Point of Return

Atousa Pourkashiyan – 于润荷 (Jennifer Yú)
62nd U.S. Women’s Chess Championship; Saint Louis, October 8, 2023
Spanish Game C78

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 b5 6. Bb3 Bb7 7. d3 Be7 8. c4 0-0 9. Nc3 bxc4 10. Bxc4 d6 11. a3 Nd4 12. Nxd4 exd4 13. Nd5 Nxd5 14. exd5 a5 15. Qa4 Bf6 16. Re1 Ra7 17. Qd1 a4 18. b4 axb3 19. Qxb3 Qa8 20. Bd2 Ba6 23. a4 Rb8 24. Qc2 Rab7 25. Bxa6 Qxa6 26. a5 h6 27. Reb1 Bd8 28. Rxb7 Rxb7 29. Qc4

29. ... Qa8? Bad judgment, underestimating the strength of the passed Pawn. The Rook and Bishop ending ensuing from 29. ... Qxc4 30. dxc4 f5 offers much better chances for a draw.
30. h3 Rb2 31. Qc1 Rb3 32. a6!

32. ... Qxd5. Not 32. ... Rxd3? because of 33. Qc2 and the Rook is in trouble. If, instead, 32. ... Rb6 then 33. Qa3 Qa7 34. g3! followed by h2-h4, Bd2-f4 and Qa3-a4 or Qa4-a5 similarly to the game.
33. a7 Qa8 34. Qc4 Rb2 35. Bf4 Bc7

36. Qa4 Kh7 37. Qd7 Rb7 38. Bxd6 Ba5? Loses outright, but also after 38. ... Bxd6 39. Qxb7! the endgame an Exchange up is winning for White.
39. Qxb7 Qxb7 40. Rxa5 Qa8 41. Bxc5 Kg6 42. Bxd4 f6 43. Be3 Kf7 44. Rb5 1 : 0.

Another painful defeat for two-time U.S. Women’s Champion 于润荷 (Jennifer Yú), who can only hope to have hit rock bottom and bounce back. Photo: Crystal Fuller/Saint Louis Chess Club.

One More Sunday

Atousa Pourkashiyan – Alice Teresa Lee

2nd American Cup — Women’s Champions Bracket; match game 2; Saint Louis, March 18, 2023

French Defence C01

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d3 Nf6 6. d4 d5. Theoretically speaking the game has already transposed into an Exchange French.
7. Bd3 Bd6 8. 0-0 0-0 9. Bg5 h6 10. Bh4 Bg4 11. Nc3 c6 12. h3 Be6. Long, long ago in Saint Louis: 12. ... Bh5 13. g4 Bg6 14. Ne5 Bxd3 15. Qxd3 Nbd7 16. Nxd7 Qxd7 17. Bxf6 gxf6 18. f4 Rfe8 19. Rf3 Re7 20. Ne2 Rae8 21. Ng3 Re4 22. Qd2 c5 23. c3 Qe6 24. Nxe4 dxe4 25. d5 Qd7 26. Rg3 c4 27. Kg2 Bc5 28. Rd1 Qd6 29. Qe2 Qxf4 30. Rf1 Qd6 31. Qxc4 Bb6 32. Re1 Bc7 33. Ree3 Re5 34. h4 Rxd5 35. Qxe4 Rd2+ 36. Kh3 Rxb2 37. Qe8+ Kg7 38. g5 fxg5 39. hxg5 hxg5 40. Rxg5+ Kh6 41. Reg3 Qd8 42. Rg6+ Kh5 43. R3g5+ Qxg5 44. Rxg5+ Kxg5 45. Qe7+ Kg6 46. Qxc7 1 : 0 MacKenzie – Judd, Saint Louis 1881, match game 12.
If, instead, 12. ... Bxf3 then 13. Qxf3 Nbd7 14. Bf5 Qc7 15. Rae1 Rae8 16. Re3 Bf4 17. Re2 Rxe2 18. Nxe2 Bd6 19. Bxd7 Nxd7 20. Ng3 Re8 21. Nf5 Nf8 22. Bg3 Bxg3 23. fxg3 Re4 24. c3 Nh7 25. h4 h5 26. c4 Nf6 27. Nxg7 Ng4 28. Nxh5 Rxd4 29. Nf6+ Nxf6 30. Qxf6 Rxc4 31. Rf5 Rg4 32. Re5 Qc8 33. Re7 Qf8 34. Qe5 Qg7 35. Re8+ Kh7 36. Qh5+ 1 : 0 P. C. Morphy – Löwenthal, London 1858, match game 10.
13. Ne5 c5 14. Nb5 c4 15. Nxd6 Qxd6 16. Be2 Bf5 17. b3 cxb3 18. axb3 Ne4 19. Bf3 Nc6 20. Nxc6 bxc6 21. c4 Rfe8 22. Ra6 Qf4 23. Bg3 Nxg3 24. fxg3 Qxg3 25. Rxc6 dxc4

26. bxc4? Objectively speaking, White had hardly anything better than to content herself with 26. Rc5 Bd3 27. Bxa8 Bxf1 28. Qf3 Qh4 29. Bd5 Qxd4+ 30. Qf2 Qxf2+ 31. Kxf2 Bd3 32. bxc4 with a very drawish endgame. But, given the match situation, Pourkashiyan plays only for a win.
26. ... Rab8 27. Bd5. Desperately looking for tactics.
27. ... Rb1 28. Bxf7+ Kh7. More accurate seems 28. ... Kh8 as after 29. Qxb1 Bxb1 30. Rxb1 Qe3+ 31. Kh1 Qe4 there is no Bishop check on g6. But it’s no time to quibble after all, because Lee only needs a draw.
29. Qxb1 Bxb1 30. Rxb1

30. ... Rf8. 30 ... Re1+ 31. Rxe1 Qxe1+ 32. Kh2 Qe4 33. Bd5 Qxd4 was a little more ambitious.
31. Rf1 g5 32. Rcf6 Kg7 33. Rg6+ Kh7 34. Rgf6 Kg7 35. d5 Qc3 36. Rg6+ Kh7 37. Rc6 Qe3+ 38. Kh1 Qe2 39. Rcf6 Kg7 40. d6 Qe5 41. Rg6+ Kh7 42. Rgf6 Kg7 43. Rg6+ Kh7

44. Re6? White refuses the draw by repetition (44. Rgf6) and tries instead for the impossible.
44. ... Qxe6! 45. Bxe6 Rxf1+ 46. Kh2 Kg7 47. c5 Kf6 48. Bd5 Ke5 49. Bf3 Rxf3 50. gxf3 Ke6 51. h4 a5 52. Kh3 a4 53. Kg4 a3 0 : 1.

Exception to the Rule

Alice Teresa Lee – Atousa Pourkashiyan

2nd American Cup — Women’s Champions Bracket; match game 1; Saint Louis, March 17, 2023

8/p7/1r3pk1/7p/4PP2/P1R1K3/7P/8 b - - 0 36

Position after 36. g3xf4

36. ... h4? It is just the case to say that (not) all Rook endgames are drawn. In fact, The text is a serious mistake, which allows the White King to go to g4. There was more than one move to maintain the status quo, for example: 36. ... a5 36. Kd4 Rd6+ 37. Kc5 Rd2 38. h3 a4 with a likely draw.
37. h3? White has an hesitation that could cost her dear. She ought to play 37. Kf3 at once, and if 37. ... f5 then 38. exf5+ Kh5 39. f6! Rxf6 40. Rc5+ Kh6 41. Ra5! Rf7 42. Kg4 h3 43. Ra4 winning.
37. ... a5? It’s too late now. Black had to play 37. ... Rb1! in order to reply to 38. Kf3 with 38. ... Rg1 getting everything under control, at least for now. Instead, now White wins by force:
38. Kf3 f5. If 38. ... a4 then 39. Kg4 Rb3 40. Rc6 Rxa3 41. e5 Kg7 42. Rxf6 Rg3+ 43. Kf5!+− (43. Kxh4?? Rg6!=).
39. exf5+ Kh5

40. f6! Kg6 (40. ... Rxf6 41. Rc5+ Kh6 42. Kg4+−)
41. Kg4 Kxf6 42. Rc5 a4 43. Ra5 Rb3 44. Ra6+ Kg7 45. Rxa4 Rg3+ 46. Kxh4 Rg1 47. Ra6 Rf1 48. Kg5 Rg1+ 49. Kf5 Rh1 50. Ra7+ Kh6 51. a4 Rxh3 52. a5 Rc3 53. a6 Rc5+ 54. Kg4 Ra5 55. Ra8 Kg7 56. a7 Kh7 57. f5 Ra6 58. f6 Rxf6 59. Rb8 Rg6+ 60. Kf5 1 : 0.

At last, Lee somehow managed to pull a win out of a drawish Rook ending. Photo © Lennart Ootes/Saint Louis Chess Club.