Ruifeng Li Leads US Open with a Perfect Five

IM Watson v. IM Li, Photo Anne Buskirk

IM Ruifeng Li holds sole first place in the US Open Traditional schedule, with a perfect 5 points from 5 games. Trailing just behind him with 4,5 are GMs Alex FIshbein and Fidel Corrales Jiminez and IM Yaacov Norowitz.

GM Corrales Jimenez, Photo Anne Buskirk

The game of the day comes from the 6-day section, where a wild tactical melee began after black's 15th move. The slugfest went back and forth until a quick and violent end.

[pgn] [Event "2016 US OPEN, DENKER, BARBER, NGTOC"]
[Site "Indianapolis, Indian"]
[Date "2016.08.03"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Dixon, Dakota"]
[Black "Wang, Michael"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D15"]
[WhiteElo "2146"]
[BlackElo "2288"]
[Annotator "Karagianis,Pete"]
[PlyCount "47"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[Source "MonRoi"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 a6 5. e3 Bf5 6. Qb3 b5 7. cxd5 cxd5 8. a4
b4 9. Qxb4 Nc6 10. Qb3 (10. Qc5 {is considered the main try here, with an
unclear position.}) 10... Rb8 11. Qd1 {Qb3 connected with Qd1 is simply way
too passive. What is white's extra material, the b2 pawn? Black has more than
enough compensation for his sacrificed pawn, and white soon returns the pawn,
anyway.} Nb4 12. e4 {White returns the pawn but his suffering has not been
ended.} Nxe4 13. Bf4 Nxc3 14. bxc3 Nc2+ 15. Kd2 Rb2 (15... e5 {was
Starostits-Dimitrijetski, 2015.0-1}) 16. Qc1 Rb3 {Entering into extreme
complications.} (16... Qb6 {Probably black missed how to handle Bb5+, but it
turns out he can gain a strong edge.} 17. Bb5+ Rxb5 18. axb5 Nxa1 19. Qxa1 Qxb5
{Black has only "won" a pawn, but a correct judgement of the position shows
that white's white squares are very weak and he will have a hard time keeping
things together. Meanwhile, apart from the holes on the light squares, black
has a material and structural edge, and should be able to consolidate without
serious difficulties.}) 17. Ra2 Rxc3 18. Bxa6 (18. Kxc3 Qa5+ 19. Kb2 Qb4#)
18... Qa5 (18... f6 {!! is apparently the only move.} 19. Qb2 e5 {! idea Bb4.})
19. Bb5+ Kd8 {Somehow, white's king is now safer than black's.} 20. Ke2 {
! only move.} Na3 (20... Nxd4+ {?} 21. Nxd4 Rxc1 22. Rxc1 {Black will lose all
the material back, or get mated.}) 21. Rxa3 Rxc1 22. Rxc1 e5 (22... Bg4 {
to keep the knight from e5 was the only real try, but white is much better.}
23. Rac3) 23. Nxe5 Bxa3 24. Nc6+ {White emerges up material and with a deadly
passed a-pawn, so black resigned. Quite the flashy encounter!} 1-0
[/pgn]

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