Sabina-Francesca Foişor – 于润荷 (Jennifer Yú)
61st U.S. Women’s Chess Championship; Saint Louis, October 9, 2022
Slav Defence D12
61st U.S. Women’s Chess Championship; Saint Louis, October 9, 2022
Slav Defence D12
1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 Bf5 4. c4 c6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nh4 Bg6 7. Be2 Be7 8. Nxg6. Another continuation is 8. 0-0 Nbd7 9. g3 dxc4 10. Nxg6 hxg6 11. Bxc4 Qa5 12. Bd3 Rd8 13. Bd2 Qc7 14.
Rc1 e5 15. Qf3 exd4 16. exd4 Nb6 17. Rfe1 Qd7 18. Bf1 0-0 19. Rcd1 Rfe8 20.
Bg5 Nfd5 21. Bc1 Qf5 22. Kg2 Bb4 23. Rxe8+ Rxe8 24. Nxd5 Nxd5 25. Bc4 Ba5
26. Qxf5 gxf5 27. Bxd5 cxd5 28. Be3 Rc8 29. Rc1 Rxc1 30. Bxc1 Kf8 31. Kf3 ½ : ½ Gelfand – Goryachkina, 2nd FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament, Riga 2021.
8. ... hxg6 9. Qc2 Qc7 10. g3 Nbd7 11. Bd2 g5!? Black’s move suggests that 于 (Yú) aims at something more ambitious than 11. ... a6 12. a3 (12. Rc1!?) 12. ... dxc4 13. Bxc4 c5 with approximate equality, Abramović – Sa. Martinović, International Tournament Zagreb Open 2008, Zagreb 2008
12. 0-0 dxc4 13. e4 e5! 14. d5. Obviously not 14. dxe5?? because of 14. ... Nxe5 followed by ... Qc7-d7-h3 with devastating effect.
14. ... Nb6 15. dxc6? A careless move which allows Black to get more than she was going to pay for. White’s best was 15. Bxg5 Qc8 (idem to say 15. ... Qd7) 16. h4 Qh3 (Δ ... Be7-c5) 17. Nd1! Bc5 18. Qc3 cxd5 19. Qxe5+ Kf8 20. Be3 Bxe3 21. Nxe3 Re8 22. Qd6+ Kg8 23. exd5 Re4! with a volatile, dynamic and complex equilibrium.
8. ... hxg6 9. Qc2 Qc7 10. g3 Nbd7 11. Bd2 g5!? Black’s move suggests that 于 (Yú) aims at something more ambitious than 11. ... a6 12. a3 (12. Rc1!?) 12. ... dxc4 13. Bxc4 c5 with approximate equality, Abramović – Sa. Martinović, International Tournament Zagreb Open 2008, Zagreb 2008
12. 0-0 dxc4 13. e4 e5! 14. d5. Obviously not 14. dxe5?? because of 14. ... Nxe5 followed by ... Qc7-d7-h3 with devastating effect.
14. ... Nb6 15. dxc6? A careless move which allows Black to get more than she was going to pay for. White’s best was 15. Bxg5 Qc8 (idem to say 15. ... Qd7) 16. h4 Qh3 (Δ ... Be7-c5) 17. Nd1! Bc5 18. Qc3 cxd5 19. Qxe5+ Kf8 20. Be3 Bxe3 21. Nxe3 Re8 22. Qd6+ Kg8 23. exd5 Re4! with a volatile, dynamic and complex equilibrium.
15. ... Qc8! This sharp zwischenzug threatens the invasion ... Qc8-h3.
16. Bf3? Another misstep. White seems to have no better than 16. g4, although after 16. ... Qxc6 (16. ... Nxg4?? 17. cxb7+−) 17. Kg2 0-0-0 Black has a Pawn ahead and the initiative (18. Bxg5? Nxe4!).
16. ... Qh3 17. Rfe1 bxc6! Cool as ice.
18. Be3
16. Bf3? Another misstep. White seems to have no better than 16. g4, although after 16. ... Qxc6 (16. ... Nxg4?? 17. cxb7+−) 17. Kg2 0-0-0 Black has a Pawn ahead and the initiative (18. Bxg5? Nxe4!).
16. ... Qh3 17. Rfe1 bxc6! Cool as ice.
18. Be3
18. ... Nfd7? Strangely, 于 (Yú) is more worried about losing the g-Pawn than what she could get by pushing on her attack. Consistent and strong was 18. ... Qxh2+ 19. Kf1 Nh5! (Δ ... Nh5xg3+) 20. Ne2 (if 20. Bg2 then 20. ... Rh6! Δ ... Rh6-f6) 20. ... Nf4! and Black’s attack continues.
19. Na4! Qxh2+ 20. Kf1 Qh3+ 21. Bg2 Qe6 22. Rac1 f6 23. Red1 Kf7 24. a3 Nxa4 25. Qxa4 Nb6 26. Bxb6 axb6 27. Qxc4 Qxc4+ 28. Rxc4. The worst is now over, and Foişor can reasonably hope for a draw.
28. ... c5 29. Rc3 b5 30. Rcd3 g4 31. f3 gxf3 32. Bxf3 g6 33. Kg2 b4 34. axb4 cxb4 35. R1d2 Ra1 36. Bd1 f5 37. Rf3 Bg5 38. Rd7+ Ke6 39. Rfd3 Be7 (39. ... fxe4?? 40. Bg4+ Kf6 41. R3d6#)
40. Rb7? The curse of time (that is, the 40th move!) strikes. Correct was 40. exf5+ gxf5 41. g4! with a likely draw.
19. Na4! Qxh2+ 20. Kf1 Qh3+ 21. Bg2 Qe6 22. Rac1 f6 23. Red1 Kf7 24. a3 Nxa4 25. Qxa4 Nb6 26. Bxb6 axb6 27. Qxc4 Qxc4+ 28. Rxc4. The worst is now over, and Foişor can reasonably hope for a draw.
28. ... c5 29. Rc3 b5 30. Rcd3 g4 31. f3 gxf3 32. Bxf3 g6 33. Kg2 b4 34. axb4 cxb4 35. R1d2 Ra1 36. Bd1 f5 37. Rf3 Bg5 38. Rd7+ Ke6 39. Rfd3 Be7 (39. ... fxe4?? 40. Bg4+ Kf6 41. R3d6#)
40. Rb7? The curse of time (that is, the 40th move!) strikes. Correct was 40. exf5+ gxf5 41. g4! with a likely draw.
40. ... Kf6? Once again 于 (Yú) let the victory slip. Black should have played here 40. ... fxe4 eventually followed by ... Be7-c5-d4.
41. Rb6+ Kg5 42. Rb5 Rb1 43. Rxe5 Rxb2+ 44. Kf3 Bf6 45. Red5 Bc3 46. exf5 gxf5 47. Re3 Rh1 48. Be2 Rh2 49. Rd1? But again a reversal takes place! 49. Re8= was good enough to save the day.
41. Rb6+ Kg5 42. Rb5 Rb1 43. Rxe5 Rxb2+ 44. Kf3 Bf6 45. Red5 Bc3 46. exf5 gxf5 47. Re3 Rh1 48. Be2 Rh2 49. Rd1? But again a reversal takes place! 49. Re8= was good enough to save the day.
49. ... Bf6? Carpe diem: 49. ... Bd2!−+ 50. Rd3 (should the White Rook leave the third rank, there would follow 50. ... Rb3+ with mate in two) 50. ... Bc1! 51. Rxc1 Rbxe2 52. Rf1 Ra2! 53. Rb2 Rhc2! and White cannot capture the b-Pawn because of the mate at c3.
50. Re8 Rb3+ 51. Re3 Rxe3+ 52. Kxe3 Be5 53. Rb1? White misses her last chance, that is, 53. Rd5!= (and if 53. ... Bxg3 then 54. Bd3 with a draw in view).
53. ... Bd6! 54. Kf3 Bc5! Menacing mate at f2.
55. Rf1 b3 56. Bd3 b2 57. Bb1 Rd2 58. Ba2 Bb6 59. Bb1 Bd4 60. Ba2 Rd3+ 61. Kg2 Be5 62. Rf3 Rd1 63. Rf1 Rxf1 64. Kxf1 Kg4 65. Bb1 Bxg3 66. Ke2 f4 67. Ba2 f3+ 68. Ke3 Bh4 69. Bb1 Kg3 70. Be4 Bg5+ 71. Kd4 0 : 1. And White resigned without waiting for 71. ... f2.
50. Re8 Rb3+ 51. Re3 Rxe3+ 52. Kxe3 Be5 53. Rb1? White misses her last chance, that is, 53. Rd5!= (and if 53. ... Bxg3 then 54. Bd3 with a draw in view).
53. ... Bd6! 54. Kf3 Bc5! Menacing mate at f2.
55. Rf1 b3 56. Bd3 b2 57. Bb1 Rd2 58. Ba2 Bb6 59. Bb1 Bd4 60. Ba2 Rd3+ 61. Kg2 Be5 62. Rf3 Rd1 63. Rf1 Rxf1 64. Kxf1 Kg4 65. Bb1 Bxg3 66. Ke2 f4 67. Ba2 f3+ 68. Ke3 Bh4 69. Bb1 Kg3 70. Be4 Bg5+ 71. Kd4 0 : 1. And White resigned without waiting for 71. ... f2.
It is as if to say, all’s well that ends well. Photo © Bryan Adams/Saint Louis Chess Club. |
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