Top US Grandmasters Sparkling in London

Three American players top the crosstable in London after seven rounds. Wesley So leads with 5/7 and he has solidified his 2800+ status with wins vs. Adams and Topalov. American flags at the top of the London Chess crosstable, from chess 24.

[pgn] [Event "London Chess Classic"] [Date "2016.12.15"] [White "Topalov, Veselin"] [Black "So, Wesley"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2760"] [BlackElo "2794"] [PlyCount "54"] [EventDate "2016.??.??"] [WhiteTeam "Bulgaria"] [BlackTeam "United States"] [WhiteTeamCountry "BUL"] [BlackTeamCountry "USA"] [WhiteClock "0:24:03"] [BlackClock "0:26:51"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 a6 6. a4 d6 7. Bg5 Ba7 8. Nbd2 h6 9. Bh4 g5 10. Bg3 O-O 11. O-O Nh7 12. h3 h5 13. d4 exd4 14. Nxd4 g4 15. hxg4 hxg4 16. Nxc6 bxc6 17. e5 d5 18. Be2 Qg5 19. a5 f5 20. exf6 Nxf6 21. Ra4 Rf7 22. Re1 Nh5 23. Bxg4 Nxg3 24. Re8+ Kg7 25. Rxc8 Bxf2+ 26. Kh2 Qe5 27. Kh3 Ne2 0-1 [/pgn]

[pgn] [Event "London Chess Classic"] [Date "2016.12.10"] [White "So, Wesley"] [Black "Adams, Michael"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2794"] [BlackElo "2748"] [PlyCount "79"] [EventDate "2016.??.??"] [WhiteTeam "United States"] [BlackTeam "England"] [WhiteTeamCountry "USA"] [BlackTeamCountry "ENG"] [WhiteClock "1:10:07"] [BlackClock "1:00:33"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O dxc4 7. Qc2 a6 8. a4 Bd7 9. Qxc4 Bc6 10. Bg5 a5 11. Nc3 Ra6 12. Qd3 Rb6 13. Qc2 h6 14. Bd2 Bb4 15. Rfe1 Bxf3 16. Bxf3 Nc6 17. e3 e5 18. Bxc6 exd4 19. Bf3 dxc3 20. bxc3 Bc5 21. Rab1 Rd6 22. Red1 b6 23. c4 Qe7 24. Bc3 Rfd8 25. Bb2 Qe6 26. Rxd6 Rxd6 27. Rd1 Rxd1+ 28. Qxd1 Bd6 29. Qd4 Qe8 30. Bd1 Qc6 31. Bc2 Kf8 32. e4 Bc5 33. Qd8+ Ne8 34. Qd5 Qg6 35. Kg2 Ke7 36. f4 c6 37. Qd3 Nc7 38. f5 Qg5 39. Be5 Ne6 40. fxe6 1-0 [/pgn]

Fabiano Caruana is in clear second and also continuing to impress in London, thus bridging the distance from World Champion Magnus Carlsen to just 12 points. In round six, he won a thrilling battle against Olympic team-mate Hikaru Nakamura, featuring the stunning queen sacrifice 19.Qxf6!

[pgn] [Event "London Chess Classic"] [Date "2016.12.15"] [White "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Black "Nakamura, Hikaru"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2823"] [BlackElo "2779"] [PlyCount "63"] [EventDate "2016.??.??"] [WhiteTeam "United States"] [BlackTeam "United States"] [WhiteTeamCountry "USA"] [BlackTeamCountry "USA"] [WhiteClock "0:12:58"] [BlackClock "0:20:08"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 h6 8. Bh4 Qb6 9. a3 Be7 10. Bf2 Qc7 11. Qf3 Nbd7 12. O-O-O b5 13. g4 g5 14. h4 gxf4 15. Be2 b4 16. axb4 Ne5 17. Qxf4 Nexg4 18. Bxg4 e5 19. Qxf6 Bxf6 20. Nd5 Qd8 21. Nf5 Rb8 22. Nxf6+ Qxf6 23. Rxd6 Be6 24. Rhd1 O-O 25. h5 Qg5+ 26. Be3 Qf6 27. Nxh6+ Kh8 28. Bf5 Qe7 29. b5 Qe8 30. Nxf7+ Rxf7 31. Rxe6 Qxb5 32. Rh6+ 1-0[/pgn]

When Nakamura lost to So in round 1, he rebounded quickly with victories over Anand and Veselin Topalov (notwithstanding a near-miss vs. Kramnik). Nakamura hopped back to a plus score once again in round seven, taking down Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in a Najdorf Sicilian.

[pgn] [Event "London Chess Classic"] [Date "2016.12.16"] [White "Nakamura, Hikaru"] [Black "Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2779"] [BlackElo "2804"] [PlyCount "73"] [EventDate "2016.??.??"] [WhiteTeam "United States"] [BlackTeam "France"] [WhiteTeamCountry "USA"] [BlackTeamCountry "FRA"] [WhiteClock "0:10:49"] [BlackClock "0:23:56"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 h6 8. Bh4 Qb6 9. a3 Be7 10. Bf2 Qc7 11. Qf3 Nbd7 12. O-O-O b5 13. g4 Bb7 14. Bg2 Rc8 15. Kb1 g5 16. Qh3 Nc5 17. Rhe1 h5 18. Nf5 Ncxe4 19. Bxe4 Nxe4 20. Bd4 Rg8 21. Nxe7 Kxe7 22. gxh5 gxf4 23. Qh4+ Kf8 24. Ka1 b4 25. Nxe4 Bxe4 26. Rxe4 Qxc2 27. Ree1 bxa3 28. Qxf4 axb2+ 29. Bxb2 Rg5 30. Qxd6+ Kg8 31. Rg1 Qa4+ 32. Ba3 Rxg1 33. Rxg1+ Kh7 34. Qd3+ Kh6 35. Rg6+ Kxh5 36. Rg1 f5 37. Qf3+ 1-0 [/pgn]

 For more information, visit the London Classic and Grand Chess Tour Official Websites. Also follow Grand Chess Tour for live updates from WGM Tatev Abrahamyan.