Fabiano Caruana and Carissa Yip are the 2023 U.S. Chess Champions
Author: Maria Fragaki
The 2023 U.S. Championships concluded yesterday with GM Fabiano Caruana clinching first for the third time, with a round to spare, and IM Carissa Yip becoming 2-time U.S. Women’s Champion.
Summary
GM Fabiano Caruana has defended his title at the 2023 U.S. Championship to become the 3-Time U.S. Champion with a round to spare and a commanding lead of 1.5 points over his rivals. In the final round, GM Abhimanyu Mishra showcased a positional masterpiece against GM Levon Aronian, earning him a spot in a tie for second place alongside GMs Wesley So and Leinier Dominguez.
The U.S. Women’s Championship concluded with an exciting final day, marked by all decisive games, resulting in IM Carissa Yip securing her second championship title. Defending champion WGM Jennifer Yu played a key role, defeating WGM Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova, who secured the second position. IM Alice Lee claimed a clear third place by defeating FM Ashritha Eswaran, solidifying her position in the tournament rankings.
U.S. Championship
The most anticipated game of the semifinals was Abhimanyu Mishra vs Fabiano Caruana as Mishra’s incredible performance was a direct threat to the leader. After an aggressive kingside attack by Caruana, Mishra had to give up an exchange. But that wasn’t the end as the young GM’s resourcefulness created a dynamic counter-play. The reigning champion navigated an exchange-up ending, ultimately winning the game on move 75, and win the title for the third time, with a round to spare!
“Overall, it’s a great feeling. [...] I couldn’t be happier about repeating the result from last year.” Caruana stated after his early win!
Watch the game
The final round determined the top 3, with Abhimanyu Mishra once more performing his magic. This time, the 14-year-old GM demonstrated his strategic brilliance by outmaneuvering GM Levon Aronian, achieving one of his most remarkable victories to date. After this win, Mishra marked an outstanding 2761 performance, tied for 2nd place alongside GMs Wesley So and Leinier Dominguez, and got into the World’s Juniors Top.15.
U.S. Women’s Championship
“I thought a draw would be ok, but then I got to the board and while I was playing, I was like, you know what, I would really rather win.” Yip thought during her Round 10 game against Ruiyang Yan, which totally went wrong as she’s lost the game due to a tactical overlook. After this loss, Yip “was really in the depths of her despair”, but fortune smiled at her for the second time!
It was a series of decisive games that led IM Carissa Yip to the thrown of the U.S. Women’s Championship. WGM Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova needed a win against the defending champion WGM Jennifer Yu in order to clinch the title or a draw would secure a playoff. Even after a challenging opening, Yu made a strong comeback, gaining the advantage in a complex position. With just seconds on her clock, Yu won the game to leave Tokhirjonova in the second place. “It’s embarrassing how many times I have flagged a game of increment!” Yu joked afterwards.
Despite her poor start in the tournament, IM Alice Lee scored seven points from the last eight games, including her final win against FM Ashritha Eswaran to finish third. “Overall, I started very badly in the first three rounds. I think after that I was able to come back. I think especially my round four win was really important. It was super crazy. I was winning. I was losing. Then I was winning again. For me to get that super crazy win I think in some ways even better than getting a solid win. Overall, I finished with 7.5/11, and I think that’s a good performance for me. I broke 2400. This is the first time that my official rating will be above, and that’s something that I’m happy about.” Alice reflected on her result.
