55th US Championship; 2011
April 14-28, 2011
Saint Louis, Missouri


Format:  Two 8 man Round Robins.  The top 2 finishers in each qualify for a Semifinal Round of 2-game matches.


GROUP A
                              1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8         RTNG TPR
1. Kamsky, Gata           GM  x ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1  5 -2   2733 2715
2. Shulman, Yuri          GM  ½ x ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ ½  4½-2½  2622 2675
3. Robson, Ray            GM  ½ ½ x 1 ½ ½ 1 0  4 -3   2522 2637
4. Ivanov, Alexander      GM  ½ 0 0 x 1 ½ ½ 1  3½-3½  2540 2584
5. Akobian, Varuzhan      GM  0 ½ ½ 0 x ½ 1 ½  3 -4   2611 2524
6. Ehlvest, Jaan          GM  0 0 ½ ½ ½ x 1 ½  3 -4   2586 2528
7. Stripunsky, Alexander  GM  ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 0 x 1  2½-4½  2578 2477
8. Naroditsky, Daniel     FM  0 ½ 1 0 ½ ½ 0 x  2½-4½  2438 2497

                  ROUND
               1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1. Kamsky      ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 ½
2. Shulman     ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ ½
3. Robson      ½ ½ ½ 1 0 ½ 1
4. Ivanov      ½ ½ 1 0 ½ 1 0
5. Akobian     ½ 0 1 ½ ½ 0 ½
6. Ehlvest     ½ ½ 0 0 ½ 1 ½
7. Stripunsky  ½ ½ 0 0 ½ 0 1
8. Naroditsky  ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 0 0



GROUP B

                              1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8         RTNG TPR
1. Hess, Robert           GM  x 1 ½ ½ 1 1 1 ½  5½-1½  2565 2812
2. Onischuk, Alexander    GM  0 x ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1  4 -3   2678 2615
3. Shankland, Sam         IM  ½ ½ x ½ 0 1 1 ½  4 -3   2512 2639
4. Seirawan, Yasser       GM  ½ ½ ½ x ½ ½ 0 1  3½-3½  2636 2571
5. Shabalov, Alexander    GM  0 ½ 1 ½ x 0 0 1  3 -4   2590 2528
6. Kaidanov, Gregory      GM  0 ½ 0 ½ 1 x 1 0  3 -4   2569 2531
7. Christiansen, Larry    GM  0 0 0 1 1 0 x ½  2½-4½  2586 2477
8. Finegold, Ben          GM  ½ 0 ½ 0 0 1 ½ x  2½-4½  2500 2489

PLAYOFF FOR SECOND PLACE IN GROUP B

           1 2
Shankland  ½ 1  1½
Onischuk   ½ 0   ½

                     ROUND
                 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1. Hess          ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 ½
2. Onischuk      1 ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ ½
3. Shankland     ½ 1 1 ½ 0 ½ ½
4. Seirawan      ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½
5. Shabalov      0 ½ ½ 0 1 0 1
6. Kaidanov      ½ 0 0 ½ 0 1 1
7. Christiansen  1 1 0 ½ 0 0 0
8. Finegold      0 ½ 1 ½ 0 ½ 0


MATCHES
In the Semifinals, each winner played two-game matches with the 2nd place finisher in the other group.  If still tied, a 2-game Rapids match would be played, then an Armageddon game.
The Finals (and 3rd place match) consisted of two Classical games, followed by an Armageddon game.

SEMIFINALS
             1 2
1 Kamsky     ½ 1
2 Shankland  ½ 0

             1 2   3 4
2 Shulman    ½ ½   ½ 1
1 Hess       ½ ½   ½ 0


FINALS
           1 2
Kamsky     1 ½
Shulman    0 ½


3RD PLACE MATCH
           1 2  A
Shankland  ½ ½  1
Hess       ½ ½  0


            1    2    3    4    Prelim  Post    TOTALS
Kamsky     xxxx 1½-- ½1-- ----	+3-0=4	+2-0=2	+5-0=6
Shulman    0½-- xxxx ---- ½½½1	+2-0=5	+1-1=4	+3=1=9
Shankland  ½0-- ---- xxxx ½½1-	+2-1=4	+1-1=3	+3-2=7
Hess       ---- ½½½0 ½½0- xxxx	+4-0=3	+0-2=5	+4-2=8










GROUP A PAIRINGS

ROUND 1
1. Naroditsky - Ehlvest    ½-½
2. Shulman Stripunsky      ½-½
3. Ivanov Kamsky           ½-½
4. Akobian Robson          ½-½

ROUND 2
1. Ehlvest - Robson        ½-½
2. Kamsky - Akobian        1-0
3. Stripunsky - Ivanov     ½-½
4. Naroditsky - Shulman    ½-½

ROUND 3
1. Shulman - Ehlvest       1-0
2. Ivanov - Naroditsky     1-0
3. Akobian - Stripunsky    1-0
4. Robson - Kamsky         ½-½

ROUND 4
1. Ehlvest - Kamsky        0-1
2. Stripunsky - Robson     0-1
3. Naroditsky - Akobian    ½-½
4. Shulman - Ivanov        1-0

ROUND 5
1. Ivanov - Ehlvest        ½-½
2. Akobian - Shulman       ½-½
3. Robson - Naroditsky     0-1
4. Kamsky - Stripunsky     ½-½

ROUND 6
1. Ehlvest - Stripunsky    1-0
2. Naroditsky - Kamsky     0-1
3. Shulman - Robson        ½-½
4. Ivanov - Akobian        1-0


ROUND 7
1. Akobian - Ehlvest       ½-½
2. Robson - Ivanov         1-0
3. Kamsky - Shulman        ½-½
4. Stripunsky - Naroditsky 1-0




GROUP B PAIRINGS

ROUND 1
1. Christiansen - Shabalov   1-0
2. Seirawan - Kaidanov       ½-½
3. Shankland - Hess          ½-½
4. Finegold - Onischuk       0-1


ROUND 2
1. Shabalov - Onischuk       ½-½
2. Hess - Finegold           ½-½
3. Kaidanov - Shankland      0-1
4. Christiansen - Seirawan   1-0


ROUND 3
1. Seirawan - Shabalov       ½-½
2. Shankland - Christiansen  1-0
3. Finegold - Kaidanov       1-0
4. Onischuk - Hess           0-1


ROUND 4
1. Shabalov - Hess           0-1
2. Kaidanov - Onischuk       ½-½
3. Christiansen - Finegold   ½-½
4. Seirawan - Shankland      ½-½


ROUND 5
1. Shankland - Shabalov      0-1
2. Finegold - Seirawan       0-1
3. Onischuk - Christiansen   1-0
4. Hess - Kaidanov           1-0


ROUND 6
1. Shabalov - Kaidanov       0-1
2. Christiansen - Hess       0-1
3. Seirawan - Onischuk       ½-½
4. Shankland - Finegold      ½-½


ROUND 7
1. Finegold - Shabalov       0-1
2. Onischuk - Shankland      ½-½
3. Hess - Seirawan           ½-½
4. Kaidanov - Christiansen   1-0




Commentators
GM Maurice Ashley
WGM Jennifer Shahade

Time Control
The time control for the 2011 U.S. Championship will be the FIDE standard of 40 moves in 90 minutes, follwed by the rest of the game in 30 minutes with a 30 second increment from move one.

Tiebreaks
Semifinals and finals tiebreaks will consist of a two-game rapid match (G/25+5 second increment). If the contest is still undecided, the match will go to a rapid Armageddon bidding game with a base time of 45 minutes for each Player. Black will have draw odds. Each Player shall bid an amount of time (minutes and seconds, a number equal to or less than 45:00) they are willing to play with in order to choose their color. The Player who bids the lowest amount of time chooses his color and begins with that amount of time; the other Player receives 45:00. If both Players bid exactly the same amount of time, the Chief Arbiter will flip a coin to determine who shall choose their color.

Prize Fund

The total prize fund for the 2011 U.S. Championship is $166,000 and is broken down as follows:
Overall
Place	Prize
1st	$40,000
2nd	$30,000
3rd	$20,000
4th	$15,000

Round Robin 1	Round Robin 2
Place	Prize	Place	Prize
3rd	$8,000	3rd	$8,000
4th	$6,000	4th	$6,000
5th	$5,000	5th	$5,000
6th	$4,000	6th	$4,000
7th	$3,000	7th	$3,000
8th	$2,500	8th	$2,500

There will be $4,000 in bonus prizes:

    $2,000 to the winner of each round robin

Additionally, $5,000 will be set aside to award Best Game Prizes throughout both the U.S. Championship and the U.S. Women's Championship.


PLAYOFFS

ROUND 8.1, 8.2  (4/22/2011)
Onischuk-Shankland  ½-½
Shankland-Onischuk  1-0


ROUND 9.2 (4/24/2011)
Kamsky-Shankland    1-0
Hess-Shulman        ½-½

ROUND 9.3 (4/25/2011)
Hess-Shulman        1-0
Shulman-Hess        1-0

4/26/2011
Kamsky-Shulman      1-0
Shankland-Hess      ½-½

4/27/2011
Hess-Shankland      ½-½
Shulman-Kamsky      ½-½
Shankland-Hess      1-0