So Sole Leader at US Championship Halfway Point

World #2 Wesley So is the sole leader at the halfway point of the US Championship (Saint Louis, March 29-April 10), with 3.5/5. In the Women's Championship, three players are tied for the lead: reigning champ Nazi Paikidze, 7-time Champ Irina Krush and 4-time champion Anna Zatonskih. Photographer and Webster student IM Eric Rosen took over the @USChess twitter feed during round five, and you can find some of his most popular tweets and photos below, which highlight dramatic moments in the round before the rest day. Look for more twitter takeovers starting in round eight from IM Greg Shahade. https://twitter.com/USChess/status/848682382664314880   https://twitter.com/USChess/status/848651947875987459 In round five, Caruana succeeded in making Onischuk suffer, but was not able to pull in his first win of the event.

[pgn] [Event "2017 U.S. Championship"]
[Site "Saint Louis, Mo"]
[Date "2017.04.02"]
[Round "5.3"]
[White "Onischuk, Alexander"]
[Black "Caruana, Fabiano"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A41"]
[WhiteElo "2667"]
[BlackElo "2817"]
[PlyCount "180"]
[EventDate "2017.??.??"]
[WhiteClock "0:02:07"]
[BlackClock "0:05:04"]

1. d4 d6 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 g6 4. Nc3 Bf5 5. g3 Ne4 6. Bd2 Bg7 7. Bg2 Nxd2 8.
Qxd2 O-O 9. O-O Nc6 10. d5 Na5 11. b3 c5 12. e4 Bd7 13. Rae1 Qc7 14. Qe3 a6 15.
e5 b5 16. e6 fxe6 17. dxe6 Bc6 18. Nd5 Qb7 19. Qg5 Rae8 20. Qh4 bxc4 21. bxc4
Bxd5 22. cxd5 Bf6 23. Ng5 Bxg5 24. Qxg5 Qb2 25. Qh4 c4 26. Re4 Qg7 27. Rf4 Rxf4
28. Qxf4 Rc8 29. Rc1 Rc5 30. Be4 c3 31. h4 Qf6 32. Qxf6 exf6 33. g4 Kf8 34. Kg2
Ke7 35. Kg3 Nc4 36. Kf4 Nb6 37. g5 fxg5+ 38. hxg5 Nxd5+ 39. Bxd5 Rxd5 40. Rxc3
Rf5+ 41. Ke3 Kxe6 42. Rc7 Rxg5 43. Rxh7 Re5+ 44. Kf3 a5 45. Rg7 Kf6 46. Rd7
Rf5+ 47. Ke3 Ke6 48. Ra7 Rc5 49. Rg7 g5 50. Rg6+ Kd7 51. Rf6 Rc2 52. Rf5 Rc5
53. Rf6 Kc6 54. Kd3 Rd5+ 55. Kc3 Re5 56. Kd3 Kc5 57. f4 gxf4 58. Rxf4 Rh5 59.
Rc4+ Kb5 60. a4+ Kb6 61. Rg4 Kc5 62. Rc4+ Kd5 63. Rd4+ Kc6 64. Rc4+ Rc5 65. Rh4
Rc1 66. Rh5 Rc5 67. Rh8 Rg5 68. Rc8+ Kb7 69. Rd8 Kc7 70. Ra8 Rh5 71. Ra6 Rd5+
72. Kc4 Rc5+ 73. Kd4 Rh5 74. Kc4 Kd7 75. Ra8 Kc7 76. Ra6 Rh4+ 77. Kb5 Rb4+ 78.
Kxa5 Rb8 79. Ra7+ Kc6 80. Rh7 d5 81. Rh1 d4 82. Rc1+ Kd5 83. Ka6 d3 84. Rd1 Kc4
85. a5 Rb2 86. Ka7 d2 87. a6 Kc3 88. Ka8 Kc2 89. Rxd2+ Kxd2 90. a7 Rb1 1/2-1/2
[/pgn]

https://twitter.com/USChess/status/848646517258952705 Indeed, Tatev crashed through after Maggie played 38...Rfxe6 (see full game below). Tatev thought 38...Rxd6 was better but that would have allowed the pretty finish 39. Qxd6! Bxd6 Rxd6 winning, as pointed out by GM Yasser Seirawan in the live commentary.

[pgn] [Event "2017 U.S. Women's Championship"]
[Site "Saint Louis, Mo"]
[Date "2017.04.02"]
[Round "5.3"]
[White "Abrahamyan, Tatev"]
[Black "Feng, Maggie"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B47"]
[WhiteElo "2364"]
[BlackElo "2162"]
[PlyCount "119"]
[EventDate "2017.??.??"]
[WhiteClock "0:07:06"]
[BlackClock "0:04:39"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 e6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Qc7 6. f4 Nxd4 7. Qxd4 a6 8.
Be3 b5 9. O-O-O Bb7 10. Bd3 Rc8 11. Kb1 Nf6 12. e5 Nd5 13. Ne4 Nxe3 14. Qxe3
Bd5 15. Qg3 Qa5 16. b3 Bxe4 17. Bxe4 Rc7 18. Rhf1 g6 19. h4 Ba3 20. Rf3 h5 21.
Rfd3 Qb4 22. Bxg6 Rg8 23. f5 fxg6 24. fxe6 Qg4 25. exd7+ Kd8 26. Qf2 Qe6 27.
Qf3 Qc6 28. Qe2 Qe6 29. Qf3 Qc6 30. Qe2 Qe6 31. Qe1 Qc6 32. Qd2 Be7 33. e6 Rf8
34. Qe2 Qc5 35. Re3 Rc6 36. g3 Rf6 37. Re5 Qf2 38. Qd3 Rfxe6 39. Rxe6 Rxe6 40.
Qc3 Qc5 41. Qh8+ Bf8 42. Rf1 Kxd7 43. Rxf8 Qg1+ 44. Kb2 Qxg3 45. Qg7+ Kc6 46.
Rc8+ Kd5 47. Rc3 Qe5 48. Qb7+ Kd6 49. a3 Rf6 50. Qc8 Rf7 51. Ka2 Ke7 52. Rc7+
Kf6 53. Qh8+ Ke6 54. Qxe5+ Kxe5 55. Rxf7 Ke6 56. Ra7 Kf5 57. Rxa6 g5 58. hxg5
Kxg5 59. Ra5 Kg4 60. Rxb5 1-0

[/pgn]

  https://twitter.com/USChess/status/848643154358226945

[pgn] [Event "2017 U.S. Women's Championship"]
[Site "Saint Louis, Mo"]
[Date "2017.04.02"]
[Round "5.2"]
[White "Paikidze, Nazi"]
[Black "Yip, Carissa"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E04"]
[WhiteElo "2369"]
[BlackElo "2234"]
[PlyCount "69"]
[EventDate "2017.??.??"]
[WhiteClock "0:33:13"]
[BlackClock "0:04:53"]

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. g3 dxc4 5. Bg2 c5 6. O-O Nc6 7. dxc5 Qxd1 8.
Rxd1 Bxc5 9. Nbd2 c3 10. bxc3 O-O 11. Nb3 Be7 12. Bb2 Nd7 13. Nfd2 Nb6 14. a4
a5 15. c4 Rd8 16. c5 Nd5 17. Nc4 Ndb4 18. Nb6 Rb8 19. Nxa5 Bxc5 20. Nxc6 Rxd1+
21. Rxd1 Nxc6 22. a5 f6 23. Bxc6 Bxb6 24. axb6 bxc6 25. Rd8+ Kf7 26. Ba3 Ra8
27. Rxc8 Rxc8 28. Bd6 Rd8 29. b7 Rxd6 30. b8=Q Rd1+ 31. Kg2 Rc1 32. Qa7+ Kg8
33. Qe3 Rc2 34. Qxe6+ Kf8 35. Qe4 1-0

[/pgn]

https://twitter.com/USChess/status/848632138735996929 This tweet was referring to Jennifer Yu's wins against top seeds Irina Krush and Anna Zatonskih, which featured turns of fortune in Yu's favor. In the fifth round, her amazing tournament was nicked by a loss to Anna Sharevich, which could have ended much earlier with 17...Rxb2!

[pgn][Event "2017 U.S. Women's Championship"]
[Site "Saint Louis, Mo"]
[Date "2017.04.02"]
[Round "5.4"]
[White "Yu, Jennifer R"]
[Black "Sharevich, Anna"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D00"]
[WhiteElo "2196"]
[BlackElo "2257"]
[PlyCount "181"]
[EventDate "2017.??.??"]
[WhiteClock "0:02:42"]
[BlackClock "0:03:57"]

1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nf6 3. e3 c5 4. c3 e6 5. Nd2 Nc6 6. Ngf3 cxd4 7. exd4 Nh5 8.
Bg5 f6 9. Be3 Bd6 10. g3 O-O 11. Bg2 f5 12. Ne5 f4 13. Nxc6 bxc6 14. Qxh5 fxe3
15. fxe3 Rb8 16. O-O-O Qa5 17. Kb1 Qxc3 18. Nb3 Qxe3 19. Rhe1 Qh6 20. Qxh6 gxh6
21. Rc1 Bd7 22. Re2 Rf6 23. Na5 Rb6 24. Rec2 e5 25. Nxc6 e4 26. Ne5 Bxe5 27.
dxe5 Rfc6 28. Rc5 Rxc5 29. Rxc5 Be6 30. Kc2 Rb7 31. Kc3 Kf7 32. a3 Ke8 33. b4
Rf7 34. Rc6 Kd7 35. Rd6+ Ke7 36. Kd4 Rf2 37. Bxe4 dxe4 38. Kxe4 Re2+ 39. Kf4
Rc2 40. Ra6 Rc4+ 41. Ke3 Rc7 42. Kf4 Kf7 43. b5 Re7 44. a4 Kg7 45. Rd6 Kf7 46.
Ra6 Rb7 47. Rd6 Ke7 48. Ra6 Rc7 49. Ke3 h5 50. Kf4 Bf7 51. Kg5 Bg6 52. Kh6 Rb7
53. Kg5 Kf7 54. Kh6 Re7 55. h4 Bd3 56. Kxh5 Rxe5+ 57. Kg4 Re7 58. Kg5 Rb7 59.
Rc6 Be4 60. Rc4 Bd5 61. Rc5 Ke6 62. Kh6 Be4 63. g4 Kd6 64. Rc1 Ke5 65. Kh5 Kf4
66. Rc4 Rb6 67. Rb4 a5 68. Rc4 Ke3 69. Rc7 Kf4 70. Rf7+ Kg3 71. Re7 Bc2 72. Rc7
Bxa4 73. Rc3+ Kf2 74. Ra3 Rxb5+ 75. Kh6 Bc2 76. Rc3 Bb1 77. g5 Rb6+ 78. Kg7 a4
79. Ra3 Ra6 80. h5 Ke2 81. Ra1 Be4 82. Ra3 Kd2 83. Kg8 Ra5 84. g6 Bxg6 85. hxg6
hxg6 86. Kg7 g5 87. Kf6 Kc2 88. Ra2+ Kb3 89. Rg2 a3 90. Rg3+ Kc4 91. Rg4+ {
Kd4 Ke5+} 0-1
[/pgn]

https://twitter.com/USChess/status/848625053373739014

[pgn]

[Event "2017 U.S. Championship"]
[Site "Saint Louis, Mo"]
[Date "2017.04.02"]
[Round "5.6"]
[White "Robson, Ray"]
[Black "Shabalov, Alexander"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B06"]
[WhiteElo "2668"]
[BlackElo "2556"]
[PlyCount "61"]
[EventDate "2017.??.??"]
[WhiteClock "0:04:49"]
[BlackClock "0:02:00"]

1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c6 4. f4 d5 5. e5 Nh6 6. Nf3 f6 7. Be3 O-O 8. h3 Qb6
9. Qd2 Qxb2 10. Rb1 Qa3 11. g4 Nf7 12. Bd3 fxe5 13. dxe5 Na6 14. Rb3 Qa5 15.
O-O e6 16. h4 Nc5 17. h5 Nxd3 18. cxd3 gxh5 19. g5 Nh8 20. Qh2 Ng6 21. Qxh5
Nxf4 22. Bxf4 Rxf4 23. Ne2 Rf8 24. Ng3 Qc5+ 25. Kh1 Qe7 26. Rb2 Qf7 27. Qh3 b6
28. Rh2 Qg6 29. Nh5 Ba6 30. Nf6+ Kf7 31. Nd4 1-0

[/pgn]

https://twitter.com/USChess/status/848647190016929792

[pgn] [Event "2017 U.S. Championship"]
[Site "Saint Louis, Mo"]
[Date "2017.04.02"]
[Round "5.2"]
[White "Nakamura, Hikaru"]
[Black "Naroditsky, Daniel"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A20"]
[WhiteElo "2793"]
[BlackElo "2646"]
[PlyCount "61"]
[EventDate "2017.??.??"]
[WhiteClock "0:08:18"]
[BlackClock "0:17:31"]

1. c4 e5 2. g3 Nc6 3. Bg2 f5 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. a3 g6 6. e3 e4 7. d3 exd3 8. Nf3 Bg7
9. Qxd3 d6 10. O-O O-O 11. Rd1 Qe7 12. Nd5 Qd8 13. Rb1 Ne5 14. Qc2 c6 15. Nxf6+
Qxf6 16. Bd2 Qe7 17. Bb4 c5 18. Bc3 f4 19. Nxe5 dxe5 20. exf4 Bf5 21. Be4 exf4
22. Re1 Qc7 23. Bxg7 Qxg7 24. gxf4 Rad8 25. Rbd1 Bxe4 26. Rxe4 Rxd1+ 27. Qxd1
Qxb2 28. Qd5+ Rf7 29. Kg2 b6 30. Re7 Qf6 31. Rxa7 1/2-1/2

[/pgn]

Follow live action with commentary by GMs Yasser Seirawan, Maurice Ashley and WGM Jennifer Shahade starting at 12:50 CST/1:50 EST on uschesschamps.com. You can also follow Spanish language commentary here.  See Eric's full twitter feed for US Chess here, and chime in your own thoughts using the hashtag #uschesschamps.