Disillusioned

Anna Vitalievna Zatonskih – 于润荷 (Jennifer Yú)
62nd U.S. Women’s Chess Championship; Saint Louis, October 10, 2023
Queen’s Gambit Declined D31

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qb3 Nc6 5. Nf3 a5 6. e3 Nge7 7. Bd2 0-0

8. a3. If 8. Rc1 then 8. ... a4 9. Qc2 a3 10. b3 e5 11. Nxd5 Nxd5 12. cxd5 Qxd5 13. Bxb4 Nxb4 14. Qd2 e4 15. Ne5? (15. Qxb4 exf3 16. Qc5⩲) 15. ... Qd6 16. Rc5 Nd5 17. Nc4 Qd8 18. Ra5 Be6∓ 19. Rxa3 b5 20. Rxa8 Qxa8 21. Na5 b4 22. Nc4 Nc3 23. Ne5? Bxb3!−+ Lputian – Giorgadze, Kropotkin 1995.
8. ... Bxc3 9. Bxc3 b6 10. Bd3 Ba6 11. 0-0 a4 12. Qa2 dxc4 13. Bxc4 Bb7 14. e4 Na5 15. Bd3 Ng6 16. Rfe1 Nf4 17. Bc2 f5 18. Bd2 fxe4 19. Bxe4 Bd5 20. Qb1

20. ... Nb3? Better was 20. ... Nh3+! 21. gxh3 Rxf3 22. Bxf3 Bxf3 23. Qd3 Qf6 24. Rxe6! Qxe6 25. Qxf3 Rf8 with good play for the Pawn.
21. Bxf4 Rxf4 22. Bxh7+ Kf8 23. Ne5

23. ... Rxd4? A mistake after which Black is doomed to a sad end. 23. ... Rf6! was the only move to defend.
24. Qg6 Qe8 25. Qg3 Ra7 26. Ng6+ Kf7 27. Rad1 c5 28. Rxd4 Nxd4 29. Qf4+ Nf5 30. g4 Qd8 31. gxf5 Qf6 32. fxe6+ Bxe6 33. Nh8+ Ke7 34. Bf5 g5 35. Qe4 1 : 0.

Another day another zero another bitter pill to swallow. Photo: Lennart Ootes/Saint Louis Chess Club.

Twice Upon a Time

Anna Vitalievna Zatonskih – 于润荷 (Jennifer Yú)
61st U.S. Women’s Chess Championship; Saint Louis, October 5, 2022
Nimzo-Indian Defence E20

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Bd2 0-0 5. a3 Bxc3 6. Bxc3 d5 7. e3 b6 8. Nf3 Bb7 9. Be2 Ne4 10. Rc1 Nd7 11. 0-0 Rc8 12. b4 Nxc3 13. Rxc3 c5 14. cxd5 Bxd5 15. dxc5 bxc5 16. Qc2 cxb4 17. axb4 Rxc3 18. Qxc3 Qb8 19. Rc1 Nf6 20. Nd4 Ne4 21. Qa3 h6 22. b5 Rc8 23. Nc6 Bxc6 24. bxc6 Qb6 25. Bd3 Nf6 26. Qa4 Nd5 27. Qa6 Qxa6 28. Bxa6 Rc7 29. Kf1 Kf8 30. e4 Nb4 31. Bb5 Ke7 32. Ke2 Kd6 33. Rd1+ Kc5 34. Ba4 Nxc6 35. Bxc6 Kxc6 36. Rc1+ Kd7 37. Ra1 Kd6 38. Ke3 Kc5 39. Rc1+ Kb6 40. Rb1+ Ka5 41. Ra1+ Kb4 42. Rb1+ Ka3 43. Ra1+ Kb2 44. Ra5 Kb3 45. Ra1 Rd7 46. h4 e5 47. h5 Kb4 48. Rb1+ Kc5 49. Rc1+ Kd6 50. Ra1 Rb7 51. g3 Kc6

52. Rc1+? Here is where White’s trouble starts. What was required instead was a good deal of bravery: 52. f4! Rb3+ 53. Kd2! Rxg3 54. fxe5 with definite drawing chances.
52. ... Kb6 53. Rb1+ Kc7 54. Rc1+ Kb8 55. Ra1 Rb3+ 56. Kd2 Kb7 57. Ra5 f6 58. Rd5 Kc6 59. Rd8 Rb7. Nevertheless, there were some good arguments in favour of 59. ... a5! at once.
60. Kc3 a5 61. f4 exf4 62. gxf4 Re7 63. Rd4 Ra7 64. Kb3 a4+ 65. Ka3 Kc5? A slip which throws away the victory. The right way to proceed was 65. ... Ra5! (66. f5 Ra7−+).
66. Rb4!= Rd7 67. Rxa4 Rb7 68. e5 fxe5 69. fxe5 Kd5 70. Rg4 Kxe5 71. Rg6 Kd4 72. Ka4 Ke3 73. Ka5 Kf3

74. Ka4? White loses her way — 74. Rg1!□ was her “only” move to save a draw.
74. ... Re7!□ 75. Kb3 Re3+ 76. Kc4 Re4+ 77. Kd5 (77. Kd3 Rg4 78. Ra6 Rg5 79. Ra7 Kg4−+)
77. ... Rg4 78. Ke6

“Just as it looked like Zatonskih might be escaping with a draw, 于 (Yú) played the subtle yet decisive 78. ... Rg5! (if 78. ... Rxg6 79. hxg6 h5 80. Kf7 h4 81. Kxg7 both sides promote)”, Vanessa West wrote in her recap of day 1.
78. ... Rg5!□ 79. Rxg5 (79. Kf7 Kg4−+) 79. ... hxg5 80. Kf5 g4 81. Kg6 g3 82. Kxg7 g2 83. h6 g1=Q+ 84. Kh8 Qd4+ 0 : 1.

Somehow the 2019 U.S. Women’s Chess Champion managed to squeeze a win out of a drawish Rook ending. Photo © Lennart Ootes/Saint Louis Chess Club.

Words and Languages

Anna Vitalievna Zatonskih – 于润荷 (Jennifer Yú)
58th U.S. Women’s Chess Championship; Saint Louis, March 30, 2019
Slav Defence D17

Everything is ready for the “big High Noon scene”. Two women of different origins and generations, who for one reason or another live in the same country, will contend tonight for the title of U.S. Women’s Chess Champion. 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. Ne5 Nbd7 7. Nxc4 Qc7 8. g3 e5 9. dxe5 Nxe5 10. Bf4 Nfd7 11. Bg2 f6 12. 0-0 Rd8 13. Qc1 Be6 14. Ne4. A few days earlier, 于 (Yú) went through some very bad moments after 14. Nxe5 Nxe5 15. Qe3 Qa5? 16. Bxe5 fxe5 17. Qg5!→ 王安妮 (Annie Wáng) – 于润荷 (Jennifer Yú), 58th U.S. Women’s Chess Championship, Saint Louis 2019. 14. ... Bb4 15. Rd1. In the first game of the 1937 World rematch, 5th World Chess Champion Max Euwe continued with 15. a5 0-0 16. a6!? bxa6? (16. ... b6 17. Nxe5 Nxe5 18. Qe3↑) 17. Nxe5 Nxe5 18. Nc5 Bxc5 19. Qxc5± Euwe – Alekhine, The Hague 1937, World Chess Championship match game 1. 15. ... 0-0 16. Rd4!? Zatonskih should have probably looked for an improvement between the lines of 16. a5 a6 17. Rd4 Nc5 18. Nxc5 Bxc5 19. Nxe5 fxe5 20. Qxc5 exf4 21. Rxf4 Rxf4 22. gxf4 Rd2 23. f5 Bf7 24. e4 Qd8 25. Re1 Rxb2 26. e5 Qd2 27. Rf1 Qg5 28. Kh1 Qxf5 29. Qd4 Bd5 30. Bxd5+ cxd5 31. Qxb2 ½ : ½ Shankland – Alonso, 9th American Chess Continental, Praia da Pipa 2014. 16. ... a5 17. h4 Nc5! 18. Rxd8. White cannot realistically hope for any advantage after 18. Nxe5 Nb3!∞ (19. Nxc6 Qxc6!). 18. ... Qxd8 19. Nxc5 Bxc5

20. Nxe5? Zatonskih probably felt by now quite demoralised and began to sink. Here she should have taken with the Bishop: 20. Bxe5 fxe5 21. e3, humbly playing for a draw. 20. ... Bxf2+! 21. Kh2. Not 21. Kxf2 on account of 21. ... fxe5 22. Qe3 Qf6 winning back the Bishop with interest. 21. ... fxe5 22. Bxe5 Bd4 23. Bf4 Qb6 24. Qc2 Bb3 25. Qc1 Qb4 26. Bd2 Qd6 27. Bf4 Qb4 28. Bd2. Now Zatonskih would be happy with a draw by repetition. 28. ... Qe7! But 于 (Yú), after gaining time on the clock, declined. 29. Bc3 Be3 30. Qe1? This loses on the spot! White had nothing better than 30. Bd2 Bxd2 31. Qxd2, but even then Black may continue 31. ... Rf2 32. Rf1 Rxe2 33. Qxa5 h6 with clear superiority. 30. ... Bf2 31. Qd2 Bxg3+! 32. Kxg3 Qc7+ 33. Kg4 Be6+ 0 : 1. For mate in two follows.

Thanks to her convincing victory over Anna Vitalievna Zatonskih, 于润荷 (Jennifer Yú) succeeded in crowning herself U.S. Women’s Chess Champion a round in advance! Photo © Lennart Ootes/Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis.

From Far Away

Anna Vitalievna Zatonskih – Zhansaya Daniyarovna Abdumalik
1st Cairns Cup; Saint Louis, February 6, 2019
Grünfeld Defence D84

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bf4 Bg7 5. e3 0-0 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Nxd5 Qxd5 8. Bxc7 Na6 9. Bxa6 Qxg2 10. Qf3 Qxf3 11. Nxf3 bxa6 12. Rc1 f6. Two years ago at the Kazakhstani Women’s Chess Championship Abdumalik continued 12. ... a5, but then after 13. Rg1 Bb7 14. Ne5 Rfc8 15. Kd2 Bd5 16. a3 Bxe5 17. Bxe5 a4 18. Bc7! White enjoyed a slight but lasting initiative, Nakhbayeva – Abdumalik, Almaty 2017. 13. Rg1 Rf7 14. b3 Bb7 15. Ke2 Re8. The alternative is 15. ... Bf8 16. Ba5 e6 17. Nd2 Re8 18. h4 e5∞ 李超 (Lǐ Chāo) – Giri, 4th Norway Chess, Stavanger 2016. 16. Rgd1 e6 17. Bd6 Rd7 18. Bc5 g5 19. Nd2 g4 20. Rg1 h5 21. h3. White temporarily sacrifices a Pawn, in return for which she consolidates the balance of position. 21. ... gxh3 22. e4. 22. f3 e5 makes not too much difference. 22. ... e5 23. d5 Rc7 24. b4? Maybe it’s not so wrong, but probably it’s not so necessary. 24. Bxa7 Rxc1 25. Rxc1 f5 could have lead to a clearer equality. 24. ... a5! 25. b5. If 25. d6 then 25. ... Ba6+ followed by ... Rc7-d7 with fine play for Black. 25. ... Rec8 26. d6 Rd7. Not 26. ... Rxc5? on account of 27. Rxc5! Rxc5 28. d7 Rc8! 29. dxc8=Q+ Bxc8 30. Nc4 a4 31. Ne3 and Black is in trouble. 27. Bxa7. After all, White can still hope for a draw, but with less than three minutes left on the clock, four-time U.S. Women’s Champion has no reason to feel relaxed. 27. ... Rxd6 28. Be3

28. ... Rxc1 (28. ... a4!∓) 29. Rxc1 f5 30. Nc4?? A fatal miscalculation, certainly due to Zatonskih’s dramatic time shortage. She probably mixed up her lines and forgot to first play 30. Rh1 Bc8 and then 31. Nc4 Rd8 32. Bb6 Rf8 with a very likely draw coming. 30. ... Rd8 31. f3. Now both 31. Bb6 and 31. exf5 lose to 31. ... Rc8, while if 31. Rh1 then 31. ... Bxe4 32. Rxh3 Bd3+ winning material. 31. ... fxe4 32. Nxa5 exf3+ 33. Kf2 Be4 34. b6 Bf6 35. Kg3 Rd3 36. Rc4?? The last blunder, but, by now, neither 36. Bf2 Rd2 37. b7 Bxb7 38. Nxb7 e4 nor 36. Nc6 Rd7! (Δ ... Rd7-g7+) could have saved White’s game. 36. ... Rxe3 0 : 1.

Anna Vitalievna Zatonskih vs. Zhansaya Daniyarovna Abdumalik. Photo © Austin Fuller/Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis.

Blind Woman’s Buff

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) playing Anna Vitalievna Zatonskih in the Women’s Blindfold Tournament at the 2nd SportAccord World Mind Games in 北京 (Běijīng), China on December 18, 2012. Photos: 周游 (Zhōu Yóu).

If not for you

if not for you winter would have no spring I could’nt hear the robins sing I just wouldn’t have a clue anyway it wouldn’t ring true if not for you Bob Dylan, if not for you

Anna Vitalievna Zatonskih – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

2nd SportAccord World Mind Games; Women’s Rapid Tournament; 北京 (Běijīng), December 14, 2012

Modern Benoni A61

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 c5 4. d5 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. Nc3 g6 7. Bf4 a6 8. a4 Bg7 9. h3 0-0 10. e3 Ne8 11. Be2 Nd7 12. 0-0 Rb8 13. Nd2 Qe7 14. Qc2 b6 15. Rab1 Nc7 16. Rfd1 Ne5 17. b4 Bf5 18. e4 Bd7 19. bxc5 bxc5 20. Bg3 g5 21. Nc4 Nxc4 22. Bxc4 Be5 23. Bxe5 Qxe5 24. Ne2 a5! (Δ ... Rb8-b4) 25. Rxb8 Rxb8 26. Rb1 Rb4 27. Rxb4 cxb4 28. Bb3? (28. f3 f5↑) 28. ... Na6−+ 29. Ng3 Nc5 30. Qc4 Qc3 31. Qxc3 bxc3 32. Ne2? (32. Bc2 Bxa4−+) 32. ... Nxb3 0 : 1.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Anna Olehivna Muzychuk

2nd SportAccord World Mind Games; Women’s Rapid Tournament; 北京 (Běijīng), December 14, 2012

Spanish Game C88

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 0-0 8. d4 Nxd4 9. Nxd4 exd4 10. e5 Ne8 11. c3 dxc3 12. Nxc3 d6 13. Qf3 Rb8 (13. ... Be6 14. Nd5 Rc8 15. Bf4 dxe5 16. Nxe7+ Qxe7 17. Bxe5 Nd6 18. Qc3 Qg5 19. Bxe6 fxe6 20. b3 Qg6 21. Qc6 Nf7 22. Bg3 e5= Lékó – Aronian, Grand Prix 2008–2010, 5h stage, Jermuk 2009. 14. Bf4 dxe5 (14. ... Bb7 15. Bd5 Bxd5 16. Nxd5 dxe5 17. Bxe5 Bd6 18. Rad1 Kh8 19. Ne7! Qd7 20. Qh5! Rd8? 21. Re3! Qxe7 22. Rh3 Nf6 23. Bxf6 Qe4 24. Bxd8 Rxd8 25. Qxf7+− Vogt – Goldberg, 35th German Democratic Republic Chess Championship, Nordhausen 1986) 15. Bxe5 Bd6 16. Rad1 Qg5 17. Bxd6 Nxd6 18. Rxd6 Bb7 (18. ... cxd6?? 19. Qxf7+! Rxf7 20. Re8 mate) 19. Rd5 Bxd5 20. Bxd5 Rbd8 21. Bb3 c5 22. a3 c4 23. Bc2 Rfe8 24. Rb1 a5 25. h4 Qd2 26. Be4 b4 27. axb4 axb4 28. Ne2 g6 29. g4 Re7 30. Ng3 Qd4 31. Kg2 Rd6 32. g5 Rde6? (Oops!) 33. Bd5! Re5 34. Rd1 Qxh4 35. Qf6! (Δ Bd5xf7+) 35. ... Rxd5 (35. ... Qxg5? 36. Bxf7+! Kf8 37. Rd8+ Re8 38. Rxe8+ Rxe8 39. Qxg5+−) 36. Rxd5 Re8 37. Rd4 1 : 0. Her Majesty is trapped.

Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

2nd SportAccord World Mind Games; Women’s Rapid Tournament; 北京 (Běijīng), December 14, 2012

Sicilian Defence B66

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 a6 8. 0-0-0 Be7 9. Nxc6? bxc6 10. Bf4 d5 11. Qe3 0-0 12. Be2 a5 13. Qg3 Ba6 14. Bf3 Nd7 15. h4 Bf6!! Black’s dark-squared Bishop and the open b-file more than compensate for the Exchange. 16. e5 Be7 17. Bh6 g6 18. Bxf8 Bxf8 19. h5 Bg7 20. hxg6 hxg6 21. Be2 Bxe2 22. Nxe2 Nxe5 23. c3? (23. Th4) 23. ... a4 24. a3? Nc4 25. Rh4. White must already return the Exchange... 25. ... Qb6 26. Rxc4 dxc4 27. Qf4 Rb8 28. Rd2 Bf8 29. Nd4 Rb7 30. Qe4 Rd7 31. Re2 c5 32. Nc2 Qd6 33. Ne3 Bh6 34. Qa8+ Rd8 35. Qxa4 Qh2 36. Kb1 Qg1+ 37. Ka2 Bxe3 38. fxe3 Qf1 39. Qc2 (39. Qxc4? Rd2−+) 39. ... Rd1! 40. b3 Tc1 0 : 1.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) playing with the elder Muzychuk sister. Photo: Anastasiya Karlovich.