马拉松 (Marathon)

Anna Yuriyivna Ushenina – 黄茜 (Huáng Qiàn)
43rd Women’s Chess Olympiad; Batumi, September 30, 2018
8/8/5k2/1R3p2/6p1/4K1P1/r7/8 w - - 22 118

Position after 117. ... Ke5-f6

Woman Grandmaster 黄茜 (Huáng Qiàn), also known for being the wife of Grandmaster 卜祥志 (Bǔ Xiángzhì), did miracles today by winning a drawn Rook and Pawn ending against Anna Yuriyivna Ushenina, thus scoring a vital equaliser in China’s crucial match with Ukraine. 118. Rb6+. Another way towards a draw could be 118. Rc5! Rg2 119. Rc3! Rxg3+ 120. Kf4= Rxc3 stalemate. 118. ... Kg5 119. Rb8?? And here is Ushenina’s drama. The White Rook had to stay (and eventually oscillate) on the third rank: 119. Rb3 and if 119. ... Rg2 then 120. Kd4 making Black’s progress virtually impossible. 119. ... Rg2 120. Rg8+ Kf6 121. Rf8+ Kg6. Now the g3-Pawn falls with fatal consequences for White. 122. Kf4 Rf2+ 123. Ke5 Re2+ 124. Kd4 (124. Kf4 Re4 mate) 124. ... Rg2 125. Ke5 Rxg3 126. Rxf5 Rf3! The rest is easy. 127. Rf4 Kg5 128. Ra4 g3 129. Ra8 Re3+ 130. Kd4 Re1 131. Kd3 Kg4 132. Kd2 Re7 133. Rg8+ Kh3 134. Rh8+ Kg2 135. Rg8 Re5 136. Rg7 Kh2 137. Rh7+ Kg1 138. Rg7 g2 139. Rg8 Rh5 140. Ke2 Kh2 141. Kf2 Rf5+ 142. Ke2 g1=Q 143. Rh8+ Kg2 144. Rg8+ Kh1 0 : 1. So angry was Ushenina that walked away denying her opponent the ritual handshake.

Seated, from left to right, are 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié), 黄茜 (Huáng Qiàn), 沈阳 (Shěn Yáng), and 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn); standing, from left to right, are 田红卫 (Tián Hóngwèi), Chinese Chess Association’s Delegate & Vice General Secretary, and 余少腾 (Yú Shǎoténg), head coach of Chinese women’s chess team. Photo: batumi2018.fide.com.

Gravity Falls

黄茜 (Huáng Qiàn) – Natalia Andreevna Pogonina
China – Russia Match; 宁波市 (Níngbō), July 15, 2015
Queen’s Gambit Declined D37

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Be7 5. Bf4 0-0 6. e3 b6 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. Nxd5 exd5 9. Bd3 c5 10. 0-0 Nc6 11. Rc1. Theoretically speaking, both 11. dxc5 bxc5 12. Rc1 Be6 13. Qa4 Nb4 14. Bb1 Bd7 15. Qd1 Be6 16. Ne5 Rc8 17. Qh5 g6 18. Nxg6 fxg6 19. Bxg6 Rf7 20. Bxh7+ Rxh7 21. Qg6+ Rg7 22. Qxe6+ Rf7 23. a3 Rc6 24. Qg4+ Rg7 25. Qe2 Na6 26. Rfd1 Nc7 27. b4 c4 28. e4 Re6 29. Bxc7 Qxc7 30. Rxd5 c3 31. e5 Bg5 32. Rc5 Bxc1 33. Rxc7 Rxc7 34. Qg4+ Kf7 35. Qf5+ Ke7 36. Qh7+ Kd8 37. Qg8+ Re8 38. Qd5+ Rd7 39. Qa5+ Rc7 ½ : ½ Malakhatko – Galinsky, Kiev 2004 and 11. Bb5 Bb7 12. Qa4 Qc8 13. dxc5 bxc5 14. Rfd1 Rd8 15. Rac1 Qe6 16. Nd4 Nxd4 17. exd4 Qb6 18. dxc5 Bxc5 19. Bg3 ½ : ½ Grigoriants – Tregubov, 9th Aeroflot Open, Moscow 2010, represent more tried patterns. 11. ... c4 12. Bb1 b5 13. e4 Bg4 14. Qd2 Rc8 15. Ne5 Nxe5 16. Bxe5 Be6 17. Qe3 Qd7 18. Bg3. Intending e4-e5. 18. ... dxe4 19. Bxe4 Rfe8 20. d5 Bf5 21. Bxf5 Qxf5 22. Qxa7? Very bad judgment: not all Pawns have equal value! 22. ... Qxd5 23. Rcd1 Qc6 24. Qd7 Bf6 25. Qxc6 Rxc6 26. Rd2 b4 27. h3 h6 28. Rb1. 28. Rc1 Ra8 29. a3 c3 is no better. 28. ... Ra8 29. b3. It doesn’t look like a panacea, but also 29. a3 is answered by 29. ... c3. 29. ... c3 30. Rc2 Rca6 31. Ra1

31. ... Ra3! Black is in Zugzwang. 32. Bd6 Rxb3 33. axb3 Rxa1+ 34. Kh2 Rb1 35. Bxb4 Be5+ 36. g3 Rb2 37. Rc1 Rxf2+ 38. Kg1 Bd4 39. Kh1. Or 39. Bxc3 Rc2+ 40. Bxd4 Rxc1+ 41. Kf2 Rb1 and wins. 39. ... c2 40. Re1 Bb2 0 : 1.

Natalia Andreevna Pogonina
Photo: qipai.org.cn

黄茜 (Huáng Qiàn)
Photo: qipai.org.cn

旅行社“魔术师”

Boris Smolik (@nvmea)

Qatar Masters Open (@Qatar_Masters)