Saturday, July 31, 2021

Finding Dory

13th World Chess Champion Garry Kimovich Kasparov gives his own advice on how to successfully write Netflix fiction. So if you are queuing up for an autograph from a real-life Beth Harmon, don’t miss the article by Louisa Thomas, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) and the Wait for Chess’s First Woman World Champion, The New Yorker, July 26, 2021 (Published in the print edition of the August 2, 2021 issue with the headline “Queenside”). Photo © 李文嘉(Amiko Lǐ)for The New Yorker.

The Drowned World

Finally, news about my English cousin, Maxime, who has been residing in Australia since many years, and who together with her family has so far eluded the new COVID-19 lockdowns by living aboard a catamaran. Photo courtesy of her herself.

Screen Saver

It was Friday afternoon when four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), newly crowned Queen of the 14th National Games of the People’s Republic of China, took her chair back to her job station just in time to join Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky for the live broadcast from Krasnaya Polyana. Screenshot from the live stream.

Two As One

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Anna Olehivna Muzychuk
1st Women’s Chess World Cup; match game 2; Krasnaya Polyana, July 30, 2021
Grünfeld Defence D86

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bc4 c5 8. Ne2 cxd4 9. cxd4 Nc6 10. Be3 Qa5+ 11. Bd2 Qa3 12. Rb1 0-0 13. 0-0 Bg4 14. f3 Be6 15. Bc1 Qa5 16. Bxe6 fxe6 17. a4TN (17. Rxb7 Qxa2 18. Rb2 Qa1 19. e5 Rac8 20. Rc2 Rfd8 21. Be3 Qxd1 22. Rxd1 Nb4 23. Rxc8 Rxc8 24. Rc1 Ra8 25. Bd2 Nd5 26. Ra1 Kf7 27. Ng3 h6 28. Ne4 g5 29. Kf2 Nb6 30. Bb4 Nd5 31. Bd2 Nb6 32. Ke2 Nd5 33. g3 Bf8 34. Kd3 Bg7 35. Nc5 Rc8 36. Ke4 Rc7 37. f4 gxf4 38. gxf4 Nb6 39. f5 exf5+ 40. Kxf5 Bxe5 41. Kxe5 Nc4+ 42. Kd5 Nxd2 43. Rd1 e5 44. dxe5 1 : 0 Lilienthal – Ravinsky, 31st Moscow City Chess Championship, Moscow 1953)


17. ... Nxd4!? Arguably Muzychuk is playing all out for a mess. 18. Nxd4 Rfd8? Putting the wrong Rook on d8, as the following will show. 19. Be3 Qc3 20. Rb3 Qc4


21. Rxb7? White apparently misses the stronger 21. e5! Bxe5 (otherwise f3-f4 would follow) 22. Rd3 leaving Black with insufficient compensation — a line which would have been ineffective if the King’s Rook had been on f8 and the Queen’s Rook on d8 (as Black might continue with ... Be5-f4). 21. ... Bxd4 22. Bxd4 Rxd4. 22. ... Kf7!, followed by the capture of the Bishop, seems to give Black more or less equality. 23. Qc1 Qe2. Desperately seeking to unbalance a hieratic opponent. 24. Re1! In Karpovian style, Goryachkina contents herself with a technical advantage. 24. ... Rc4 25. Rxe2 Rxc1+ 26. Kf2 Kf7 27. Rd2 a5 28. Rdd7 Re8 29. Ra7 Rc2+ 30. Kg3


30. ... Rc5? 30. ... g5! 31. Rxa5 Kf6 was Black’s best bet for a draw, if any. 31. Rdc7! Rxc7 32. Rxc7 Ra8 33. Rc5. In spite of material equality, Goryachkina provides a telling demonstration that not “all Rook endings are drawn”. 34. ... h6 34. Kf4 g5+ 35. Kg4 Kf6 36. h4 e5. A little tougher is 36. ... gxh4 37. Kxh4 Kg6, but after 38. Kf4 White should be able to make progress anyway by alternating threats on both Black’s a- and -h Pawns (say, for instance, Rc5-h5 and g2-g4 so as to bind the Black King to defend the h6-Pawn, then followed by the march of the White King to b5). 37. Rc6+ e6 38. h5 Rb8 39. Rc5. Avoiding a little trap: 39. Ra6 Rb7 40. Rxa5?? Ra7! 41. Rxa7 stalemate (Ian Rogers’ analysis). 39. ... Ra8 40. Kg3 Ra7 41. Rb5 Ra8 42. Rb7 g4 43. Kxg4 1 : 0.

And thus an all-Russian final will conclude the inaugural Women’s World Chess Cup. Photo © Anastasia Korolkova.

Friday, July 30, 2021

Van Gogh’s Chair

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk – 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)
1st Women’s Chess World Cup; match game 2; Krasnaya Polyana, July 30, 2021
Russian Defence C42

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. c4 Nc6 6. d3 Nf6 7. d4 Be7 8. d5. 8. Nc3 d5 transposes into Paulsen – Englisch, Anderssen Jubilee, Leipzig 1877 (in fact, the same position was reached after 1. c4 e5 2. e3 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. Nf3 Be7 5. d4 exd4 6. exd4 d5). 8. ... Ne5 9. Be2 Nxf3+ 10. Bxf3 h5!? 11. h3 Bf5 12. Nc3 Qd7 13. Be3 a6 14. a4 c5 15. dxc6 bxc6 16. a5 Rb8 17. 0-0 0-0 18. Na4 d5 19. Nb6 Qd6 20. Rc1 Qb4 21. Bd4


21. ... dxc4?? A blunder hard to explain, if not as a symptom of nervous tiredness. Black ought to play 21. ... Qxa5 and if 22. c5!? (threatening to trap the Queen with Rc1-a1) then 22. ... Qb4 23. Rc3 a5 23. Rb3 Bc2! saving everything. 22. Re1? Nevertheless, Kosteniuk too overlooks a most obvious refutation: 22. Rxc4 Qd6 (22. ... Qxa5 23. Ra4 and 22. ... Qb5 23. Bxc6 both lose the Queen) 23. Rxc6+− with an overwhelming advantage. 22. ... Be6


23. Rxe6! Never looking back Kosteniuk is starting it all over again. 23. ... fxe6 24. Qe2 Rf7 25. Nxc4


25. ... Nd5? 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)’s second and last mistake will not be forgiven. Instead after the correct 25. ... Bc5! it is still anyone’s game. 26. Bxh5+− Rbf8. Black cannot play 26. ... Rff8 as after 27. Qxe6+ Kh8 28. Qh6+ mate follows next move. 27. Qxe6 Nf4 28. Bxf7+ Rxf7 29. Qg4 Bc5 30. Be3 Bxe3 31. fxe3 Qc5 32. b4 Qa7 33. Rf1 Nd3 34. Rd1 Ne5 35. Rd8+ Rf8 36. Rxf8+ Kxf8 37. Qf4+ Nf7 38. Ne5 1 : 0.

“It wasn’t an easy match but, as in the previous ones, I was lucky to finish it in the classical part, so I don’t need to go to the tie-breaks. Of course, that saves energy”, Kosteniuk finally said. Photo © Anastasia Korolkova.

Summer’s Night

Four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) (pictured above) and world No. 3 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) (pictured below) won the women’s and men’s titles, respectively, at the 14th National Games of the People’s Republic of China which took place in 合肥 (Héféi), 安徽省 (Ānhuī province), China from July 21–29, 2021. Photos: 合肥在线 (hf365.com).

Thursday, July 29, 2021

Suddenly Last Summer

Today, for the first time since last autumn, I took the chance to enjoy a leisure visit to the People’s House in Grassina and its surroundings.

Half Upon a Time

Anna Olehivna Muzychuk – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
1st Women’s Chess World Cup; match game 1; Krasnaya Polyana, July 29, 2021
1r6/1P1k3p/1R1p2p1/5p2/4rP1P/4P3/5K2/2R5 w - - 0 39

Position after 38. ... f6-f5

Muzychuk got much the better out of the opening and even won a Pawn, but then, pressed by time, ended up giving it back and liquidating to a four-Rook ending in which her only trump — the passed b-Pawn — seems not enough to contradict the old saying that “all Rook endings are drawn”. Thus, in the position of diagram, she played 39. h5! And now there would be little left to hope for, had Black replied with 39. ... gxh5! — but the time for exchanging favours has not yet ended: 39. ... Re7? 40. hxg6? And here Muzychuk misses a huge opportunity to cash in on her previous bet — in fact, 40. Rc8! Rxc8 (40. ... Re8 41. Rxe8 Kxe8 42. Kg3 Ke7 43. Kh4+−) 41. Rxd6+! Kc7 42. bxc8=Q+ Kxc8 43. hxg6 hxg6 44. Rxg6+− would be decisive, as White either wins a Pawn or cuts off Black’s King — or both. 40. ... hxg6 41. Rc8 Re8 (41. ... Rxc8 42. Rxd6++−) 42. Rxe8 Kxe8 43. Kg3 Ke7


44. Rb1. The unfortunate interpolation of 40. hxg6 hxg6 now just makes 44. Kh4 completely ineffective due to 44. ... Rh8+ 45. Kg3 (not 45. Kg5?? because of 45. ... Kf7! followed by mate) 45. ... Rb8 repeating moves. 44. ... Ke6 45. Kf3 Kd7 46. Kg3 ½ : ½.

No doubt it was a missed opportunity for Muzychuk. Photo © Anastasia Korolkova.

A Second Time

Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin – Samuel L. Shankland
9th Chess World Cup; match game 2; Krasnaya Polyana, July 29, 2021
King’s Indian Attack A08

1. e4 e6 2. d3 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. Ngf3 Be7 5. g3 a5 6. Bg2 a4 7. a3 c5 8. 0-0 Nc6 9. Re1 0-0 10. e5 (10. h4?! dxe4 11. Nxe4 Nxe4 12. Rxe4 b5 13. Ng5 Ra6 14. Qh5 h6 15. Nf3 f5 16. Re1 Bd7 17. Ne5 Nxe5 18. Rxe5 Bd6 19. Re1 Qf6 20. Rb1 f4?! 21. Bxf4 Bxf4 22. gxf4 Qxf4 23. Qxc5 Rf5 24. Qe3 Qxh4 25. Qg3 Qh5 26. Qc7 Qf7 27. Qb7 Rd6 28. Qb8+ Qf8 29. Qxf8+ Kxf8 30. Re3 Bc6 31. Rbe1 ½ : ½ Karjakin – Aronian, Candidates Tournament 2016, Moscow 2016) 10. ... Nd7 11. Nf1 b5 12. h4 Bb7 (12. ... b4 13. N1h2 bxa3 14. bxa3 Rb8 15. Ng4 Re8 16. h5 h6 17. Bf4 Nb6 18. Qd2 Nd7 19. c4 dxc4 20. dxc4 Nb6 21. Qc1 Qd3 22. Bxh6 Qxc4 23. Qxc4 Nxc4 24. Bg5 N6a5 25. h6 Nb3 26. Ra2 Bb7 27. Bxe7 Rxe7 28. Ng5 gxh6 29. Nxh6+ Kg7 30. Ng4 Kh8 31. Rd1 Bxg2 32. Kxg2 Nb6 33. Rd6 Nd5 34. Rc2 Rc7 35. Rc4 Nd2 36. Rc2 Nb3 37. Rc4 Nd2 38. Rc2 ½ : ½ Ciocâltea – Šahović, International Tournament, Timișoara 1977) 13. h5 h6 14. Bf4 Qb6 15. Qd2 Rfc8 16. g4 Qd8 17. N1h2 Ra6 18. Kh1 b4. A typical King’s Indian Attack position, in which White attacks on the Kingside and Black on the Queenside, and only one question really matters: who comes first? 19. Rg1 Nf8 20. axb4 cxb4 21. d4 Na5? After this loss of time, White gets the upper hand and keeps it to the end. 21. ... a3!∞ was called for.


22. g5!→ Nc4 23. Qc1 hxg5 24. Bxg5 b3. In order to push ... a4-a3 without allowing b2-b3. If, instead, 24. ... Bxg5 then 25. Nxg5 f6 26. exf6 Qxf6 27. Ng4! Qxd4 28. Bh3 e5 29. Rxa4! (Δ 29. ... Rxa4? 30. Nh6+!+−).25. Bxe7 Qxe7 26. Bf1! a3? Black’s only threat in the whole game, but just too late!


27. Rxg7+! Kxg7 28. Ng4 f5 29. exf6+ Qxf6 30. Nxf6 axb2 31. Qg5+ Kf7 32. h6 Ng6 33. Nh4! bxa1=Q. Shankland chivalrously allows his opponent to give checkmate on the board: 34. Qxg6+ Ke7 35. Qg7+ Kd6 36. Qd7# 1 : 0.

Karjakin won a brilliant game, culminating in checkmate, eventually pushing the match to a tie-breaker. Photo © Eric Rosen.

Once Upon a Summertime

Samuel L. Shankland – Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin
9th Chess World Cup; match game 1; Krasnaya Polyana, July 28, 2021
r7/1pb5/1p1nkpp1/1Pp4p/P3PP2/2BK2P1/3N3P/R7 b - - 0 38

Position after 38. e3-e4

In the position of the diagram, Black should play 38. ... g5! with roughly balanced chances, but time shortage causes Karjakin to make a serious mistake: 38. ... f5? French Grandmaster Romain Édouard calls it a “move that looks taken from a horror movie!”. 39. e5 Nf7 40. Kc4 Ke7 41. Nf1 Nd8 42. Ne3 Ne6


43. a5 bxa5 44. b6 Bd8 45. Rd1 Nd4 46. Nd5+ Kf7 47. Bxd4. Well calculated as the ensuing Pawn ending is an easy win for White after 47. ... cxd4 48. Rxd4 Rc8+ 49. Nc7! Bxc7 50. Rd7+ Ke6 51. Rxc7 Rxc7+ 52. bxc7 Kd7 53. Kb5 Kxc7 [53. ... b6 54. Kxb6 a4 (54. ... Kc8 55. Kc6!+−) 55. Kb7+−] 54. Kxa5 Kc6 55. Kb4 Kb6 56. Kc4 Kc6 57. Kd4 b5 (57. ... Kd7 58. Kc5 Kc7 59. Kb5 Kd7 60. Kb6 Kc8 61. h4 Kb8 62. e6 Kc8 63. e7 Kd7 64. Kxb7 Kxe7 65. Kc7+−) 58. h3 1 : 0.

Barely one month after handily winning the 3rd Prague Masters Tournament, Shankland, the only American left in the Chess World Cup, still keeps winning game after game. Photo © Anastasia Korolkova.

Another Day

At the conclusion of the second day of the Women’s Superfinal of the 14th National Games of the People’s Republic of China, four-time Women’s Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) (pictured above with an admirer) is in the lone lead with 5½ out of 6 thanks to her wins against 宁春红 (Níng Chūnhóng) and 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), and a draw with 翟墨 (Zhái Mò). Photo: 留钦岁月 (Liú Qīn Suìyuè).

Tuesday, July 27, 2021

Last But Not Least

Anna Olehivna Muzychuk – Nana Dzagnidze
1st Women’s Chess World Cup; tie-break game 1; time control: 25 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Krasnaya Polyana, July 27, 2021
Sicilian Defence B94

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 Nbd7 7. Bc4 g6?! If a tie-breaker is a war of nerves, then Dzagnidze began to lose now. With the text move she actually transposes to one of the worst versions of the Dragon, which is enough for Muzychuk to secure a win. 8. Qe2 Bg7 9. 0-0-0 0-0 10. f4 Qc7 (10. ... Nb6 11. Bb3 Bg4 12. Nf3 Qc7 13. e5 Ne8 14. exd6 exd6 15. Be7 Bxc3 16. bxc3 Qxc3 17. Bxf8 Kxf8 18. Qd3 Rc8 19. Qxc3 Rxc3 20. Rd3 Rc6 21. Nd4 Rc8 22. f5 Bxf5 23. Nxf5 gxf5 24. Rf1 Rc5 25. g4 f6 26. gxf5 Nd7 27. Rg3 Ne5 28. Rg8+ Ke7 29. Rh8 b5 30. Rxh7+ Kd8 31. Be6 Rc7 32. Rxc7 Nxc7 33. h4 Nxe6 34. fxe6 Ke7 35. Rg1 Kxe6 36. Rg7 Nd7 37. h5 f5 38. Rxd7 1 : 0 Shirov – Orsini, 25-board simultaneous exhibition, Toronto 2010) 11. f5 b5 12. Bb3 Bb7 (12. ... Nb6 13. a3 Re8 14. h4 gxf5 15. exf5 Bb7 16. Rh3 d5 17. Qf3 Kh8 18. Bf4 Qc5 19. Be3 Qc7 20. Rg3 Rg8 21. Bf4 Qc5 22. Rg5 Rad8 23. Qg3 Nbd7 24. Nf3 a5 25. Be5 b4 26. Nxd5 Ne4 27. Qf4 Nxe5 28. Nxe5 Bxd5 29. Bxd5 Nxg5 30. hxg5 Bxe5 31. Qxe5+ Rg7 32. axb4 axb4 33. g6 b3 34. c4 Ra8 35. Kb1 Qa5 36. Kc1 e6 37. gxf7 Rd8 38. fxe6 Qa1+ 39. Kd2 Qa5+ 40. Ke2 1 : 0 Fernández – Tate, 50th U.S. Chess Championship, San Diego 2006) 13. h4 Nc5 14. h5 Nxb3+!? Dzagnidze finally introduces a new move in the (vain) hope to write another story better than 14. ... Nfxe4 15. Nxe4 Bxe4 16. hxg6 hxg6 17. Qf2! Nxb3+ 18. axb3 Rfc8 19. Rd2 d5 20. Qh4+− Qe5 21. Bxe7 f6 22. Qh7+ Kf7 23. Qxg6+ Kxe7 24. Qxg7+ Kd6 25. Rh6 Rf8 26. Rh7 Rfc8 27. b4 Bxf5 28. Qe7+ Qxe7 29. Nxf5+ Ke6 30. Nxe7 Rc4 31. Nxd5 Rg8 32. Re7+ Kd6 33. Ree2 Rgg4 34. Nxf6+ Rgd4 35. Rxd4+ Rxd4 36. Rd2 1 : 0 Berg – Spirin, Manhem Chess Week GM–tournament 2010, Gothenburg 2010. 15. axb3


15. ... Qc5? Allowing White a one-way attack. 15. ... Nxh5 16. Rxh5! gxh5 17. Qxh5 Bxd4 18. Rxd4 (Δ f5-f6) 18. ... f6 19. Bh6 Kh8! was a critical imperative. 16. hxg6 hxg6 17. Qf3 Rfc8 18. Qh3 Qe5 19. Bxf6 Qxf6 20. fxg6 Qxg6 (20. ... fxg6 21. Rdf1+−) 21. Nf5 Qg5+. If 21. ... Kf8 then 22. Qh8+ Bxh8 23. Rxh8+ Qg8 24. Rxg8+ Kxg8 25. Nxe7+ Kg7 26. Nxc8 Rxc8 27. Rxd6 emerging two Pawns ahead. 22. Kb1 Rxc3 23. bxc3 Bxe4 24. Nxg7 Qxg7 25. Rde1 d5


26. Re3? An inaccuracy which gives Black an unexpected possibility of salvation. Of course White ought first to play 26. Qh2! and then lift the Rook to e3. 26. ... e6? (⌓ 26. ... Bxg2! 27. Qh4 Bxh1 28. Rg3 Be4 29. Rxg7+ Kxg7 30. Qxe7 Rc8∞) 27. Rg3 Bg6 28. Re1. Even stronger is 28. Rxg6! fxg6 29. Qxe6+ Qf7 30. Qe5 with a mating attack. 28. ... Re8 29. Qh4 a5 30. Rf1 a4 31. Kb2 Rc8 32. Rf6 axb3 33. cxb3 b4 34. cxb4 Rc2+ 35. Ka3 Re2 36. Rfxg6 fxg6 37. Qd8+ 1 : 0.

Muzychuk eventually won the tie-breaker to get the fourth and final spot in the semifinals. Photo © Eric Rosen.

Monday, July 26, 2021

The Queen’s Gambit

“I’m sure that my future life will have a connection with chess, maybe a deep connection”, she said. “This connection is there all the time”. She has been working with a group of psychologists and statisticians on a paper exploring why there are so few women in chess at all levels. The insights she contributes are gleaned from her own career. Whether or not there is an “innate difference” between men and women, she said, what interests her is the way “society shapes you”. [Read more].

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) has been the highest-rated active female chess player for the past six years. Photo © 李文嘉(Amiko Lǐ)for The New Yorker.

Lonely But Not Alone

Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno – 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)
1st Women’s Chess World Cup; match game 2; Krasnaya Polyana, July 26, 2021
1k4r1/p2r4/1pR2p2/3p4/3P1N1p/5Pn1/PP3K2/4R3 w - - 0 32

Position after 31. ... h5-h4

It took only one mistake for Lagno to fall from her dreams of glory — whatever cruel it may be: 32. Ree6? A bad move which loses a crucial tempo. Naturally, White ought to take on f6 with good drawing chances. Now, 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) immediately takes advantage of the clumsy placement of White’s Rooks: 32. ... h3! 33. Nxh3 Rh7 34. Nf4 Nf5−+ 35. Ne2 Rh2+ 36. Kf1 (36. Ke1 Nxd4!−+) 36. ... Rgg2 37. Re8+ Kb7 38. Rce6 (38. Rxf6 Rxe2 39. Rxe2 Ng3+−+) 38. ... Nh4 39. R6e7+ Ka6 40. Ke1 Nf5 41. Kd1 Nxe7 42. Rxe7 Kb5 43. Re3


43. ... Rxe2! Mercilessly technical. 44. Rxe2 Rxe2 45. Kxe2 Kc4 46. Ke3 b5 47. Ke2 (47. a3 a6−+) 47. ... Kxd4 48. Kd2 f5 49. Ke2 Ke5 50. Ke3 d4+ 0 : 1.

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí), the only Chinese in the Women’s World Cup, has no intention at all of leaving empty-handed. Photo © Eric Rosen.

A Quick Bite

Dinara Ramazanovna Saduakassova – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
1st Women’s Chess World Cup; match game 2; Krasnaya Polyana, July 26, 2021
Queen’s Pawn Game D02

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bf4 c5 4. e3 Nc6 5. Nbd2 cxd4 6. exd4 Bf5 7. Bb5 e6 8. Ne5 Qb6 9. c4 dxc4 10. a4 (10. Bxc6+ bxc6 11. Ndxc4 Qa6 12. Qe2 Bb4+ 13. Bd2 Bxd2+ 14. Nxd2 Qb5 15. Nb3 0-0 16. Rc1 Rfc8 17. Rxc6 Qa4 18. Rxc8+ Rxc8 19. 0-0 Qxa2= Aronian – Inarkiev, 8th World Blitz Chess Championship, Moscow 2019) 10. ... Bb4 (10. ... Qxd4 11. Nxc6 Qxf4 12. g3 Qc7 13. Nd4+ Nd7 14. Nxf5 exf5 15. Qe2+ Be7 16. 0-0 a6 17. Bxc4 Ne5 18. Rac1 Nxc4 19. Nxc4 0-0 20. a5 Bg5 21. f4 Qe7 22. Qxe7 Bxe7 23. Nb6 Rad8 24. Rc7 Bf6 25. b4 Rd2 26. Rxb7 Rfd8 27. Nc4 Re2 28. Ne5 Bxe5 29. fxe5 g6 30. Rf2 Rxe5 31. g4 Rdd5 32. Ra7 Re6 33. gxf5 gxf5 34. Rb7 Kg7 35. Rc2 Kg6 36. Kf2 Rd4 37. Ra2 Rdd6 38. b5 axb5 39. Rxb5 Kf6 40. Rb4 Ra6 41. Rb5 Rad6 42. Rb4 Ra6 43. Rb5 ½ : ½ Demchenko – Goryachkina, 27th Russian Team Chess Championship, Sochi 2020) 11. 0-0 0-0. 11. ... Bxd2?! 12. Qxd2 0-0 13. Bxc6 bxc6 14. Nxc4 Qa6 15. Rfc1 leaves Black with many weaknesses, Ushenina – Kosteniuk, 1st Online Women’s Speed Chess Championship Final, chess.com, July 20, 2020, match game 18 (time control: 3 minutes plus 1 second per move). 12. Bxc6 (12. Ndxc4 Qxd4=) 12. ... bxc6 13. Ndxc4 Qa6 14. Ne3 Nd5 15. Bg3 f6 16. Nxf5 exf5 17. Nd3 Rfe8 18. Rc1 Re4 19. Nxb4 Nxb4


20. f3?! It is quite amazing how little is needed to spoil a balanced position. Simpler seems 20. Re1 Qd3 21. Bd6 Rxd4 22. Bxb4 Qxd1 23. Rexd1 Rxb4 24. Rxc6 Rxa4 with a drawish ending, Black’s extra Pawn being basically worthless. 20. ... Re2 21. Qb3+ Nd5 22. Rc2?? A tactical blunder, which loses right off. The same basic idea of exchanging Rooks would have worked better by means of 22. Rfe1 Rae8 23. Rxe2 Rxe2 24. Rc2 with near equality.


22. ... Rxc2 0 : 1. For after 23. Qxc2 Qxf1+! 24. Kxf1 Ne3+ Black will emerge a whole Rook up.

Finally, with not too much of a struggle, Goryachkina went through to the semifinals. Photo © Anastasia Korolkova.

Nip and Tuck

Four-time Women’s Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) (pictured above) and three-time Women’s World Champion 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) (pictured below) are tied in the lead with 3 points out of 3 at the end of the first day of the Women’s Superfinal of the 14th National Games of the People’s Republic of China which is being held at the 天鹅湖大酒店 (Swan Lake Hotel) in 合肥 (Héféi), China. Photos: 合肥日报 (Héféi Daily).

Red Queen

“Altough and because I took part in many major world sports events in the past, I feel honoured and pleased to be participating, for the first time, in the National Games of the People’s Republic of China”, four-time Women’s Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) said in an interview with 苗子健 (Miáo Zǐjiàn) for People’s Daily Online shortly after the victorious conclusion of the Women’s Individual Championship “prelims”. She also said to be reasonably satisfied with her play since her main goal was to reach the final knockout stage. And finally, she praised the organisation for its management of safety and health matters, allowing all participants to enjoy the most from their being together in a common social space. Photo: Chinese Chess Association.

Sunday, July 25, 2021

Evening Hours

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk – Valentina Evgenyevna Gunina
1st Women’s Chess World Cup; match game 1; Krasnaya Polyana, July 25, 2021
8/q5kp/6p1/1p1Qp3/5r2/P1bB1Rp1/P1P1K1P1/8 b - - 3 42

Position after 42. Qe6xd5

Kosteniuk’s 42nd move was a terrible error which should lose, but... 42. ... Kh6? But Gunina misses the solution: 42. ... Qg1! (Δ ... Qg1-e1#) 43. Qd7+ Kh6 44. Qh3+ Kg5 45. Qxg3+ Rg4 and it’s all over. 43. Rxf4 exf4 44. Kf3 Kg7 (44. ... Qe3+ 45. Kg4 Be5∞) 45. Kxf4 Qf2+ 46. Kg4 h5+ 47. Kh3 Qg1 48. Kxg3 Qe1+ 49. Kf3 Qd1+ 50. Ke3 Kh6? It would be funny if it weren’t tragic, but Gunina made the same mistake twice (her 42nd and 50th moves)! Among other moves, 50. ... Qd2+ 51. Kf3 Qd1+ should lead to a draw by perpetual check. 51. Qe4 Qg1+ 52. Kf3 Qd1+ 53. Qe2 Qa1 54. Qe3+ g5 55. Qe6+ Bf6 56. Qf5 Kg7 57. Qd7+ Kf8 58. Qxb5


58. ... Qd1+? And yet after 58. ... Qxa2! 59. a4 Qe6 it’s still a tough fight. 59. Ke4 Qg4+ 60. Kd5 Be7 61. Be4 Qf4 62. Qd7 Qf7+ 63. Qe6 Bxa3 64. Qxf7+ Kxf7. If Gunina was relying on the drawing power of the opposite-coloured Bishops, she was promptly disappointed.


65. c4 Ke7 66. Bf5 g4 67. c5 Kd8 68. Kc6 Ke7 69. Kb6 Kf6 70. Bd7 Ke7 71. Bf5 Kd8 72. g3 Bb2 73. Kb7 Be5 74. a4 Bc7 75. c6 Bxg3 76. a5 1 : 0.

Clock time did not make a difference, but Kosteniuk’s concentration and determination did. Photo © Anastasia Korolkova.