The US Chess Championship is on youtube!Type: 2008 US Chess Championship or 2008 US Women’s Championship, then click on search. This includes the Armageddon Match between Anna Zatonskih and Irina Krush. Krush lost on time while Zatonskih only had 1 second on her clock! Enjoy the videos!!!
What a splendid way to determine a national champion.
Yes I agree, perhaps if some more of the chess community had put their money where their mouth is, we might have had a nice leasurely Play off match after the tournament. To determine the US Chess Champions Men and Womens. Of course if we had waited for that, there would not have been any Championship tournaments played, and no 2007, or 2008 Champions.
I have noticed, most do not dig into their pockets to help, they dig at those that are paying the bills
Thank You Frank Berry, ( as I know you to be the gentleman you are) pay no attention to those who free ride the system, others pay for. :smiling_imp:
Manchester-Chelsea, didn’t seem to hurt the viewership for that game.
My congratulations to 2008 Champions Yury Shulman and Anna Zatonskih! The match between Anna and Irina went right down to the wire! In Irina’s defense she had a great tournament and applauded Anna at the closing ceremony.
Thanks indeed are due. But let’s draw the line somewhere.
Some have said that, in so many words or less: if the players didn’t like the rules, they didn’t have to play in the tournament.
This brings back the good old days, before Bobby, when players were supposed to be satisfied with the scraps from the table. Take it or leave it. Shut up and play. Or else.
Many people voted for the successful candidates who won election to the EB based on their promises to bring more money into the USCF. Well, it looks to me like we’re still waiting. And the ones who matter most – the ones who devote their lives to the art of chess – are left with an inadequate championship format that, in the men’s (just what else do you call it?) section at least, cannot attract the four great players (Nakamura, Benjamin, Christiansen, Kamsky) without whom the title is as meaningful as the crown your kids can get with their burgers at Burger King.
Meanwhile, the women get to play…drum roll, please: an Armageddon Game. Wow. What a splendid conception! We might as well ask them to build the highest tower of chess pieces that they can, with the winner being the one who can build the tallest one. The result is as meaningful and, to give archictecture its due, might pass for art more than the spectacle of two great and decent and devoted players banging out moves.
In all deference Brenan, they did play chess after all.
It is not uncommon for the more elite chess players to not play in their national championship.
Benjamin refused because he claimed there wasn’t enough money or something to that effect. I certainly don’t think Joel is presently one of the best in this country and wonder of his capabilities if he did play in this tournament. Perhaps he used the prize money as a convenient excuse to not play and save himself from defeat.
Kamsky is presently preparing for a shot at the World Championship and his match with Topalov, and as I started saying it is common for such elite players to not play in the national championship.
While I don’t recall exactly why Nakamura didn’t play, I don’t think it was because of the money.
He wanted to go to his brother’s graduation. I thought the criticism of this was kind of tacky.
This post was on Mig’s site, and it is significant:
[i][b]I downloaded that YouTube video of the Krush-Zatonskih finish and watched it a 1/4 speed in VLC. There were no less than 5 instances where Zatonskih grabbed her piece and started her move before Krush has finished her move by punching the clock. There was even one particularly flagrant example where Anna had finished here move before Irina had even punched the clock, and there she ended up punching the clock about a millisecond after Irina. Say what you will about the randomness of blitz chess and time trouble, but this was supposed to be a regulated tournament, not a park bench. Hard to believe the organizers let the result stand without checking out the video. I honestly think someone should file a protest if it isn’t too late.
By the way, I have no loyalties towards Krush or Zatonskih one way or the other. Both used to lecture on a chess server where I was once a member, and I remember them both being very nice girls.
Posted by: Cynical Gripe at May 24, 2008 21:16 [/b][/i]
I have heard that Anna managed to get off three moves with one second left on her clock. If so, this puts Zatonskih’s “victory” somewhat up there with Lee Harvey Oswald and the Magic Bullet.
This result needs to me modified. The electronic evidence is in,and it seems rather clear: Anna Zatonkih is NOT the legitimate winner of the 200* US Women’s Champoionship.
If they’re going to decide it in such an absurd way, I vote for a mud-wrestling contest… Stupid comment you say? Well, brought on my a stupid situation!
I hope everyone that complained about the 2008 US Championship puts in a bid for 2009 US Championship! The bid deadline is August 10,2008. Here is your big chance pick the time controls and playoff system. I’m sure the rest of us will find something to complain about… 