News

Foisor Wins U.S. Women's While So, Onischuk Head To Playoff

MikeKlein
| 55 | Chess Event Coverage

On her ninth attempt, it was mate in nine. WGM Sabina Foisor's elegant winning combination continues the legacy of a legend.

Less than three months removed from the unexpected loss of her mother, a five-time Romanian Women's Champion, Foisor became 2017 U.S. Women's Champion. Her finishing combination, initiated by a queen sacrifice, was close to a pure puzzle -- every piece was used in the combination.

null

GM Elshan Moradiabadi and WGM Sabina Foisor, moments after her first title became official. "He was there for me even in times when I have been stressed," Foisor said of her fiancee.

After winning the game, Foisor said she was "sad and excited."

IM Cristina Foisor died in January and never got to see her eldest daughter fulfill their mutual ambition. Sabina was playing this one for her.

"For some years we always had this goal to be in the top three," she said. They never got to share that together, but Sabina sensed her mother with her this event.

GM Elshan Moradiabadi said she was crying last night, wondering how she'd feel if she won her first title but couldn't celebrate with her mother. As her opponent resigned, she tried to remain stoic, then her smile won out before she finally embraced Moradiabadi and weeping again.

"She wasn't crying about having won," Moradiabadi said.

Here's the dramatic moment when Foisor didn't go for a prosaic winning liquidation and instead channeled her forces and her mother's spirit to the crown:

"I didn't think this would happen," Foisor said. She said that while she was a perfect six-for-six as White, she felt her play as Black was subpar before today.

The ultimate underdog -- not only did she have heavy emotions, but she lost two of her first four games (the first winner since 2011 to suffer multiple losses) before roaring back to win the title outright. In her final seven games, she scored five wins and two draws.

Here's our video interview right after the game when it wasn't clear yet if there would be a playoff or not.

She's now the third member of her family with a national championship. Her father, IM Ovidiu Foisor, was Romanian champion in 1982.

"I know how difficult it is since my mother passed away last year," fellow player IM Anna Zatonskih said about trying to concentrate with a heavy heart.

null

IM Cristina Foisor at the 2016 Olympiad in Baku, about to play against USA. Curiously, she lost that day to IM Nazi Paikidze, whom Sabina overtook today.

Even after the combination, Foisor had to sit and wait for more than an hour to see if IM Nazi Paikidze could win to keep pace. Foisor was told by her fiancee not to check the game at all during the round, but she couldn't avoid peeking after her own competition ended.

She watched from the ground floor of the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, watching Paikidze resign a lost ending. Moradiabadi hugged and kissed his bride-to-be as Foisor wept.

null

"Sabina's my friend and I'm really happy for her," Paikidze said after losing to WIM Jennifer Yu. "She had a phenomenal tournament and I'm really happy for her."

Just like Paikidze's title last year, everything fell into place for Foisor in the last round. Unlike last year, Foisor didn't have to quit her job just to compete.

She takes home $25,000 for first place. At an average of four hours per game, that's $568 per hour, likely more than whatever that past job was last year!

null

The happy couple. Photo: Lennart Ootes for the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis.

Yu completed her amazing sweep of the top seeds. She went 3-0 against the only three women to have won past titles. Collectively, GM Irina Krush (7), Zatonskih (4), and Paikidze (1) have accumulated a dozen titles but were no match for the 15-year-old former world youth champion.

null

WIM Jennifer Yu (second from left) and NM Maggie Feng (far right) led the "teenager contingent" with a tie for fourth. Also pictured: WFM Apirva Virkud (far left), NM Carissa Yip (middle), WIM Emily Nguyen (second from right).

null

The open championship began the day with three leaders. That event is not settled yet and is headed to a two-man Monday playoff with GM Wesley So and GM Alex Onischuk.

GM Daniel Naroditsky and So played all of 14 moves over 17 minutes. Both players could have gone for more, but both had their reasons for the non-game.

"I wouldn't really call it 'disappointed,'" So told Chess.com about the perfunctory battle. "He didn't do anything wrong. I wasn't exactly sure what he was going for."

GM Gata Kamsky called the early draw a "gamble, that's for sure," since a victory by either of the other leaders would end So's event (of course, Kamsky "controlled" one of the two games in question).

Naroditsky told Chess.com he just wanted the tournament behind him. He hadn't been playing well, and an effortless draw with the top player would allow him to leave St. Louis "without a bad taste in my mouth."

"I don't have anything on the Berlin," Naroditsky said. "I don't know anybody who's been able to crack Wesley's Berlin in the last 18 centuries...I'm not the most combative player.

"I'm a bit out of gas at the moment...It's somewhat unprofessional but fully within my rights."

null

Four games had to fall in place perfectly for the unexpected five-way tie discussed yesterday to occur. GM Hikaru Nakamura and GM Fabiano Caruana , winners of the last two titles, handled their parts of the bargain, but So's early draw dispelled any chance of them adding another.

Before Narodtisky leaves, he has to hit the books, which he cited as another reason he could use the open Sunday afternoon. Due tomorrow is a problem set for his class on "Mathematical Foundations of Computing." Stanford's not done with his time -- Tuesday another assignment is due in his social psychology class.

At least one of the other two college students in the field can sympathize.

"I finished my game and had to run to my classes," GM Yaroslav Zherebukh said today about a previous round. "You can't really do well on both...it's pretty tough."

"I thought, 'Now everything depends on me,'" Onischuk said about the moments after that draw. He allowed himself to luxury of contemplating winning his second title.

null

Legends of U.S. chess die hard. After the first 17 minutes today, all eyes were on the two games by these men. From left, GM Varuzhan Akobian, GM Hikaru Nakamura, IM John Donaldson, GM Alex Onischuk, GM Gata Kamsky (at the 2008 Olympiad, not the 2017 U.S. Championship!).

Alas, that was not to be, at least not yet. Despite a more deliberate effort, against five-time champion Kamsky, Onischuk similarly couldn't make any headway. He had considered playing the Sicilian today, but was talked out of it by friends. Instead, his Archangelsk Spanish proved too hard to break through.

As for tomorrow's head-to-head battle with the number two player in the world, Onischuk is just happy to have his chance. He harbors no illusions of who has the better chances.

The format will be two games of G/25+5, and if still tied, an unspecified Armageddon game will take place. So's rapid acumen is well known. Last year he finished fourth and second in the two rapid events of the Grand Chess Tour, and just recently he led his team to the title and became MVP in the inaugural season of the PRO Chess League.

null

Onischuk recalled online surveys giving him less than one percent of a chance to win the tournament. His back-of-the-napkin math suggested it's now at least 10 percent.

"I'll take it," he said. "If I knew before the tournament I would be in this situation, I most probably wouldn't believe."

Does he really think his odds are that low? Here's our video interview:

null

What's with the Russian/Ukrainian modesty? Sean Connery gave himself one chance in three, while Onischuk game himself only one chance in 10 tomorrow.

GM Hikaru Nakamura spoiled the opportunity of a three-way playoff by beating GM Varuzhan Akobian, who is still searching for his first title.

Akobian had some chances to even win outright, but after trading queens Nakamura took control in the ending.

Akobian continues to struggle against Nakamura. He's now scored a mere draw from their last six games.

null

Close calls in 2003, 2014, and now 2017: GM Varuzhan Akobian finished with yet another top three finish but not title.

World Cup invitations were also earned today. Qualifying from the U.S. Championship were So, Onischuk, Nakamura, Caruana, Akobian and Zherebukh. GM Jeffery Xiong will also travel to Batumi, Georgia by virtue of winning the 2016 World Junior Championship.

null

Images courtesy Spectrum Studios.

You can catch tomorrow's playoff the normal round time: 11 a.m. Pacific, 2 p.m. Eastern. Live coverage will be available at either Chess.com/TV or at the official site, uschesschamps.com.

Previous reports:

MikeKlein
FM Mike Klein

Company Contact and News Accreditation: 

  • Email: Mike@chess.com
  • Phone: 1 (800) 318-2827
  • Address: PO Box 60400 Palo Alto, CA 94306

Mike Klein began playing chess at the age of four in Charlotte, NC. In 1986, he lost to Josh Waitzkin at the National Championship featured in the movie "Searching for Bobby Fischer." A year later, Mike became the youngest member of the very first All-America Chess Team, and was on the team a total of eight times. In 1988, he won the K-3 National Championship, and eventually became North Carolina's youngest-ever master. In 1996, he won clear first for under-2250 players in the top section of the World Open. Mike has taught chess full-time for a dozen years in New York City and Charlotte, with his students and teams winning many national championships. He now works at Chess.com as a Senior Journalist and at ChessKid.com as the Chief Chess Officer. In 2012, 2015, and 2018, he was awarded Chess Journalist of the Year by the Chess Journalists of America. He has also previously won other awards from the CJA such as Best Tournament Report, and also several writing awards for mainstream newspapers. His chess writing and personal travels have now brought him to more than 85 countries.

More from FM MikeKlein
Ian Nepomniachtchi On The World Chess Championship

Ian Nepomniachtchi On The World Chess Championship

New ChessKid Adventure App Released

New ChessKid Adventure App Released