c8 = N+
Nice winning move Nakamura!
Kamsky wins! Robson loses. 1.5 to 1.5 and Nakamura is ahead. I think they may just win this match. Now wouldn’t that be something!
Nakamura can win that bishop and that should seal it.
What?!?
Ok. That was kinda cool, but this game confuses me. It just seems like there was a more straightforward play here, and a more straightforward response.
All right, I admit it. I find this entertaining. But puzzling. Just plain puzzling.
Nakamura wins! USA 2.5 Russia 1.5
USA open goes into first place after round 9. Wow - who wouda thunk it! 
US Men win the match 2.5-1.5
Nice play Naka! USA!
Edit: previous comment was based on erroneous move transmission.
Naka needed the tempo from the knight check to capture the e2 pawn. If c8=Q then exd1=Q+ and Kramnik will get a second queen after another check on Naka’s king.
I saw that, but I’m trying to figure out why not Kxe2
Didn’t matter, Kramnik loses in the end.
- Kxe2 f3+!
- Kxf3 Bxc7 with a draw
w00t
Congratulations to John Donaldson, Yury Shulman, and the team. Someone please buy Gata a beer for me.
Stalin warned us against “dizziness due to success” two more rounds!
Transmission was inaccurate and there was no fork. Game is updated correctly on the site now.
That does make more sense.
I guess China is probably up next. But I’m still not clear on how this is paired. The Armenians and Chinese have both played the Russians so I assume the US will just get the regular pairing in the top score group and the other 2 teams will pair down.
Yeah, the Nakamura win was the part I didn’t figure on. I figured either Kamsky or Onishuk had to win and that Robsonn would probably lose to get to 2-2. Kamsky continues to grind away - very impressive three wins with black against GM opposition (particularly this last round). R+B versus R may be a theoretical draw in most situations, but it’s a tough draw - the computer still lists it as dead equal until 61.Re7 when the evaluation changes to a forced mate in 14. I hate computers.
If a GM can’t see mate in 14 moves, he should take up checkers.
I think Robson’s endgame was also instructive, if less delightful. Now, why can’t I see good moves like that when I have a won game??
Per 2700chess after today:
1 Carlsen 2843.0 0.0
2 Aronian 2818.3 +2.3
3 1 Radjabov 2792.7 +4.7
4 1 Nakamura 2792.1 +9.1
5 2 Kramnik 2791.0 −6.0
6 Anand 2780.0 0.0
7 Karjakin 2774.2 −3.8
8 1 Ivanchuk 2765.9 −3.1
9 1 Caruana 2765.3 −7.7
10 Morozevich 2758.0 0.0
11 Grischuk 2755.7 +1.7
12 Topalov 2753.1 +1.1
13 1 Kamsky 2751.9 +5.9
14 1 Wang Hao 2751.7 +9.7
15 2 Svidler 2747.0 0.0
16 7 Mamedyarov 2743.5 +14.5
17 Gashimov 2737.0 0.0
18 2 Gelfand 2736.8 −1.2
19 6 Jakovenko 2735.2 +11.2
20 1 Jobava 2734.0 0.0
It was instructive, but, IMHO, not that hard.
Nakamura’s trying to crash the 2800 club (Kasparov, Aronian, Kramnik, Anand, Carlsen…and that’s it, I think?) now…less than 8 points away. All I can say is, “wow”.
Kamsky’s closing in on a career high too after today. I wonder if his game today will spark any Alekhine’s Defense revivals. 