Rosen holds Robson to draw!

In the first round of the 2010 U.S. Junior Invitational Championship, NM Eric Rosen of Illinois, the lowest-rated player, held the highest-rated player, GM Ray Robson - rated 404 points higher! - to a draw. Or maybe that should be "Robson held Rosen to a draw"? Robson blundered on move 37, losing a whole rook to a knight fork, and was fortunate that he was able to scrounge a draw with his passed a-pawn. In either case, way to go, Eric!

Board Two featured a full-point upset, as the second-highest-rated player, IM Sam Shankland, lost to NM Parker Zhao. Maybe announcing your retirement isn't the best way to psych yourself up for a big tournament.

In the U.S. Women's Championship, which also began Saturday, last year's champion, IM Anna Zatonskih, offered a draw to WGM Katerina Rohonyan when both were down to about a minute on the clock, but managed to win after Rohonyan declined the draw. Zatonskih said, "It was a game of blunders. I won in time pressure."

Another favorite, IM Irina Krush, won as Black against WIM (and former USCF President) Beatriz Marinello. The opening, a Queen's Indian, was almost symmetrical. An error by Marinello allowed Krush to win the bishop pair, whereupon she ground down Marinello in a two bishops versus bishop and knight ending. All five games in the first round of the Women's Championship finished decisively - as did the last 20 games in last year's championship! More information and games from the tournaments are available on the USCF website.

Here is Eric's game: