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2023 U.S. Championships Highlights: Victories for Fabiano Caruana and Carissa Yip
October 27, 2023
Chess Tournaments,News
2023 U.S. Championships Highlights: Victories for Fabiano Caruana and Carissa Yip in the 2023 U.S. Chess Championships, Grandmaster (GM) Fabiano Caruana emerged as the winner. By defeating GM Abhimanyu Mishra in the 10th round, Caruana bagged his second consecutive national title before the final round. He scored an admirable 8/11, further strengthening his lead on the FIDE Circuit leaderboard.
Meanwhile, in the Women’s division, International Master (IM) Carissa Yip was crowned the 2023 U.S. Women’s Champion. The final round was filled with suspense, as both Yip and her main competitor, Woman Grandmaster (WGM) Begim Tokhirjonova, faced losses. However, Yip’s overall performance ensured her top position, giving her a second national title.
Fabiano Caruana ( source fide.com)
While Caruana’s victory was confirmed a round early, the battle for the remaining top spots was fierce. GMs So, Dominguez, and Mishra were all in the hunt for a podium finish. So reached 6.5/11 after a swift draw against Caruana, while Dominguez managed a draw in a challenging knight endgame against Niemann. Mishra, showcasing strategic brilliance, defeated Aronian, tying for the second position.
For Yip, the final round began with a half-point lead. Tokhirjonova had to secure a win to potentially push for a playoff tiebreak. Initially, the round seemed favorable for Begim. Yip faced a challenging situation against Fide Master (FM) Ruiyang Yan, and Tokhirjonova gained an edge over the 2022 champion, WGM Jennifer Yu. However, the tables turned unexpectedly. Yip seemed to have found her way out, but a mistake led to her defeat in the rook endgame. This meant Tokhirjonova only needed a draw to push for a playoff. But under time pressure, Tokhirjonova lost her edge, and Yu clinched the game with a strong c- pawn move. This secured Yip’s half-point lead and her championship title.
IM Carissa Yip ( source fide.com)
Young talent IM-elect Alice Lee secured third place. After some highs and lows in the tournament, she ended on a high note, defeating FM Ashritha Eswaran. But the standout game of the day was by WGM Tatev Abrahamyan, who showcased a brilliant attack against GM Irina Krush, sealing a clear fourth place.