Can you last 30 moves?

Again, 12/16 games were decisive as the 30-move "no draw offer" option certainly appears to have produced fighting chess. This was the vision of Maurice Ashley three years ago after the controversy at the 2003 U.S. Chess Championships. One of the problems in this group is that one is put under immense pressure to win each and every game to keep pace. The last three rounds will perhaps exciting indeed.

While Alexander Onischuk clinged to his lead with another win, Varuzhan Akobian has been on a hot streak lately and has pulled back into the upper echelon on 4-2. He mopped up Jesse Kraai's Nimzo Indian and moved within a point of the lead with three rounds remaining. Hikaru Nakamura continues to "stay the course" with his third win in a row. What an effort it would be for him to win the group after having ½-2½ after three rounds. It has been a tough tournament with no easy points.

The Wild, Wild West

Yury Shulman kept the lead by drawing Larry Christiansen and the "Chimi Express" stopped in round six when Batchimeg Tuvshintugs dropped an exchange to Gata Kamsky. Igor Novikov edged within half-point of Shulman by beating Alexander Shabalov in a wild encounter. The game had a strange Benko Gambit flavor until Shabalov played far too ambitiously on the kingside.  Novikov even placed his pieces in typical anti-Benko fashion and had only to stifle Shabalov's active pieces. Novikov held off his ambitious opponent and his timely 26.Bg3! sealed the win.

Stephen Muhammad fell to a violent kingside onslaught by Tatev Abrahamyan. Out of a Three Knights game, Abrahamyan fell behind in the middle game and it appeared as if she was losing the thread on the position. Muhammad's 25…Qe5? allowed white to gain momentum with 26.Rg5 (threatening 27.Nh6+ as 26…Qe6 is met with 27.Bb3!). After her 33.Qh5, Muhammad had one more chance in 33…Bg7! 34.Rxg6 fxg6 35.Rxg6 Qe4+ with a perpetual check. However, after 33…Rd6 34.Qh6, black's forces were soon overrun. In the three rounds that remain, Muhammad can still vie for a plus score.