Nikhil Kumar Defeats Indian Prodigy to Take Clear Lead

After a huge win vs. Indian prodigy IM Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa US team member Nikhil Kumar now holds the clear lead in the Under 12 section of the World Cadets in Batumi, Georgia.

[pgn] [Date "2016.10.28"] [Round "?"] [White "Kumal, Nikhil"] [Black "Praggnanandhaa , R."] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D36"] [PlyCount "99"] [EventDate "2016.??.??"] [SourceDate "2016.10.28"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 Be7 6. e3 c6 7. Bd3 Nbd7 8. Qc2 Nh5 9. Bxe7 Qxe7 10. Nge2 Nhf6 11. O-O Nf8 12. a3 Ne6 13. Rad1 O-O 14. f3 c5 15. dxc5 Qxc5 16. Nxd5 Nxd5 17. Bxh7+ Kh8 18. Qxc5 Nxc5 19. Rxd5 Kxh7 20. Rxc5 b6 21. Rc2 Ba6 22. Rd1 Bxe2 23. Rxe2 Rac8 24. Rd7 a5 25. Red2 Rc6 26. Kf2 a4 27. Ke2 f6 28. Ra7 b5 29. e4 Rfc8 30. h4 Rc2 31. Rad7 Rc1 32. Ke3 Rg1 33. R7d5 Rb8 34. Kf4 Rc1 35. Rd7 b4 36. Ra7 b3 37. Rxa4 Rc2 38. Rad4 Rbc8 39. Ke3 Rc1 40. R4d3 Rb8 41. g4 Rh1 42. h5 Re1+ 43. Kf4 Rc1 44. Rd5 Rc2 45. Ke3 Rc1 46. a4 Ra1 47. Rb5 Rc8 48. Rd4 Re1+ 49. Kf4 Rc2 50. Rxb3 1-0 [/pgn]

GM Irina Krush tells US Chess, "The key moment in that game was  when Black played 14...c5?, and followed up with 15....Qxc5. This loses two pawns after Kumar plays 16.Nxd5!" More good news in the Open Under 12: Andrew Hong won his game as well, so we are now first AND second in that section. In this game, Andrew made a really nice pawn sac with 30.f5!

[pgn] [Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "2016.10.28"] [Round "?"] [White "Hong , Andrew "] [Black " Amartuvshin, Ganzorig"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B46"] [PlyCount "99"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. Bd3 d5 8. O-O Nf6 9. Re1 Be7 10. e5 Nd7 11. Qg4 Kf8 12. Na4 c5 13. c4 Qa5 14. Bg5 Bxg5 15. Qxg5 Bb7 16. Nc3 d4 17. Ne2 Qd8 18. Qg3 h5 19. h4 Rg8 20. Bh7 Rh8 21. Bc2 Rg8 22. f4 g6 23. Nc1 Qc7 24. Nd3 Kg7 25. Nf2 Rge8 26. Re2 Nb6 27. Bd3 a5 28. Kh2 Qd7 29. Nh3 Nc8 30. f5 exf5 31. Nf4 Kf8 32. e6 Qd6 33. Rae1 Ra6 34. exf7 Rxe2 35. Rxe2 Ne7 36. Re6 Qxe6 37. Nxe6+ Rxe6 38. Qb8+ Bc8 39. Qb5 Kxf7 40. Qxc5 Nc6 41. Qd5 Ke7 42. c5 Bd7 43. Bb5 Be8 44. Bxc6 Bxc6 45. Qxd4 Ke8 46. Qg7 Kd8 47. Kg1 Kc8 48. Qg8+ Re8 49. Qxg6 Be4 50. Qxe8+ 1-0 [/pgn]

Andrew and Nikhil face off tomorrow on board one.

Rochelle Wu won a key game in the Girls Under 10 and is now tied for first with 7.5/9 and two rounds to go.

[pgn] [Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "2016.10.28"] [Round "?"] [White "Wu, Rochelle"] [Black "Shohradowa , Lala"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D76"] [PlyCount "98"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Nf3 Nb6 7. O-O O-O 8. Nc3 Nc6 9. e3 e5 10. dxe5 Nxe5 11. Nxe5 Qxd1 12. Rxd1 Bxe5 13. f4 Bg7 14. e4 Bg4 15. Re1 Rad8 16. e5 c6 17. Be3 f6 18. h3 Bc8 19. exf6 Bxf6 20. Rad1 Rxd1 21. Rxd1 Nc4 22. Bc5 Re8 23. Ne4 Bxb2 24. Bxa7 Bf5 25. Nc5 Ra8 26. Nxb7 Rxa7 27. Bxc6 Nb6 28. Rd8+ Kg7 29. g4 Be6 30. Nd6 Rxa2 31. Re8 Bd4+ 32. Kf1 Bc4+ 33. Nxc4 Nxc4 34. Bd5 Rf2+ 35. Ke1 Rxf4 36. g5 h5 37. Rg8+ Kh7 38. Rc8 Ne5 39. Rc7+ Kh8 40. Rc8+ Kg7 41. Rg8+ Kh7 42. Rc8 Nf3+ 43. Bxf3 Rxf3 44. Rc7+ Bg7 45. h4 Rf4 46. Ke2 Rxh4 47. Kf3 Rg4 48. Rc5 Rg1 49. Kf2 Bd4+ 1-0 [/pgn]

Jason Wang is also on 7.5/9 in the Open Under 10 after today's victory.

[pgn] [Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "2016.10.28"] [Round "?"] [White "Issani, Nameer "] [Black "Wang, Jason"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D20"] [PlyCount "96"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nc3 e5 4. d5 Nf6 5. e4 c6 6. Bg5 Be7 7. Bxf6 Bxf6 8. Bxc4 O-O 9. Nge2 cxd5 10. Nxd5 Nc6 11. O-O Be6 12. Nec3 Nd4 13. Qd3 Rc8 14. Rad1 a6 15. a3 Be7 16. Ba2 Bc5 17. Kh1 Kh8 18. Qg3 f6 19. Bb1 Qe8 20. f4 Nc6 21. f5 Bg8 22. Qh4 Ne7 23. Ba2 Nxd5 24. Bxd5 Bd4 25. Bxg8 Kxg8 26. Nd5 Rf7 27. b4 Rc2 28. Rf3 Qb5 29. Rg3 Kh8 30. Qg4 Qc6 31. Qh5 Kg8 32. Rgd3 Rf2 33. Rf3 Ra2 34. Rg3 Qc2 35. Qf3 Rxa3 36. Qf1 Rxg3 37. hxg3 Rf8 38. Rc1 Qd2 39. Nf4 exf4 40. Qc4+ Kh8 41. Qc8 Rg8 42. e5 fxg3 43. Qxg8+ Kxg8 44. Rc8+ Kf7 45. e6+ Ke7 46. Rc7+ Kd8 47. e7+ Ke8 48. b5 Qh6# 1-0[/pgn]

See full team US standings on chessresults and follow action on chess24 and the official website. Also follow along on twitter, facebook & chessresults.com. Find out more about Two Sigma sponsorship here.  Also see GM Irina Krush’s first piece from Batumi here and her post rest day report here.