WITH a round left, Grandmaster Samuel Shankland stayed in the solo lead after repulsing Alexander Onischuk last Saturday in the 2018 United States Chess Championships in St. Louis, Missouri.
Shankland found the winning line on the 29th move and forced Onischuk to give up after 49 moves of a Queen’s Gambit Declined.
This kept the 26-year-old Shankland in the solo lead with 7.5 points.
Fabiano Caruana then prevailed over Yaroslav Zherebukh in 31 moves of a King’s Indian Attack.
Caruana has seven points at no. 2 and has distanced himself from Filipino GM Wesley So.
So has six points in lone third after he played to another draw with Ray Robson in 40 moves of a Ruy Lopez.
So far, So has racked up two wins and eight draw after nine rounds, and Hikaru Nakamura as his last opponent.