Bounceback

Irina Borisivna Krush – 于润荷 (Jennifer Yú)

61st U.S. Women’s Chess Championship; tie-break game 2; time control: 10 minutes plus 2 seconds per move; Saint Louis, October 20, 2022

Slav Defence D10

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. cxd5 cxd5 4. Bf4 Nf6 5. e3 Nc6 6. Bb5 Qa5+ 7. Nc3 Bd7 8. Ne2 e6 9. 0-0 a6 10. Bd3 Be7 11. a3 b5 12. Nb1 Qb6 13. Nd2 Na5 14. b4 Nc4 15. Nb3 0-0 16. Nc5 Bxc5 17. dxc5 Qb7 18. Bc2 h6 19. Qd3 e5 20. Bg3 g6 21. Qc3 Rfe8 22. f3 Bc6 23. Bb3 Qe7 24. Rfe1 Rad8 25. Bh4 Qe6 26. Bf2 Nd7 27. a4 Nb8 28. axb5 Bxb5 29. Rec1 Qc6 30. e4 d4 31. Nxd4 exd4 32. Bxd4 Ne5

33. Bd5? White allows Black to take the upper hand. If 33. Bxe5 then 33. ... Rd3 34. Qb2 Rxb3 35. Qxb3 Rxe5 with an uneven balance of force and material.
33. ... Rxd5! 34. exd5 Qxd5 35. Re1

35. ... Nc4?? 于 (Yú) blunders away the game as she sounds the clarion call for Armageddon! With 35. ... Nbc6! Black would have consolidated her advantage.
36. Rxe8+ Bxe8 37. Bh8+− f6 38. Qxf6 Qf7 39. Qc3 Bb5 40. Rd1 Nc6 41. Bf6 Qe6 42. Re1 Qd7

43. h4 Nd2 44. Be5 Nxe5 45. Qxe5 Nc4 46. Qf6 Qf7 47. Qd8+ Kg7 48. Re7 1 : 0.

The second game was all another story: 于 (Yú) took too many things for granted and was mercilessly punished by Krush. Photo © Lennart Ootes/Saint Louis Chess Club.