Nothing Is Easy

于润荷 (Jennifer Yú) – Tatev Abrahamyan
58th U.S. Women’s Chess Championship; Saint Louis, March 29, 2019
Nimzo-Indian Defence E46

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 0-0 5. Ne2 c6 6. a3 Ba5 7. c5 d5 8. cxd6 Qxd6 9. b4 Bc7 10. g3 e5 11. Bg2 Re8. 于 (Yú) certainly had pleasant memories of 11. ... exd4 12. Nxd4 Bb6 13. 0-0 Rd8 14. Qc2 Bxd4 15. exd4 Qxd4?? 16. Rd1 Qb6 17. Be3 Qc7 18. Nb5 Rxd1+ 19. Rxd1 Qe7 20. Bc5 Qe5 21. f4 1 : 0 于润荷 (Jennifer Yú) – Jacobson, CCCSA Labor Day IM Norm Invitational, Charlotte 2018. 12. dxe5. White has no particular ideas about what to do with her “first-move advantage”. Philosophy aside, the text doesn’t promise anything but an uncomfortable equality. Comparatively better is 12. 0-0 e4 13. Bb2 Bf5 14. Rc1 Nbd7? (best is 14. ... a6! so as to control the b5-square after an eventual d4-d5, ... c6xd5) 15. d5! Ne5 16. dxc6 bxc6 17. Qxd6 Bxd6 18. Nd4 Bg6 19. Nce2 with a powerful advantage for White (even though the game ended as a draw!), del Río de Angelis – Cuenca Jiménez, 29th International Chess Open, Roquetas de Mar 2018. 12. ... Qxd1+ 13. Nxd1 Bxe5 14. Bb2 a5 15. bxa5 Nbd7 16. 0-0 Rxa5 17. Bxe5 Nxe5 18. Ndc3 Nd3 19. Nd4 Nc5 20. a4 Be6 21. Rab1 Rea8 23. Rd1 R8a7 24. Ra1 Nd5 25. Bxd5 Bxd5 26. Nxd5 cxd5

27. Nb3? Of course, White could not play 27. Nb5? on account of 27. ... Rxa4, but 27. Rc1! actually threatens Nd4-b5; it might follow then: 27. ... Nxa4 28. Rc7 Nc5 29. Nb3 Nd3 30. Nxa5 Nxb4 31. Rxb7 with equality. 27. ... Nxb3 28. Rxb3 b5! Black wins the a-Pawn, but the resulting ending is far from being winnable, and 于 (Yú) manages somehow to save half a point. 29. Rd1 bxa4 30. Ra3 Kf8 31. Rd4 Ke7 32. Kf1 Kd6 33. Ke2 Kc5 34. Kd3 Kb5 35. Kc3 Rc7+ 36. Kb2 Rc5 37. Rad3 Kc6 38. Ka3 Rc2 39. Rf4 f5 40. Rdd4 Rac5 41. Rxa4 R5c3+ 42. Kb4 Rc4+ 43. Kb3 Kb5 44. Raxc4 Rxc4 45. Rf3 Kc5 46. Rf4 Rxf4 47. gxf4 d4 48. Kc2 Kc4 49. Kd2 h6 ½ : ½.

For whom the bell will toll? 于润荷 (Jennifer Yú) still leads by half a point over Anna Vitalievna Zatonskih, who won a King and Pawn endgame against 王安妮 (Annie Wáng). Of course, it’s only by chance that they’ll be facing each other tomorrow! Photo © Lennart Ootes/Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis.