Sunday, October 9, 2022

A Mating Dance

于润荷 (Jennifer Yú) – Sophie Morris-Suzuki
61st U.S. Women’s Chess Championship; Saint Louis, October 8, 2022
English Opening A36

1. c4 c5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. e4 d6 4. g3 Nc6 5. Bg2 g6 6. Nge2 Bg7 7. d3 0-0 8. 0-0 Ne8 9. Be3 Nd4 10. Qd2. Not long ago 于 (Yú) played, instead, 10. f4 Nc7 11. Bxd4 cxd4 12. Nd5 e6 (better seems 12. ... Ne8! followed by ... e7-e6) 13. Nxc7 Qxc7 14. b4 a6 15. Rc1 Rb8 16. Qd2 Qe7 17. c5 dxc5 18. Rxc5 b6 19. Rc4 Bb7 20. Rfc1 Rbc8 21. e5 Rxc4 22. Rxc4 Bxg2 23. Kxg2 f6 24. exf6 Bxf6 25. Nxd4 b5 26. Nc6 Qb7 27. Rc2 Rc8 28. Qc1 Kg7 29. Kh3 Qe7?? (a most melodramatic mouse slip, which loses the Queen) 30. Nxe7 1 : 0 于润荷 (Jennifer Yú) – Gaponenko-Yanovska, 3rd Online Women’s Speed Chess Championship Qualifier 8 Swiss, chess.com, June 6, 2021 (time control: 3 minutes plus 1 second per move). It is obvious, however, that her win had nothing to do with the opening.
10. ... Nc7 11. f4 Rb8. Probably sounder is 11. ... f5 12. Kh1 Rb8 13. Bg1 b5 with satisfactory play for Black: 14. Nxd4 cxd4 15. Nxb5 Nxb5 16. cxb5 Rxb5 17. a4 Rb3 18. Rfe1 e5 19. exf5 gxf5 20. Bxd4 Bb7 21. Bxb7 Rxb7 22. Qg2 Qb8 23. Qd5+ Kh8 24. fxe5 dxe5 25. Bxe5 Bxe5 26. Qxe5+ Qxe5 27. Rxe5 Rxb2 28. Rae1 Ra2 29. a5 f4 30. gxf4 Rxf4 31. R1e2 Rxe2 32. Rxe2 Rd4 33. a6 Kg7 34. Re7+ Kg6 35. Rxa7 Rxd3 36. Rb7 Ra3 37. a7 Ra2 38. Kg1 h5 39. Kf1 Kg5 40. Ke1 Kg4 41. Kd1 Kh3 42. Kc1 Ra6 43. Rh7 h4 44. Kc2 Kxh2 45. Kb3 h3 ½ : ½ Bruno – Tatai, 41st Italian Chess Championship, Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto 1981.
12. Nd5. 12. Rf2 f5 is quite acceptable for Black, Filguth – Tsuboi, 3rd Brazilian Interclub Championship, Curitiba 1984.
12. ... Nxe2+ 13. Qxe2 Ne6 14. e5 b5 15. Rad1 Re8. 15. ... dxe5 16. fxe5 Bb7 seems more to the point, because the text allows White to push her f-Pawn and thus take the offensive.
16. b3 (16. f5!?)
16. ... b4? Black just can’t afford such luxury. 16. ... Nd4! 17. Bxd4 cxd4 was called for.


17. Qf2. Going for the Pawn. Also tempting was 17. f5! Nd4 (17. ... gxf5 18. Qh5) 18. Bxd4 cxd4 19. e6! with a vehement attack.
17. ... Nd4 18. Bxd4 cxd4 19. Qxd4 Bg4? 19. ... dxe5 20. fxe5 e6 was probably better, but then after 21. Qxa7! Rb7 22. Nf6+ Qxf6 23. Qxb7 Qxf1+ 24. Kxf1 Bxb7 25. Bxb7 Bxe5 26. c5 White is a Pawn ahead with the much better endgame.
20. Rde1 a5 21. Qb2 a4 22. d4 Qa5 23. Qd2 Qa7 24. Kh1 dxe5 25. fxe5 Red8?! It leaves White with a free hand to carry out a mating attack, but Black has no good moves anyway.


26. Qg5 Qxd4 27. Re4 Qb2 28. Rxg4 Qxa2 29. Nxe7+ Kh8. If 29. ... Kf8 then 30. Nxg6+! hxg6 31. Rxf7+! Kxf7 32. Qxg6+ with mate in a few moves.
30. Rh4 Rf8 31. Be4. In fact, 31. Nxg6+! was possible at once, but 于 (Yú), after yesterday’s disaster, wants to be over-sure that she is really going to deliver mate.
31. ... Qe2


32. Nxg6+! fxg6 33. Rxh7+! Kg8 34. Rxg7+ Kxg7 35. Qxg7+ Kh8 36. Qh7# 1 : 0.

As they say, when one door closes another opens. Photo © Lennart Ootes/Saint Louis Chess Club.

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