Blonde Hair

Kateřina Němcová – Nazí Nodarovna Paikidze
57th U.S. Women’s Chess Championship; Saint Louis, March 30, 2017
Sicilian Defence B50

“Nazí slowly built her advantage after a successful opening and never let go. Her Bishop pair was swiftly revived when she blasted the center open with her powerful 21. ... f5!. It was all downhill for White after that, and Nazí claimed her first win of her U.S. Women’s Championship return”, reads the U.S. Chess Champs website report. 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. c3 Nf6 4. Be2 g6 5. 0-0 Bg7 6. Re1 0-0 7. d3 Nc6 8. h3 a6 9. Be3 e5 10. Qd2 b5 11. Na3 Rb8 12. Bf1 Qc7 13. Nc2 Ne7 14. Bg5 Bb7 15. Rad1 Rbd8 16. Qe2 Nh5 17. g4. It will turn out to be particularly inspiring for Paikidze’s next steps! 17. ... Nf4 18. Bxf4 exf4 19. d4 Rde8. With the powerful positional threat of ... f7-f5. 20. Bg2 Nc8 21. Nh2

21. ... f5! 22. gxf5 gxf5 23. f3 Qf7 24. b3 b4 25. cxb4 d5 26. e5 cxd4 27. e6 Qc7 28. Nxd4 Ne7 29. Kh1 Nc6 30. Nxc6 Qxc6 31. Rc1 Qd6 32. b5 Re7 33. Bf1 axb5 34. Qxb5 Bd4 35. Rcd1 Bf2 36. Re2 Ba6. Paikidze will show that even without Queens Black’s initiative against the White King can be devastating due to the presence of opposite-colour Bishops. 37. Rxd5 Bxb5 38. Rxd6 Bxe2 39. Bxe2 Rg7. Threatening mate in one. 40. Rd1 Kh8 41. e7 Rfg8 42. e8=Q Rxe8 43. Bc4 h5 44. a4 Ree7 45. a5 h4 46. a6 Rg5 47. b4 Rd7! The ordeal continues, and White must suffer (too) heavy losses. 48. Rf1 Be3 49. b5 Rdg7 50. Ng4 fxg4 51. hxg4 Rc7 52. Bd3 Rd5 0 : 1.

Nazí Nodarovna Paikidze. Photo © Lennart Ootes.

A Hard Day’s Night

Kateřina Němcová – Mariya Muzychuk
5th Women’s World Chess Team Championship; 成都市 (Chéngdū), April 22, 2015
Sicilian Defence B33

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9. Nd5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c4 b4 12. Nc2 a5 13. g3 0-0 14. Bg2 Bg5 15. 0-0 Be6 16. Qd3. For 16. f4 Bh6 see Abdumalik – M. Muzychuk, 5th Women’s World Chess Team Championship; 成都市 (Chéngdū), April 20, 2015. 16. ... g6. For 16. ... Bh6 17. Rad1 Ra7 see Nakhapetiane – Zhigalko, 16th European Youth Chess Championship, Herceg Novi 2006. 17. Rad1 Rb8 18. b3 Bh6 19. Kh1 Bg7 20. Nde3 Qb6 21. f4 exf4 22. gxf4 Rbd8

23. f5. White opens the hostilities. 23. ... Bc8 24. Nd5 Qa7 25. f6 Bh6 26. Nd4 Nxd4 27. Ne7+ Kh8 28. Nxc8 Rxc8. Quite understandably, Mariya thought for a very long, long time about her answer, since the ensuing endgame is difficult for Black. 29. Qxd4 Qxd4 30. Rxd4 Rfd8 31. Rd5 Be3!? As usual, Mariya aims for unbalanced and double-edged positions, in the style of Emanuel Lasker. 32. Rxa5 Bc5 33. Rb5 Rc7 34. Rd1 Re8 35. Bf3. Aimless. The most consistent continuation was 35. e5! dxe5 36. Rd5 Bd4 37. Rxb4 with excellent winning chances. 35. ... h5 36. Rd5 Ra7 37. Rd2. Back and forth! Here 37. e5! Rxa2! 38. Rb7 Rxe5 39. Rxe5 dxe5 40. Rxf7 Rf2 41. Bd5 h4 42. h3 Rf1+ would lead to a draw by perpetual check. 37. ... Re6 38. Kg2 Kh7 39. h4 Kh6 40. Re2 Rxf6 41. e5 Re6 42. exd6 Rxe2+ 43. Bxe2 Bxd6 44. c5 Rxa2 45. Kf3 Be7 46. c6 Ra7 47. Bc4 Kg7 48. Ke4 Bxh4 49. Rxb4. Both sides have useful and enterprising Pawn majorities! 49. ... Rc7 50. Bd5 Bg3 51. Ra4 h4 52. b4 f5+ 53. Kd3 Kf6 54. b5 Ke5 55. Bh1. Also after 55. b6 Kxd5 56. bxc7 Bxc7 57. Rxh4 Kxc6 the game is a draw. 55. ... Bf2 56. Ra2 Bc5. Clearly not 56. ... Ba7? on account of 57. Rxa7! Rxa7 58. b6 with a Rollerball. 57. Kc4 Bb6. Here 57. ... Bg1 seems definitely the most accurate: 58. Ra6 Kd6 59. b6 Rxc6+ 60. Bxc6 Kxc6 61. b7+ Kxb7 62. Rxg6 Bh2 drawing. 58. Ra6 Be3 59. Kd3. The immediate 59. b6 Bxb6 60. Rxb6 g5 is quite similar to the game. 59. ... Bc5 60. b6 Bxb6 61. Rxb6 g5 62. Ke3 Re7 63. Kf2 g4 64. Rb5+ Kf4 65. Rb4+ Ke5 66. Rb5+ Kf4 67. Rb7 Re8 68. Rb4+ Ke5 69. Rb5+ Ke6 70. Rc5 g3+ 71. Kf3 Kd6 72. Rc1 Kc7 73. Kf4 Re2 74. Kxf5 g2 75. Bxg2 Rxg2 76. Rh1 Kxc6 77. Rxh4 ½ : ½. A lucky draw for both players!

Mariya Muzychuk
Photo: Liu Yunpeng

Epicœne

Irina Krush won her seventh U.S. Chess Championship this past weekend in St. Louis. In doing so, she notched her fourth consecutive U.S. title and became without question the best American woman player of her generation and, really, in history. [Read more].

• Matthew DeBord, This woman just became the greatest American female chess player in history, Business Insider, April 15, 2015

Irina Krush – Kateřina Němcová
55th U.S. Women’s Chess Championship; Saint Louis, April 12, 2015
English Opening A29

“It was very important for me to go into the game with the right mindset”, Krush said. “The way it turned out, obviously there weren’t a lot of fireworks on the board. I was prepared for this game to go in any direction”. 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. g3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Bg2 Nb6 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. 0-0 Be7 8. a3 0-0 9. d3 Be6 10. Be3 Nd5 11. Nxd5 Bxd5 12. Rc1 Bd6 13. Qa4 a6 14. Ng5 Bxg2 15. Kxg2 Nd4 16. Bxd4 Qxg5 17. Bc5 Qe7 18. Qb4 Rac8 19. Bxd6 cxd6 20. Rc3 Rxc3 21. Qxc3 f5 22. Qc4+ Qf7 23. Rc1 Qxc4 24. Rxc4 Rf7 25. Rc8+ Rf8 26. Rc7 Rf7 27. Rc8+ Rf8 28. Rc7 Rf7 ½ : ½. This is Irina Krush’s seventh U.S. Championship title and fourth in a row.

Irina Krush
Photo: U.S. Chess Champs