Yellow Hair

Nazí Nodarovna Paikidze – 叶诗雯 (Carissa Yip)
57th U.S. Women’s Chess Championship; Saint Louis, April 2, 2017
Catalan Opening E04

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. g3 dxc4 5. Bg2 c5 6. 0-0 Nc6 7. dxc5 Qxd1 8. Rxd1 Bxc5 9. Nbd2 c3 10. bxc3 0-0 11. Nb3 Be7 12. Bb2 Nd7? Maybe it’s not so bad as it looks, but from a strategic viewpoint it won’t solve any of Black’s problems on the Queenside. Black must look for a better end somewhere into 12. ... Bd7 13. c4 Rfd8 14. Nfd4 Nxd4 15. Bxd4 Bc6 16. Bxc6 bxc6 17. Rd3 Kf8 18. Rad1 Ke8 19. Kg2 Rac8 20. Na5 Rd7 21. Bxf6 Rxd3 22. Rxd3 Bxf6 23. Kf3 Be7 24. Rb3 Bd8 25. Nb7 Be7 26. h3 Rb8 27. g4 Rc8 28. Ke4 Rb8 29. f4 Rc8 30. Kf3 Rb8 31. e4 Kd7 32. Nc5+ Kc8 33. Nd3 Ra8 34. Ne5 Kc7 35. Rd3 Bd6 36. Nxf7 Bxf4 37. Kxf4 Rf8 38. Ke5 Rxf7 39. Kxe6 Rf6+ 40. Ke7 Rf4 41. e5 Rxc4 42. Rd7+ Kb6 43. e6 Ra4 44. Kd8 Rxa2 45. e7 Re2 46. e8=Q Rxe8+ 47. Kxe8 a5 48. Rxg7 1 : 0 Sasikiran – Pichot, 14th Aeroflot Open, Moscow 2016. 13. Nfd2 Nb6 14. a4 a5 15. c4 Rd8 16. c5 Nd5 17. Nc4 Ndb4? White was already much better, and probably it would not have been too difficult to implement her dominance, but the text offers a clear modus operandi which Paikidze doesn’t miss. 18. Nb6 Rb8 19. Nxa5! Bxc5. On 19. ... Nxa5 20. Be5 White wins at least an Exchange. 20. Nxc6 Rxd1+ 21. Rxd1 Nxc6 22. a5! The material is even, but Black is comically pythonised. 22. ... f6 23. Bxc6 Bxb6 24. axb6 bxc6 25. Rd8+ Kf7 26. Ba3 Ra8

27. Rxc8! Paikidze concludes elegantly. 27. ... Rxc8 28. Bd6 Rd8 29. b7 Rxd6 30. b8=Q Rd1+ 31. Kg2 Rc1 32. Qa7+ Kg8 33. Qe3 Rc2 34. Qxe6+ Kf8 35. Qe4 1 : 0.

Nazí Nodarovna Paikidze. Photo © Lennart Ootes.