The United States championship this year was held in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Thirty-six players took part and the winner was Alexander Shabalov of Pennsylvania, with the impressive score of seven points out of nine games. The second-place finisher was Alexander Onischuk of Maryland. The encounter between the two leaders was not only one of the most thrilling games of the tournament, it also featured an important novelty, which was then followed by a sharp, swift combination that opened up lines and led to victory.

ONISCHUK VS. SHABALOV
(white) (black)
Slav Defense

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 e6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6.e4 b5 7.e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Nxg5 hxg5 10. Bxg5 Nbd7 11. exf6 Qa5!? A rare but interesting departure from the more common 11…Bb7 which was played in Denker-Botvinnik in the 1945 historic radio-match between the USA and the USSR. The continuation known as the Botvinnik variation derives from this game. 12. Be2 Bb7 13.0-0 0-0-0 14. Qc1!? 14. Qc2?! permits 14…Bh6 with a good game for black as was played in Goldin-Kaidanov 1986. 14… c5! Black has to rush with this. In Agdestein – Hector, 1995, black played 14…Bd6 15.h4 c5 but here White could have posed serious problems for him by playing 16.a4! with a rather annoying initiative and the knight jumps to b5 with a tempo. 15. Rd1!? An important novelty. Previously white has tried 15. dxc5 Bxc5 16. Qf4 but black was fine: 16…Ne5 17. Rfd1 and now black in Karolyi-Kaidanov 1989 missed 17…Nd3! 18. Bxd3 Bd6 with an advantage for black. 15… cxd4?! Probably not predicting white’s blow on his 17th move. The position after 15…Bd6!? 16.h4 cxd4 17. Rxd4 Be5 18. Rg4 Nxf6 19. Bxf6 Bxf6 20.a4 was safer for black than the position in the game. 16. Rxd4 Bc5?!

(See diagram)

16…a6!? was preferable. After 17.a4 Qb6 an unclear position with mutual chances would arise. 17.b4! This blow helps white mobilize his other rook. 17… Qxb4?! This queen sacrifice does not solve black’s problems. 17…Bxb4? was even worse: 18. Nxb5! Qxb5 19. Rxc4+ Kb8 20. Rb1 and white is winning.; equally bad for black was 17…cxb3 18. axb3 Qb6 19. Nxb5; But the other queen sacrifice 17…Qc7! 18. Bf4 Qc6 19. Bf3 Bxd4 20. Bxc6 Bxc6 21.a4 Rdg8 22. Bg3 Ne5! 23. axb5 Bb7 led to extremely intricate position. Black would have threats like 24…Nd3, 25…Bxf2+ and 26…Rxg2+ as well as 24…Nf3+ 25. gxf3 Rxg3+ 26. hxg3 Bxf3. 18. Rb1 Qxb1 Other options were much worse: 18…Qa3? 19. Qxa3 Bxa3 20. Nxb5 Bc5 21. Rxc4, or 18…Qa5? 19. Rxb5 Qc7 20. Bf4 e5 21. Rxc4 exf4 22. Ne4 Bxe4 23. Bg4 and white is winning. 19. Qxb1 Bxd4 20. Nxb5 Unfortunately for black his rooks are not working while his king is still too vulnerable. 20… Ne5 20…Bc5 was more tenacious. The position after 21. Bxc4 Rdg8 22. Qc1 a6 was still unclear. 21. Bf4! Nc6 22. Nd6+ Rxd6 23. Bxd6 c3 24. Bf3 Threatening the simple Bf3xc6 and Qb1-b8. 24… Bb6 25. Bb4 Bd4 25…Nxb4 26. Qxb4 Bxf3 27. Qxc3+ Bc7 28. Qxf3 Bxh2+ 29. Kf1 did not promise any chances for black. 26. Bxc3! White attacks his opponent’s minor pieces along the c-file so black resigned.

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