Ben's Blog: U.S. wins again, seizes first place

The U.S. team seized first place today with another win against a tough Greek team. Russia drew Armenia, so the U.S. team is in clear first, with six match wins against one loss.

The hero today, once again, was Hikaru Nakamura, who took a worse position and managed to win due to his opponent's time pressure. Nakamura's opponent, Vasilios Kotronias, blundered terribly on move 40, and Naka easily converted his extra rook.

The U.S. and Greece drew on the other three boards, with no player ever having a substantial edge.  The U.S. team is well placed for the Gold medals now, and we need to finish well against Armenia and Azerbaijan to take top honors.

Kotronias (2599) vs. Nakamura (2708)