Other Voices

Akshita Gorti – 叶诗雯 (Carissa Yip)
58th U.S. Women’s Chess Championship; Saint Louis, March 21, 2019
King’s Indian Defence E61

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. e3 g6 3. d4 Bg7 4. c4 0-0 5. Be2 d6 6. Nc3 c6 7. 0-0 a6 8. Qc2 Nbd7 9. Rd1. A somewhat similar game continued 9. b4 b6 10. Bb2 Bb7 11. Rfd1 Qc7 12. Rac1⩲ Winants – Brenninkmeijer, 52th “Hoogovens” II International Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 1990. 9. ... Qc7 10. b4 c5 11. bxc5 dxc5 12. d5 Ne5 13. Nxe5 Qxe5 14. f4 Qf5 15. Bd3 Qh5 16. Bd2 e5. 16. ... b5!? was also interesting and quite consistent. 17. dxe6!? Bxe6 18. Rab1 Rad8. Black’s game may be a little easier to play, but after both 19. Be2!? and 19. h3!? White should somehow manage to hold her own together. In any event, nothing could be worse than what Gorti played: 19. Ne4? Nxe4 20. Bxe4 Qe2! That’s hard reality: Black is winning.

21. Bxb7. If 21. Bf3 then 21. ... Qxc4 22. Qxc4 Bxc4 23. Rxb7 Bd5! elegantly forcing the win, while 21. Rxb7 is also met by 21. ... Bf5! followed, after the exchange of the Bishops, by the doubling of the Rooks on the d-file. 21. ... Bf5 22. e4. Unlike the actual game, now 22. Qc1 Bxb1 23. Bf3 Qd3 24. Ba5 Qxe3+ 25. Qxe3 Rxd1+ 26. Bxd1 Bd4 would leave White the Exchange down and a comppletely lost position. 22. ... Bh3? Throwing away the win. With the same idea in mind, Black ought first to play 22. ... Bd4+! and after 23. Kh1 then 23. ... Bh3! 24. e5 Bf5! winning easily. Of course, 22. ... Bg4 23. e5 Rd4 (“adjudicated” as a definite win by most computer engines) was also possible. 23. e5 Bf5 0 : 1. And Gorti, like hypnotised, resigned! Indeed, after 24. Qc1 Bg4 (24. ... Bxb1? 25. Bf3 Qd3 26. Ba5! would end very badly for Black) 25. Bd5! Qxd1+ 26. Qxd1 Bxd1 27. Rxd1 the extra Pawn and the Bishop pair would provide White with more than enough compensation for the Exchange, and, most likely, it would be Black who should strive for a draw.

叶诗雯 (Carissa Yip) smiling for luck. Photo © Lennart Ootes/Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis.