. Browne — 1½; 7. Ivanov — ½; 8. Zamora — 0;

4th round
GM Ivanov, Alexander USA 0 - 1 USA GM Browne, Walter Shawn
Zamora, Jorge Jr. USA ½ - ½ USA GM Yermolinsky, Alexander
GM Benjamin, Joel USA 1 - 0 USA GM Gulko, Boris
GM Christiansen, Larry Mark USA ½ - ½ USA GM Fedorowicz, John
1. Benjamin — 3; 2.-5. Christiansen, Fedorowicz, Yermolinsky, Browne — 2½; 6. Gulko — 2; 7.-8. Zamora, Ivanov — ½;

5th round
GM Fedorowicz, John USA 1 - 0 USA GM Ivanov, Alexander
GM Gulko, Boris USA ½ - ½ USA GM Christiansen, Larry Mark
GM Yermolinsky, Alexander USA ½ - ½ USA GM Benjamin, Joel
GM Browne, Walter Shawn USA ½ - ½ USA Zamora, Jorge Jr.
1.-2. Benjamin, Fedorowicz — 3½; 3.-5. Christiansen, Yermolinsky, Browne — 3; 6. Gulko — 2½; 7. Zamora — 1; 8. Ivanov — ½;

6th round
GM Ivanov, Alexander USA 0 - 1 USA Zamora, Jorge Jr.
GM Benjamin, Joel USA 1 - 0 USA GM Browne, Walter Shawn
GM Christiansen, Larry Mark USA 1 - 0 USA GM Yermolinsky, Alexander
GM Fedorowicz, John USA ½ - ½ USA GM Gulko, Boris
1. Benjamin — 4½; 2.-3. Christiansen, Fedorowicz — 4; 4.-6. Gulko, Yermolinsky, Browne — 3; 7. Zamora — 2; 8. Ivanov — ½;

7th round
GM Gulko, Boris USA ½ - ½ USA GM Ivanov, Alexander
GM Yermolinsky, Alexander USA ½ - ½ USA GM Fedorowicz, John
GM Browne, Walter Shawn USA 0 - 1 USA GM Christiansen, Larry Mark
Zamora, Jorge Jr. USA ½ - ½ USA GM Benjamin, Joel
1.-2. Benjamin, Christiansen — 5; 3. Fedorowicz — 4½; 4.-5. Gulko, Yermolinsky — 3½; 6. Browne — 3; 7. Zamora — 2½; 8. Ivanov — 1;





Division B

pos. name Elo flag 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 pts + = -
⇑ 1. GM Kaidanov, Gregory   USA ● ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 4½ 2 5 0
⇑ 2. GM Seirawan, Yasser   USA ½ ● ½ 0 ½ 1 1 1 4½ 3 3 1
3. GM De Firmian, Nick   USA ½ ½ ● 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 4 2 4 1
4. GM Schwartzman, Gabriel   USA 0 1 1 ● ½ 0 ½ ½ 3½ 2 3 2
5. GM Dzindzichashvili, Roman   USA ½ ½ ½ ½ ● ½ ½ ½ 3½ 0 7 0
6. GM Shabalov, Alexander   USA ½ 0 0 1 ½ ● 1 ½ 3½ 2 3 2
7. GM Kudrin, Sergey   USA ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 ● ½ 2½ 0 5 2
8. GM Gurevich, Dmitry   USA 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ● 2 0 4 3

Round by round results

1st round
GM Kaidanov, Gregory USA 1 - 0 USA GM Gurevich, Dmitry
GM Seirawan, Yasser USA 1 - 0 USA GM Kudrin, Sergey
GM De Firmian, Nick USA 1 - 0 USA GM Shabalov, Alexander
GM Schwartzman, Gabriel USA ½ - ½ USA GM Dzindzichashvili, Roman
1.-3. Kaidanov, Seirawan, De Firmian — 1; 4.-5. Schwartzman, Dzindzichashvili — ½; 6.-8. Shabalov, Kudrin, Gurevich — 0;

2nd round
GM Gurevich, Dmitry USA ½ - ½ USA GM Dzindzichashvili, Roman
GM Shabalov, Alexander USA 1 - 0 USA GM Schwartzman, Gabriel
GM Kudrin, Sergey USA ½ - ½ USA GM De Firmian, Nick
GM Kaidanov, Gregory USA ½ - ½ USA GM Seirawan, Yasser
1.-3. Kaidanov, Seirawan, De Firmian — 1½; 4.-5. Dzindzichashvili, Shabalov — 1; 6.-8. Schwartzman, Kudrin, Gurevich — ½;

3rd round
GM Seirawan, Yasser USA 1 - 0 USA GM Gurevich, Dmitry
GM De Firmian, Nick USA ½ - ½ USA GM Kaidanov, Gregory
GM Schwartzman, Gabriel USA ½ - ½ USA GM Kudrin, Sergey
GM Dzindzichashvili, Roman USA ½ - ½ USA GM Shabalov, Alexander
1. Seirawan — 2½; 2.-3. Kaidanov, De Firmian — 2; 4.-5. Dzindzichashvili, Shabalov — 1½; 6.-7. Schwartzman, Kudrin — 1; 8. Gurevich — ½;

4th round
GM Gurevich, Dmitry USA ½ - ½ USA GM Shabalov, Alexander
GM Kudrin, Sergey USA ½ - ½ USA GM Dzindzichashvili, Roman
GM Kaidanov, Gregory USA 1 - 0 USA GM Schwartzman, Gabriel
GM Seirawan, Yasser USA ½ - ½ USA GM De Firmian, Nick
1.-2. Kaidanov, Seirawan — 3; 3. De Firmian — 2½; 4.-5. Dzindzichashvili, Shabalov — 2; 6. Kudrin — 1½; 7.-8. Schwartzman, Gurevich — 1;

5th round
GM De Firmian, Nick USA 1 - 0 USA GM Gurevich, Dmitry
GM Schwartzman, Gabriel USA 1 - 0 USA GM Seirawan, Yasser
GM Dzindzichashvili, Roman USA ½ - ½ USA GM Kaidanov, Gregory
GM Shabalov, Alexander USA 1 - 0 USA GM Kudrin, Sergey
1.-2. Kaidanov, De Firmian — 3½; 3.-4. Seirawan, Shabalov — 3; 5. Dzindzichashvili — 2½; 6. Schwartzman — 2; 7. Kudrin — 1½; 8. Gurevich — 1;

6th round
GM Gurevich, Dmitry USA ½ - ½ USA GM Kudrin, Sergey
GM Kaidanov, Gregory USA ½ - ½ USA GM Shabalov, Alexander
GM Seirawan, Yasser USA ½ - ½ USA GM Dzindzichashvili, Roman
GM De Firmian, Nick USA 0 - 1 USA GM Schwartzman, Gabriel
1. Kaidanov — 4; 2.-4. Seirawan, De Firmian, Shabalov — 3½; 5.-6. Schwartzman, Dzindzichashvili — 3; 7. Kudrin — 2; 8. Gurevich — 1½;

7th round
GM Schwartzman, Gabriel USA ½ - ½ USA GM Gurevich, Dmitry
GM Dzindzichashvili, Roman USA ½ - ½ USA GM De Firmian, Nick
GM Shabalov, Alexander USA 0 - 1 USA GM Seirawan, Yasser
GM Kudrin, Sergey USA ½ - ½ USA GM Kaidanov, Gregory
1.-2. Kaidanov, Seirawan — 4½; 3. De Firmian — 4; 4.-6. Schwartzman, Dzindzichashvili, Shabalov — 3½; 7. Kudrin — 2½; 8. Gurevich — 2;





Information

43rd US Chess championship
Dates: 2nd - 12th September 1997
City: Chandler, AZ (United States)
Venue:
Organizers: US Chess Federation
Chief Arbiter:
Players participating: 16 (incl. 15 GMs)
Games played: 69
Competition format: Two 8-player round-robin divisions. Top two from each division advanced to a knockout stage (semifinals and final).
Tie-breaks: All: none
Division A, Division B: none
Time control:
Website: http://graeme.50webs.com/chesschamps/us/1997.htm
Other websites: https://www.uschess.org/msa/XtblMain.php?199709128590-10102511
https://uscf1-nyc1.aodhosting.com/CL-AND-CR-ALL/CL-ALL/1997/
PGN game file: usa-1997.pgn





Tournament Review



The 43rd US Chess Championship (Chandler, Arizona, 1997) used a two-stage format. First, two 8-player round-robin divisions were played. The top two players from each division qualified for the knockout stage.

Division 1 qualifiers: Joel Benjamin and Larry Christiansen (both 5/7).
Division 2 qualifiers: Gregory Kaidanov and Yasser Seirawan (both 4.5/7).

In the semifinals, Benjamin beat Kaidanov 2.5-0.5. Christiansen and Seirawan tied 2-2, and Christiansen advanced after playoff. In the final, Benjamin defeated Christiansen 3.5-2.5 and won the title.

Quick notes:

  • Hybrid structure: round-robin qualifying groups followed by knockout.
  • The Christiansen-Seirawan semifinal required extra playoff games.
  • Benjamin won the title match after coming through the tougher final path.

Source links: Graeme Cree page; USCF MSA crosstable; US Chess digital archive (1997); US Chess digital archives entry page.