In the Chair

叶诗雯 (Carissa Yip) – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina

4th FIDE World Rapid Team Championship; Mr Birdie and Friends – WR Chess; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; 香港 (Hong Kong), June 18, 2026

3rr2k/1ppb2p1/1nB2q1p/p7/P3p3/2P2NPP/1P1B2P1/1R1QR1K1 b - - 0 21

Position after 21. Bb5xc6

White’s last move is a mistake which allows Black to unleash the beast within.
21. ... bxc6 22. Nd4. 22. Nh4 Bxh3! (23. gxh3 Nc4) is no better.
22. ... c5 23. Nc2 Bxa4 (23. ... Bxh3!?)
24. Qc1 Nc4 25. Bf4 Bxc2 26. Qxc2 e3 27. Rbd1 Rxd1 28. Rxd1? 28. Qxd1 Qe6 is anything but satisfying but perhaps the lesser of two evils.
28. ... g5 29. Qe2. Not 29. Bxc7 on account of 29. ... e2 30. Re1 Qf1+! 31. Rxf1 exf1=Q+ 32. Kxf1 Ne3+ winning a clear Rook. If, instead, 29. Rd7 then 29. ... Re7 30. Rd8+ Kg7 31. Qe2 Qf7 winning a piece.
29. ... gxf4 30. Rf1. Desperation — but 30. Qxc4 f3! also loses.
30. ... Nd6 31. Rxf4 Qe5 32. Rh4 Nf5 33. Rg4 Nxg3 34. Qe1

34. ... e2! 0–0. For after 35. Rxg3 Qxg3! Black would be left with a Rook to the good.

Post equitem sedet atra cura. Photo: FIDE.

Harvard Square

叶诗雯 (Carissa Yip) – 于润荷 (Jennifer Yú)
62nd U.S. Women’s Chess Championship; Saint Louis, October 6, 2023
Caro-Kann Defence B12

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Nf3 e6 5. Be2 Ne7 6. 0-0 h6 7. Nbd2 Nd7 8. Nb3 g5 9. Ne1 Bg7 10. f4 gxf4? 10. ... Qc7 11. Nd3 b6 is, by transposition, a sounder form of Black’s line of defence; for example: 12. Be3 c5 13. dxc5 gxf4 14. cxb6 axb6 15. Bxf4 Ng6 16. Bg3 0-0 17. Nd4 Be4 18. c3 Ndxe5 19. Nf2 Qd8 20. Bh5 Qg5 21. Nxe4 dxe4 22. Qe2 e3 23. Bxg6 Nxg6 24. Nf3 Qc5 25. Rfe1 f5 26. Qxe3 Qxe3+ 27. Rxe3 f4 28. Rxe6 Kf7 29. Rxb6 fxg3 30. hxg3 Rfb8 31. Rxb8 Rxb8 32. Rf1 Ke6 ½ : ½ Domínguez Pérez – 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén), 10th World Team Chess Championship, Tsaghkadzor 2015.

11. Nd3! Ng6 12. Nxf4 Nxf4 13. Bxf4 Qe7 14. Qd2 Nf8

15. c4! dxc4 16. Na5! 0-0-0 17. Nxc4 Kb8 18. Nd6 Ng6 19. Bg3 Ka8 20. Bd3

Black is in a valley of tears, and her desperate gamble does nothing but precipitate the catastrophe:
20. ... Rxd6 21. exd6 Bxd4+ 22. Kh1 Qf6 23. Bxf5 exf5 24. Rad1 c5 25. Bf2 Qxd6 26. Bxd4 cxd4 27. Qxd4 Qxd4 28. Rxd4 f4 29. Rfd1 Kb8 30. Rd8+ Rxd8 31. Rxd8+ Kc7 32. Rd5 Ne7 33. Rh5 Kd6 34. Rxh6+ Ke5 35. Rh5+ Nf5 36. Kg1 Ke4 37. Rh3 Nd6 38. Rc3 a5 39. a4 Kd4 40. Rc7 Kd5 41. Kf2 b6 42. Kf3 Nc4 43. Rxc4 1 : 0.

叶诗雯 (Carissa Yip) has “picked up the baton” from the reigning U.S. Women’s Champ. Photo: Lennart Ootes/Saint Louis Chess Club.

Screen One

雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) – 叶诗雯 (Carissa Yip)

1st Julius Bär Challengers Chess Tour; 3rd stage; Kramnik Challenge; time control: 10 minutes plus 5 seconds per move; chess24.com, August 15, 2021

King’s Indian Defence E91

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 0-0 5. Nf3 c6 6. e5 Ne8 7. Be2 d6 8. Bf4 Nd7 9. exd6 Nxd6 10. 0-0 c5 11. dxc5 (11. d5 Nb6 12. Qb3 Bg4 13. Nd2 Bxe2 14. Nxe2 Qd7 15. Rad1 Na4 16. Nc3 Nxc3 17. bxc3 Qf5 18. Bg3 Rfe8 19. Rfe1 b6 ½ : ½ Cao – Trois, “Parque Hotel” International Tournament, Montevideo 1976) 11. ... Nxc5 12. Rc1 Nf5 13. b4 Ne6 14. Bd2 b6 15. Qa4 Bd7 16. Qa3 a5 17. b5 Nc5 18. Rfd1

18. ... e6? A truly bad move which gives White even more than she wished. ⌓ 18. ... e5! was obviously the correct play. 19. Bf4 Re8 20. Ne5 Qc8 21. Nxd7 Nxd7 22. Ne4 e5 23. Be3 Qc7 24. c5! bxc5 25. Bxc5 Nxc5 26. Qxc5 Qb8? The exchange of Queens would also leave White with a very much better ending, but it was Black’s best chance.

Now White finishes in brilliant style: 27. Bc4 Nd4 28. b6 Qd8 29. Bxf7+! Kxf7 30. Nd6+ Kf8 31. Nxe8+ Kxe8 32. b7 Rb8 33. Qc7 Bh6 34. Qxb8! 1 : 0.

4（四）

雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) – 叶诗雯 (Carissa Yip)

1st Julius Bär Challengers Chess Tour; 1st stage; Polgár Challenge; time control: 10 minutes plus 5 seconds per move; chess24.com, April 8, 2021

King’s Indian Defence E90

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 0-0 5. Nf3 d6 6. h3 e5 7. d5 a5 8. Be3 Na6 9. g4 Nd7 10. a3 Nac5 11. Rg1 a4 12. Nd2 c6 13. Qc2 Nb6. 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) probably feels as though she is walking in her own shoes: 13. ... b6 14. Be2 [14. 0-0-0 Ba6 15. Kb1 Rc8 16. Nxa4 cxd5 17. exd5 Nb7 18. Qb3 Ndc5 19. Nxc5 Nxc5 20. Qc2 Qd7 21. Bxc5 Rxc5 22. Ne4 Rc7 23. Qb3 Rfc8 24. c5 Bxf1 25. c6 Rxc6 26. dxc6 Qxc6 27. Nxd6 Bc4 28. Qxc4 Qxc4 29. Nxc4 Rxc4 30. Rd8+ Bf8 31. Rc1 Rxc1+ 32. Kxc1 Kg7 33. b4 Be7 34. Rb8 Bh4 35. Rxb6 Bxf2 36. Rb7 h5 37. Kd1 hxg4 38. hxg4 Kf6 39. Ke2 Bd4 40. a4 Ke6 41. a5 f5 42. gxf5+ gxf5 43. a6 1 : 0 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) – 章晓雯 (Zhāng Xiǎowén), 10th “映美杯” (“Yìng Měi Cup”) Chinese Chess League, 泰州 (Tàizhōu) 2014] 14. ... h6 15. 0-0-0 Ba6 16. dxc6 Nb8 17. Nxa4 Nxc6 18. Nf3 Qb8 19. Nc3 Ne6 20. Kb1 Ncd4 21. Bxd4 Nxd4 22. Nxd4 exd4 23. Nd5 Bb7 24. Qb3 Ra7 25. Bd3 Bc6 26. Rd2 Rb7 27. h4 b5 28. cxb5 Bxb5 29. h5 Bxd3+ 30. Qxd3 Rb3 31. Qc4 Kh7 32. Nb4 Rh3 33. Rd3 Rh2 34. Rf3 Qb7 35. Ka2 Qxe4 36. hxg6+ fxg6 37. Rxf8 Bxf8 38. Qf7+ Bg7 39. Rc1 d3 40. Rc8 g5 41. Re8 Qxg4 42. Re7 Qd4 43. Qf5+ 1 : 0 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) – Jiménez Martínez, 27th International Open, Roquetas de Mar 2016. 14. Be2 Bd7 15. 0-0-0 cxd5 16. exd5 Rc8

17. h4. Of course the opening of the h-file is well worth a Pawn. 17. ... Qxh4 18. Rh1 Qe7 19. Rh2

19. ... f5? After this Black’s Kingside falls like a castle of cards. Probably best was 19. ... h5! defending on the edge. 20. Rdh1 fxg4 21. Rxh7 Bf5 22. Qd1 g5? (22. ... Qf6 23. Qg1→) 23. R7h5 Nbd7 24. Rxg5 Rf6 25. Qg1 Rcf8 26. Qh2 Kf7 27. Bxg4 1 : 0.

Sliding Doors

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – 叶诗雯 (Carissa Yip)
2nd Cairns Cup; Saint Louis, February 15, 2020
Spanish Game C70

In a certain sense, it’s like when Peter Pan defeated Captain Hook just in time to save Tiger Lily. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 g6 5. d4 exd4 6. c3 Bg7 7. cxd4 b5 8. Bb3 Nge7 9. d5 Na5 10. Bd2 Nxb3 11. Qxb3 c5 12. Bc3 f6 13. a3 d6 14. h4!? From a theoretical standpoint, this seems to be a new idea. 14. ... 0-0 15. Nbd2 Qe8 16. 0-0 Bd7 17. Qc2 Rc8 18. b3 h6 19. a4 Ra8 20. axb5 axb5 21. Rxa8 Qxa8 22. Ra1 Qb7 23. Qa2? 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) pursues an aimless strategy, which will soon cause her to cope with a very uncomfortable position. 23. b4! would have given White good prospects. 23. ... Nc8 24. Ne1 b4 25. Bb2 Bb5 26. Nc2 Bd3 27. Ne3. After 27. Ne1 Be2 Black’s game is just a little easier to play. 27. ... Qe7. Maybe Black should have gone for the 27. ... f5! break. 28. Re1 Nb6 29. Qa1 Ra8 30. Qc1 h5 31. Nec4? This only makes things much more difficult for White. 31. g3 Ra2 32. Ng2 Bh6 33. Nf4 Bb5 was also uneasy, but not yet overly so. 31. ... Nxc4 32. Nxc4 Ra2 33. g3 Kh7. 33. ... Qd7! at once was stronger: 34. Kg2 (34. Ba1 Bxc4 35. bxc4 Qa4−+) 34. ... Kh7−+ winning easily. 34. Nd2? And now 34. Re3 was White’s most stubborn defence; then there might follow: 34. ... Bh6 (maybe, Black can do better by interpolating ... Bd3xc4) 35. f4 Bxe4 36. Qb1! Bxb1 37. Rxe7+ Kg8 38. Bxf6 Bf8 39. Re8 Kf7 40. Re6 with a likely draw. 34. ... Bh6 35. f4 Qa7 36. Nc4 Qd7 37. Re3 Bxc4 38. bxc4 Qg4 39. Kh1

39. ... Bxf4! “Simple, elegant, yet bold”, as she says. 40. gxf4 Qxh4+ 41. Kg1 Qg4+ 42. Kh1 Qxf4 43. Qb1 Rxb2 44. Qxb2 Qxe3 45. Qxf6 Qxe4+ 46. Kh2 b3 47. Qf7+ Kh6 48. Qf8+ Kg5 49. Qd8+ Kf5 50. Qd7+ Ke5 51. Qg7+ Kf4 52. Qf6+ Kg4 53. Qe6+ Qf5 54. Qxd6 Qf2+ 55. Kh1 Qf3+ 56. Kh2 Qh3+ 57. Kg1 Qg3+ 0 : 1.

With today’s win, 叶诗雯 (Carissa Yip) made her own history and that of the Cairns Cup a matter of record. Photo: Austin Fuller/Saint Louis Chess Club.

Patience and Confidence

Humpy Koneru – 叶诗雯 (Carissa Yip)
2nd Cairns Cup; Saint Louis, February 7, 2020
King’s Indian Defence E73

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Be2 0-0 6. Be3 e5 7. d5 Na6 8. h4 Nc5 9. Qc2 c6 10. h5 cxd5 11. cxd5 Qa5 12. Bd2 Bd7!? Probably safer is 12. ... Nxh5 13. a3 Qb6 14. b4 Nd7 15. Bxh5 gxh5 16. Rxh5 Nf6 17. Rh4 Ng4 18. Nh3 f5 19. Qd1 Qd4 20. Qe2 fxe4 21. Rc1 h5 22. Nb5 Qd3 23. Nxd6 Qxd5 24. Nxe4 Bf5 25. Nhg5 Rac8 26. Rxc8 Rxc8 27. f3 Nf6 28. Nxf6+ Bxf6 29. Rxh5 Rc4 30. Nh3 Bg6 31. Rh6 Kg7 32. Nf2 Rc2 33. Ne4 Bxe4 ½ : ½ Blübaum – Markos, 21st European Team Chess Championship, Hersonissos 2017. 13. h6! Bh8 14. Nh3 Qc7 15. Ng5 Rac8 16. Qd1 a5 17. 0-0 Qd8 18. Rb1 Ne8 19. b3. 19. a3? a4! leads nowhere. 19. ... f6?! (19. ... Bf6! 20. Nf3 Be7=) 20. Ne6! A positional Pawn sacrifice in order to dominate the light squares. 20. ... Nxe6 21. dxe6 Bxe6 22. Bc4! Nc7. If 22. ... Bxc4 then 23. bxc4 Rf7 (23. ... Rxc4? 24. Qb3+−) 24. Rb5 f5 25. Qb1 eventually regaining the Pawn with powerful interest. 23. Nb5 Qd7 24. Nxc7 Bxc4 25. bxc4 Qxc7 26. Qb3 Qxc4 27. Bxa5. 27. Qxb7! Qf7! 28. Bxa5 was probably Koneru’s best. The text apparently lets slip White’s grip on the game. 27. ... Qxb3 28. Rxb3 Rf7 29. Rfb1 Rb8? Black had to give back the Pawn with 29. ... f5! 30. Rxb7 Rxb7 31. Rxb7 Rc1+ 32. Kh2 Bf6 partially escaping from her confinement.

30. Bd2! f5 31. a4! Now Black gets in the grip of an inexorable paralysis. 31. ... fxe4 32. a5 Rbf8 33. Rxb7 Rxf2 34. Bb4 e3 35. Bxd6 Re8 36. Rb8 Rxb8 37. Rxb8+ Kf7 38. Rxh8 Rb2 39. Kf1 Ke6 40. Bc5 Kd5 1 : 0.

At her début in the Cairns Cup, Humpy Koneru showed the best of her positional style. Photo: Crystal Fuller/Saint Louis Chess Club.

Variation

于润荷 (Jennifer Yú) – 叶诗雯 (Carissa Yip)
58th U.S. Women’s Chess Championship; Saint Louis, March 31, 2019
English Opening A13

1. c4 g6 2. Nc3 Bg7 3. g3 e6!? 4. Bg2 Ne7 5. d4 d5 6. cxd5 exd5 7. Nf3 0-0 8. 0-0 Nbc6 9. a3 Nf5!? It’s already happened in women’s chess history: 9. ... Bg4 10. e3 Qd7 11. Qb3 b6 12. Qa4 Rad8 13. b4 Bh3 14. Bd2 Bxg2 15. Kxg2 Nf5 16. Rac1 Nce7 17. Qxd7 Rxd7 18. Ne5 Bxe5 19. dxe5 Ng7 20. Nb5 c6 21. Nd4 Rc8 22. Rc2 a6 23. Rfc1 Rdc7 24. e4 dxe4 25. Bg5 Ngf5 26. Nxf5 Nxf5 27. g4 Nd4 28. Rc4 c5 29. bxc5 Rxc5 30. Rxd4 Rxc1 31. Bxc1 Rxc1 32. Rxe4 ½ : ½ Chiburdanidze – Ioseliani, Women’s Candidates Tournament, 上海 (Shànghǎi) 1992. 10. e3 a6 11. Ne1 Nce7 12. Nd3 c6 13. b3 Nd6 14. a4 a5 15. Ba3 Re8 16. Re1 Nef5 17. Qc2 h5 18. h3 Nh6 19. Rad1 Bf5 20. Qc1 Rc8. 20. ... Ne4 seems more natural. 21. Nf4 Kh8 22. f3 b5 23. Bc5? The newly crowned U.S. Women’s Chess Champion, just a little distracted tonight, presents to her opponent the myth of her own invincibility on a golden plate. Simply 23. axb5 followed by Ba3-c5 would have yielded White an edge. 23. ... b4!∓ 24. Nce2 Nb7 25. Nd3 Qg5? Black goes for attack instead of securing his booty with 25. ... Bxd3! 26. Rxd3 Nf5∓ — White would be in serious trouble. 26. Kf2? White continues to risk her invulnerability! Best was 26. e4! Qxc1 27. Nexc1 Nxc5 28. Nxc5 Rc7! 29. Ne2 dxe4 30. fxe4 Bc8 with roughly equal chances. 26. ... Bxd3 27. Rxd3 Nxc5 28. Qxc5 Nf5? Here 叶诗雯 (Carissa Yip) probably lets slip her last opportunity to play for the win: 28. ... Bf8! 29. Qxa5 c5!→ — her opponent won’t give her another chance. 29. e4! Though being short of time, 于 (Yú) did not fail to spot her only saving move. 29. ... Bf8. 29. ... Bxd4+!? 30. Nxd4 Qxg3+ 31. Kf1 Nh4 32. Rd2 dxe4 33. fxe4 Rcd8∞ with very unclear play and a sort of dynamic balance. 30. Qc1. If 30. Qxa5 then 30. ... h4! 31. exf5+ hxg3+ 32. Kg1 Qxf5∞ — Black ought to have enough compensation. 30. ... Qxc1 31. Rxc1 Ng7 32. Rd2 Ne6? Black loses the thread and eventually also the game. Best seems to be 32. ... dxe4 33. fxe4 c5 with equality. 33. exd5 cxd5 34. Rxc8 Rxc8 35. f4 Rd8 36. Rc2 Bh6? Black’s last mistake. 36. ... h4! at once would have put up tough resistance, and perhaps also saved the game. Now, instead, White wins elegantly: 37. Rc6! h4 38. Ra6 hxg3+ 39. Kxg3 Bg7 40. Rxa5 Nxd4 41. Nxd4 Bxd4 42. Bxd5 Kg7 43. Rb5 Ba7 44. Kf3 Kf6 45. Ke4 Rb8 46. Rxb8. Even opposite-coloured Bishops don’t help with too many passed Pawns! 46. ... Bxb8

47. a5 Ke7 48. a6 f6 49. h4! Ba7 50. f5! g5 51. h5 Kf8 52. h6 1 : 0.

And finally, 于润荷 (Jennifer Yú) won her first U.S. Women’s Chess Championship with a sensational score of 10/11. Photo © Lennart Ootes/Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis.

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.

Runaway

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – 叶诗雯 (Carissa Yip)
7th World Women’s Team Chess Championship; Astana, March 11, 2019
Grünfeld Defence D70

The Russian women’s team has not always won its matches, but no one can blame Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina for that as she today scored her sixth win in a row. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. f3!? e6!? 4. e4 d5 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Nc3 dxe4 7. fxe4 Bb4 8. Bd3 Nxe4 9. Qe2 0-0. After 9. ... f5 10. Nf3 Qe7 11. 0-0 Nxc3 12. Qxe7+ Kxe7 13. Bg5+ Kf7 14. bxc3 Bxc3 15. Rac1 Ba5 16. Bf4 White’s huge development advantage is much more worth than two Pawns. 10. Bxe4 Re8 11. Nf3 Bf5 12. Bg5 Qd6!? This is a new try but not a clear improvement on 12. ... Bxc3+ 13. bxc3 f6 14. Nd2 fxg5 15. 0-0 Nd7 16. Qc4+ Be6 17. Bd5 Bxd5 18. Qxd5+ Kh8 19. Rae1 c6 20. Qb3 Nb6 21. Nf3 Rxe1 22. Rxe1 Qf6 23. Qe6 Qxe6 24. Rxe6 g4 25. Ne5 Nd5 (it was probably better to give back the Pawn by 25. ... Rf8!?) 26. c4 Nf4 27. Re7 Ne2+ 28. Kf2 Nxd4 29. Rxb7 where, in spite of his minus Pawn, White has a much better ending, Giri – Vachier-Lagrave, 47th International Chess Festival “In Memoriam Hans Suri”, Biel/Bienne 2014. 13. Nd2 Nd7? After this Black’s position quickly breaks apart. 13. ... Qa6 is probably Black’s best, although after 14. Rb1! White still keeps the upper hand. 14. 0-0 Bxc3 15. bxc3 Bxe4 16. Nxe4 Qd5

17. Be7! White intends to amass her heavy guns behind the Bishop on the e-file. 17. ... f5. 17. ... Rxe7 18. Nf6+ gives up the Exchange for no compensation. 18. Ng5 Nb6 19. Rae1 Nc8 20. Qf2! The beginning of the end. 20. ... Rxe7 21. Rxe7 Nxe7 22. Qh4 h5 23. Re1 Qd7 24. Re6. With the threat of Qh4-e1-e5. 24. ... Kg7 25. Qg3 Kh6. On 25. ... Nc6 26. d5 simply wins material by force (26. ... Re8 27. dxc6 Qd1+ 28. Kf2 Qd2+ 29. Kf1 Qd1+ 30. Qe1+−). 26. Qe3 Nd5 27. Nf7++ Kg7 28. Qh6+! Kxf7 29. Rxg6 1 : 0.

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili/Russian Chess Federation.

Yellow Hair

Nazí Nodarovna Paikidze – 叶诗雯 (Carissa Yip)
57th U.S. Women’s Chess Championship; Saint Louis, April 2, 2017
Catalan Opening E04

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. g3 dxc4 5. Bg2 c5 6. 0-0 Nc6 7. dxc5 Qxd1 8. Rxd1 Bxc5 9. Nbd2 c3 10. bxc3 0-0 11. Nb3 Be7 12. Bb2 Nd7? Maybe it’s not so bad as it looks, but from a strategic viewpoint it won’t solve any of Black’s problems on the Queenside. Black must look for a better end somewhere into 12. ... Bd7 13. c4 Rfd8 14. Nfd4 Nxd4 15. Bxd4 Bc6 16. Bxc6 bxc6 17. Rd3 Kf8 18. Rad1 Ke8 19. Kg2 Rac8 20. Na5 Rd7 21. Bxf6 Rxd3 22. Rxd3 Bxf6 23. Kf3 Be7 24. Rb3 Bd8 25. Nb7 Be7 26. h3 Rb8 27. g4 Rc8 28. Ke4 Rb8 29. f4 Rc8 30. Kf3 Rb8 31. e4 Kd7 32. Nc5+ Kc8 33. Nd3 Ra8 34. Ne5 Kc7 35. Rd3 Bd6 36. Nxf7 Bxf4 37. Kxf4 Rf8 38. Ke5 Rxf7 39. Kxe6 Rf6+ 40. Ke7 Rf4 41. e5 Rxc4 42. Rd7+ Kb6 43. e6 Ra4 44. Kd8 Rxa2 45. e7 Re2 46. e8=Q Rxe8+ 47. Kxe8 a5 48. Rxg7 1 : 0 Sasikiran – Pichot, 14th Aeroflot Open, Moscow 2016. 13. Nfd2 Nb6 14. a4 a5 15. c4 Rd8 16. c5 Nd5 17. Nc4 Ndb4? White was already much better, and probably it would not have been too difficult to implement her dominance, but the text offers a clear modus operandi which Paikidze doesn’t miss. 18. Nb6 Rb8 19. Nxa5! Bxc5. On 19. ... Nxa5 20. Be5 White wins at least an Exchange. 20. Nxc6 Rxd1+ 21. Rxd1 Nxc6 22. a5! The material is even, but Black is comically pythonised. 22. ... f6 23. Bxc6 Bxb6 24. axb6 bxc6 25. Rd8+ Kf7 26. Ba3 Ra8

27. Rxc8! Paikidze concludes elegantly. 27. ... Rxc8 28. Bd6 Rd8 29. b7 Rxd6 30. b8=Q Rd1+ 31. Kg2 Rc1 32. Qa7+ Kg8 33. Qe3 Rc2 34. Qxe6+ Kf8 35. Qe4 1 : 0.

Nazí Nodarovna Paikidze. Photo © Lennart Ootes.

Pawn promotes to Queen

叶诗雯 (Carissa Yip) – Irina Borisivna Krush
56th U.S. Women’s Chess Championship; Saint Louis, April 24, 2016
Sicilian Defence B43

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Bd3 Nf6 7. 0-0 d6 8. f4 Nbd7 9. Kh1 Be7 10. Qe2 0-0 11. Bd2 Nc5 12. Rae1 Nxd3 13. cxd3 b5. For 13. ... Qb6 14. Nb3 Qd8 15. d4 d5 see Parma – Gligorić, 20th Anniversary of Liberation of Belgrade, Belgrade 1964. 14. Rc1 Qd7 15. g4 Bb7 16. g5 Ne8 17. f5. Maybe too committal. 17. ... b4 18. Nd1 e5 19. Nf3 d5 20. Nf2 f6 21. gxf6. 21. g6 h6 leads nowhere. 21. ... Nxf6 22. Nxe5 Qb5 23. Neg4 dxe4 24. Nxf6+ Bxf6 25. Nxe4 Rfe8 26. Rce1 Rad8 27. Rf3 Rxd3? Krush’s hallucinations begin. After 27. ... Kh8 Black is up a Pawn and her Bishops dominate the board. 28. Qxd3 Qxd3? It was not too late to seek salvation by 28. ... Rxe4 29. Qxb5 Rxe1+ 30. Kg2 axb5 31. Bxe1 Bxb2 32. Bxb4 Kf7 33. Kf2 Bxf3 34. Kxf3 Kf6 with a draw in sight. 29. Rxd3 Rxe4 30. Kg1 31. Rg3 Rd4 32. Bg5 Bxg5 33. Rxg5 Kf7 34. Kf2 Bd5 35. b3 a5 36. Ke3 Re4+ 37. Kd2 Rd4+ 38. Ke3 Re4+ 39. Kd2 Rd4+ 40. Kc1 Kf6 41. Reg1 Rh4 42. Rxg7 Rxh2 43. Kb1 a4 44. Rd7 Be4+ 45. Ka1 axb3 46. axb3 h5? Krush fought long and strenuosly, but now she goes badly wrong. With 46. ... Bc2 Black would have kept excellent drawing chances. 47. Rf1! Rh1! 48. Rd6+! Kg7 49. f6+ Kf7 50. Rd7+! Kg6. On 50. ... Ke8 51. f7+! wins. 51. Rg7+ Kh6 52. Rxh1 Bxh1. Now Irina was most likely hoping for 53. Rg1 Bd5, but...

53. Rg5!! A pretty pointe. 1 : 0. For after 53. ... Kxg5 54. f7 the Pawn promotes.

Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (@CCSCSL)