Slavic and East European Performance

Lương Phương Hạnh – Nataliya Buksa
6th World Women’s Team Chess Championship; Khanty-Mansiysk, June 20, 2017
Catalan Opening E08

In spite of the absence of the Muzychuk sisters, the Ukrainian women’s team is giving a fierce fight in order to contend Russia first place in the 6th World Women’s Team Chess Championship. 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. c4 e6 4. g3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Be7 6. Bg2 0-0 7. 0-0 c6 8. Qc2 Ne4 9. Bf4 Nd7 10. Nc3 g5 11. Bd2. Of course, there is a reason why Wesley So played 11. Bc1 (against Nakamura in the 61st U.S. Chess Championship at Saint Louis in 2017). 11. ... f5 12. Rfd1. In Phạm Chương – Võ Thành Ninh, 29th Vietnamese Chess Championship, Ho Chi Minh City 2013 was seen 12. Ne1 (trying to give a sense to White’s clumsy 11th move) 12. ... Nb6 13. Nxe4 dxe4 14. Rd1 Qxd4 15. Bxg5 Qg7 16. Bxe7 Qxe7 17. b3 e5 18. Bh3 Nd7 19. Ng2 Nc5 20. Nh4 a5 21. f3 f4 22. Bxc8 Raxc8 23. fxe4 fxg3 24. hxg3 Qg5 25. Nf5 Rcd8 26. Rxd8 Rxd8 27. Qc3 Re8 28. Qxa5 Nxe4 29. Qc7 Kh8 30. Kg2 Qf6 31. Qxb7 Nd2 32. Rf2 Ne4 33. Rf3 Nd2 34. Rf2 Ne4 35. Rf3 Nd2 36. Rf2 ½ : ½. White apparently let slip the chance to play for a win. 12. ... b6 13. cxd5 cxd5 14. Qa4 Bb7? A careless move by Buksa, which loses a Pawn and turns Black’s game into an ordeal of desperate resistance. After 14. ... Nxd2 followed by ... Bc8-b7 Black would have stood well, if not very well. 15. Nxe4 dxe4 16. Nxg5 Bxg5 17. Bxg5 Qxg5 18. Qxd7 Bd5 19. e3 Rf7 20. Qd6 Rd8 21. Qe5 Rc8 22. Rdc1 Qd8 23. Bf1 Rfc7 24. Re1 Rc2 25. Ba6 R8c7 26. b3 R7c3 27. Re2 Qc7 28. Rxc2 Rxc2 29. Qxc7 Rxc7 30. Re1 Kf7 31. Re2 Ke7 32. Rd2 Rc1+ 33. Kg2 Kd6 34. Bb5 Kc7 35. h3 Kd6 36. Rb2 Ke7 37. Be2 Kd6 38. g4 h6 39. Kg3 Ke7 40. Kf4 Kf6 41. gxf5 exf5 42. h4 Bc6 43. Rd2 Bd5 44. Bd1 Ke6 45. Kg3 Kd6 46. Bh5 Ke6 47. Be2 Kd6 48. Kf4 Ke6

Probably White might have done better before, but still now she had no reason to complain. I don’t know if Stockfish’s suggested modus operandi (Be2-d1, followed by Kf4-g3 and f2-f3) would have actually allowed her to make progress toward a win, but certainly it would have been better than what she is about to do. 49. Bc4?? Lương Phương Hạnh should have perceived that it sounded too beautiful to be true! 49. ... Bxc4 50. bxc4 Rg1! Threatening ... Rg1-g4 mate. 51. d5+. 51. f3 Rf1 substantially transposes into the game. 51. ... Kf6 52. f3 Rf1 53. Kg3 Rxf3+ 54. Kg2 Rxe3. Game over. Black wins by grace. 55. Kf2 Rh3 56. Rd4 Rxh4 57. Kg3 Rg4+ 58. Kh3 Ke5 59. Rd1 Kd6 60. Rf1 Rg5 61. Kh4 Ke5 62. Rd1 Rg6 63. a4 e3 64. Re1 f4 65. Kh5 Rg2 66. Kxh6 e2 0 : 1.

Nataliya Buksa
Photo: Anastasiya Balakhontseva/Ugra Chess Academy

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress

Nataliya Buksa – Sopiko Guramishvili

Knockout Women’s World Chess Championship Tournament; tie-break game 4 (10+10); Tehran, February 16, 2017

8/8/8/8/6nk/1r6/R5K1/8 w - - 54 121

Position after 120. ... Rc3-b3

The dramatic playoff victory of Guramishvili against Buksa demonstrates once more that the “tie-break” system (and its time limit as well) may perhaps serve to increase bets, but surely cannot produce any objective assessment of two players’ value. In the position of the diagram the game is theoretically drawn, and even if this were a “beauty contest” the most fair outcome would be an ex aequo. But since the show must go on, one Queen will have to give up the board. 121. Ra4 Rd3 122. Ra2 Rg3+ 123. Kf1 Ne3+ 124. Ke1 Rg1+ 125. Kf2 Rg2+ 126. Kxe3?? And Nataliya sadly surrenders to the merciless roulette. Correct was 126. Ke1! as 126. ... Rxa2 produces stalemate. 16. ... Rxa2 0 : 1. As usual for David Llada’s pictures from Teheran, visit his Facebook account.

Lviv Polytechnic

Nataliya Buksa
Photo: ukrchess.com

Iulija Osmak
Photo: ukrchess.com

Liza Soloviova
Photo: ukrchess.com

Olga Kalinina
Photo: ukrchess.com

As a corollary of the closing ceremony of the Ukrainian Chess Championships, which was staged at the Lviv Polytechnic on December 15, most participants performed a collective simultaneous exhibition against a crowd of youngsters. For many more pictures, see http://2015.ukrchess.com/media/simultaneous-exhibition.

Marmalade

Myroslava Hrabinska – Nataliya Buksa
75th Ukrainian Women’s Chess Championship; Lviv, December 14, 2015
Queen’s Pawn Game D02

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bf4 Bg7 4. e3 d5 5. Nbd2 0-0 6. Be2 c5 7. c3 Nh5!? Theoretical novelty. For 7. ... Nc6 8. Ne5 Nd7 see P. C. Benkö – E. P. Geller, Géza Maróczy Memorial, Budapest 1952. 8. Bg5 h6 9. Bh4 g5 10. Bg3 Nxg3 11. hxg3 Bf5 12. Ne5 cxd4 13. exd4 Nc6 14. Ndf3 Qd6 15. Bd3 Bxd3 16. Nxd3 b5 17. Kf1? A grave error of judgment. White hopes in vain to mount an attack on the Kingside, through her open h-file. Simply 17. 0-0 would have secured her a perfectly playable game. 17. ... b4 18. Nxb4 Nxb4 19. cxb4 Qxb4 20. b3 Rfc8 21. Ne5 Qc3 22. Rb1 a5

23. Rxh6. This looks like an exaggerated Rook sacrifice, but Hrabinska had to somehow justify her hard playing strategy. 23. ... Bxh6 24. Qh5 Ra6! A Rook lift which appears to have been overlooked by Hrabinska. White’s attack immediately comes to an end. 25. Qxf7+ Kh8 26. Re1. Equally after 26. Ng6+ Rxg6 27. Qxg6 Bg7 White would be hopeless. 26. ... Qc2 27. Qxe7 Qh7 28. Nf7+ Kg8 29. Qd7 Rf8 30. Nxh6+ Rxh6 31. Qxd5+ Kh8. Black emerged a whole Rook up, and White’s four Pawns do not give sufficient compensation. 32. Re4 Qf5 33. Qxf5 Rxf5 34. g4 Rf4 35. Re5 Rxd4 36. Rxa5 Rxg4 37. f3 Rd4 38. Rxg5 Rd2 39. Kg1 Rxa2 40. f4 Rb6 41. Kh2 Rxb3 42. Rg6 Rf2 43. Rg4 Kh7 44. Kg1 Ra2 45. Kh2 Kh6 46. Rg8 Rf2 47. Rg4 Kh7 48. Kg1 Rc2 49. Kh2 Kh8 50. Rg5 Rb7 0 : 1.

Nataliya Buksa
Photo: Ukrainian Chess (Facebook)

Nick of Time

Nataliya Buksa – Kateryna Dolzhykova
75th Ukrainian Women’s Chess Championship; Lviv, December 13, 2015
Sicilian Defence B77

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 Nc6 8. Bc4 0-0 9. Qd2 Bd7 10. g4 Rb8. More convincing is 10. ... Rc8 11. Be2 Nxd4 12. Bxd4 Qa5 as occurred in the game 余泱漪 (Yú Yāngyī) – 韦奕 (Wéi Yì), 4th Hǎinán Dānzhōu Chess Tournament, 儋州 (Dānzhōu) 2013. 11. Be2 b5!? Dolzhykova’s novelty implies the sacrifice of a Pawn as well as an Exchange. For 11. ... Ne5 12. 0-0-0 b5 13. Bh6 see Zherebukh – Lee, PanAm Intercollegiate, Lubbock 2013. 12. Nxc6 Bxc6 13. Bxa7 b4 14. Nd1. White declines the “Best Offer”, and right she is! 14. ... Rb7 15. Bf2 Qa5 16. 0-0 d5 17. e5 Nd7 18. f4 Nc5 19. Bd4 Ne4? We would have far preferred 19. ... Ne6 which seems to offer Black satisfactory play. 20. Qe3! Rc8 21. Nf2 Nxf2 22. Rxf2 Ba4. Or 22. ... e6 23. f5! with a very powerful attack. 23. Bd3! Now Black gets into serious trouble. 23. ... Bb5 24. Bxb5 Qxb5 25. f5! Rbc7 26. c3 bxc3 27. bxc3 Qa4 28. h4! Qa3 29. Rc1 Rc4 30. Rcc2 Qa4 31. Qd3 e6

32. h5! Rb8 33. hxg6 Rb1+ 34. Kh2 fxg6 35. f6!? Not bad, but simpler was 35. fxg6 and if 35. ... Qe8 then 36. Rf7 hxg6 37. Rcf2 winning easily. 35. ... Bf8 36. f7+ Kh8 37. Qf3. Threat: 38. Qf6+ Bg7 39. f8=R mate. 37. ... h6 38. Qf6+? Buksa misses one-move win: 38. Qd3! as after 38. ... Kg7 39. Rf6 Black could resign. 38. ... Kh7 39. Qxe6? Buksa is too hasty... 39. ... Rxd4! The only chance! 40. cxd4 Qxd4 41. Rce2 Qd1? (41. ... Rc1) 42. Rg2? (42. Qf6) 42. ... Qh1+ 43. Kg3 Rc1 44. Qxd5? Time trouble for both players. 44. Re3 was mandatory. 44. ... Rc3+ 45. Kf4 Qb1! Threatening ... g6-g5+. 46. Qe4 Qc1+ 47. Re3 Rc4 48. Kf3 Rxe4 49. Rxe4 Qf1+ 50. Rf2 Qd3+? 50. ... Qh1+! wins on the spot. 51. Re3 Qd5+ 52. Kg3 Qe6 53. Ree2 Kg7 54. Rf3 h5? The last mistake, again through time pressure. After 54. ... Bc5! Black still retained good winning chances. 55. gxh5 gxh5 56. Kh2 Kh7 57. Rf4 Qh6 58. Rf3 Qa6 59. Rff2 Qc4 60. e6 Bd6+ 61. Kg2 Qh4 62. Kg1 Qg3+ 63. Kh1 Qh3+ 64. Kg1 Qg3+ ½ : ½.

Nataliya Buksa (R.) vs. Kateryna Dolzhykova (L.)
Photo: Ukrainian Chess (Facebook)

Standing in the Rainbow

Nataliya Buksa vs. Anastasiya Rakhmangulova
Photo: Ukrainian Chess (Facebook)

Olga Kalinina
Photo: Ukrainian Chess (Facebook)

Iulija Osmak vs. Evgeniya Doluhanova
Photo: Ukrainian Chess (Facebook)

Kateryna Dolzhykova
Photo: Ukraininan Chess (Facebook)

Liza Soloviova
Photo: Ukrainian Chess (Facebook)

Myroslava Hrabinska
Ukrainian Chess (Facebook)

Starfish

Nataliya Buksa – Liza Soloviova
75th Ukrainian Women’s Chess Championship; Lviv, December 7, 2015
King’s Indian Attack A08

1. e4 e6 2. d3 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. g3 g6 5. Bg2 Bg7 6. Ngf3 Nc6 7. 0-0 Nge7 8. Qe2 0-0 9. c3 b6 10. e5 Ba6 11. Re1 Nf5. For 11. ... Rb8 12. Nf1 d4 13. c4 b5 see Zichichi – Giffard, 1st EEC Team Chess Championship, Ostend 1975. 12. Nf1 h6 13. h4 b5. For 13. ... Rb8 14. Bf4 Qe7 15. Ne3 Nxe3 16. Qxe3 Kh7 17. Nh2 see Vescovi – Maia, 4th Copa Itaú, São Paulo 2000. 14. Ne3 Re8 15. Nc2 b4 16. c4 Rc8 17. b3 Bb7 18. Bf4 Rc7 19. Rad1 Rd7 20. Kh2 a5 21. Kh3 dxc4 22. dxc4 Ree7 23. Kh2 Rxd1 24. Rxd1 Rd7 25. Rxd7 Qxd7 26. Qd2 Qc7 27. Kg1 Nce7 28. Qe2 Bxf3 29. Bxf3 Nc6 30. Bxc6 Qxc6 31. Qd3 Kh7 32. Kh2 a4 33. Kg1 axb3 34. axb3 Qc7 35. Qe4 Qd7 36. Kg2 Qd1

37. Be3? Nataliya plays with fire. The immediate 37. h5 was called for, since after 37. ... Qb1 38. hxg6+ fxg6 39. Qd3 Nd4 40. Nxb4 Qa1 (40. ... Qxb3 looks also playable) chances are roughly equal. 37. ... Nxe3+ 38. Nxe3 Qxb3. Now White is likely to get into serious trouble. 39. h5 Qc3 40. hxg6+ fxg6 41. Ng4 h5 42. Nf6+ Bxf6 43. exf6 Qxf6 44. Qb7+ Kh6 45. Qc8 b3 46. Qxc5 b2 47. Qb4 Qd4. 47. ... g5 eventually followed by ... h5-h4 looks like a much better way towards victory. 48. Qf8+ Kg5 49. Qe7+ Qf6 50. Qb4. Quite incredibly, 50. ... Qc5+ appears to draw in all variations; for instance: 50. ... Qf5 51. Qd4! b1=Q 52. Qd8+ Qf6 (52. ... Kg4?? 53. Qh4 mate) 53. Qd2+ Kg4 (53. ... Kf5?? 54. Qf4 mate) 54. Qe2+ with a pyrotechnic perpetual check. 50. ... Qd4 51. Qe7+ Kf5 52. Qf7+ Qf6 53. Qb7 Qd4. After 53. ... Qc3 would seem Black should win, e.g. 54. Qf7+ Ke4 55. Qxg6+ Kd4 and Black’s King easily penetrates enemy territory. 54. Qf7+ ½ : ½.

Nataliya Buksa vs. Liza Soloviova
Photo: Ukrainian Chess (Facebook)

Tovarich

Nataliya Buksa – Evgeniya Doluhanova
75th Ukrainian Women’s Chess Championship; Lviv, December 5, 2015
Sicilian Defence B86

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bc4 e6 7. a3 Be7 8. 0-0 Bd7 9. Ba2 Nc6 10. Be3 Nxd4. For 10. ... 0-0 11. f4 Qa5 12. f5 see Tantsiura – Doluhanova, 74th Ukrainian Women’s Chess Championship, Lviv 2015. 11. Bxd4 Bc6 12. Qd3 0-0 13. f4 e5 14. fxe5 dxe5 15. Bxe5 Ng4 16. Bg3 Bf6 17. Kh1 Qxd3 18. cxd3 Rad8 19. Rf3 Rd7 20. Raf1 Rfd8? A fatal weakening of Black’s castled position. 21. h3 Nh6. Sad, but 21. ... Bxc3 22. Rxf7 Rxf7 23. Rxf7 Bd5 24. Bxd5 Rxd5 25. exd5 Kxf7 26. bxc3 just leaves Black two Pawns down.

22. Bb1? Hora fugit, carpe diem. After 22. Rxf6! gxf6 23. Rxf6 Kg7 24. Be5 Black could resign. 22. ... Bd4 23. Bf4 f6 24. Bxh6 gxh6 25. Ba2+ Kh8 26. Bc4 Rg7 27. Nd5 Bxd5 28. Bxd5 Bxb2 29. a4 Rc7 30. R3f2 Bd4 31. Rf3 b5 32. axb5 axb5 33. Rb1 Rb8 34. Rg3 b4 35. h4 Rg7 36. Rxg7 Kxg7 37. h5 Kf8 38. Kh2 Ke7 39. Kg3 Kd6 40. Kf4 Bc3 41. Ke3 Ke5 42. g4 Bd4+ 43. Kf3 Rb5 44. Bg8 Rb7 45. Bd5 Rb8 46. Bc4 Rb6 47. Bg8 ½ : ½.

Nataliya Buksa vs. Evgeniya Doluhanova
Photo: Ukrainian Chess (Facebook)

Sliding Doors

Do you want to know a secret? The 75th Ukrainian Women’s Chess Championship starts today in the afternoon at Lviv’s Volter Hotel. World Junior Girls Chess Champion Nataliya Buksa is on stage. Photo: Natalka Ponurkevych-Kuzyak.

Protego Totalum

“It is gratifying to state the fact that eight of the contenders for the title of Ukrainian Chess Champion are Lviv residents, including: Yuri Krivoruchko, Alexander Areshchenko, Andrei Volokitin – a truly Ukrainian collection – Martyn Kravtsiv, Nataliya Buksa, Liza Soloviova, Myroslava Hrabinska and our pride, Women’s World Champion Mariya Muzychuk who, in preparing for the World Championship match, will compete with the strongest male players”, the tournament director Nazar Firman said. [Read more].

• Одразу два фінали чемпіонатів України з шахів відбудуться у Львові (Both Finals of the Ukrainian Chess Championship are about to start in Lviv), galinfo.com.ua, November 30, 2015

Mariya Muzychuk playing in the 5th Women’s World Chess Team Championship at 成都 (Chéngdū), China in April 2015. Photo: Badu.com.

Civic Crown

• Голова облради привітав львів’янку Наталію Буксу з перемогою в Молодіжному чемпіонаті світу з шахів (Head of Lviv Regional Council congratulates Lviv-born Nataliya Buksa on her victory in the World Girls Junior Championship), vgolos.com.ua, September 24, 2015

Head of Lviv Regional Council Peter Nesterovych Kolodiy congratulates Nataliya Buksa on her victory in the World Girls Junior Championship held in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia. Photo: vgolos.com.ua. “Our women in chess are actually among the world’s strongest. Mariya Muzychuk gained worldwide fame for her recent victory in Women’s World Chess Championship, and now Nataliya Buksa also made our city famous”, Kolodiy said.

Варенье (Varenye)

Grand Finale at the World Junior Chess Championships in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, September 16, 2015. They are the Champions: Mikhail Al. Antipov, Nataliya Buksa, Alina Bivol, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Francesco Rambaldi &c.

E più d’onore ancora assai mi fenno

Closing ceremony of the World Junior Chess Championships in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, September 16, 2015. The Queen, Nataliya Buksa from Ukraine, and the King, Mikhail Al. Antipov from Russia, waiting for the golden medals as they are airily talking each other. Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova.

“E più d’onore ancora assai mi fenno; Ch’ei sì mi fecer della loro schiera, Sì ch’io fui sesto tra cotanto senno”. Congratulations to Italian superstar Francesco Rambaldi (second from right) on his splendid if not lucky performance! Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova.

Прийшов, побачив, переміг (Veni, vidi, vici)

Petro Oleksiyovych Poroshenko (@poroshenko)

President of Ukraine Petro Oleksiyovych Poroshenko posted on his Twitter account: “I congratulate to Nataliya Buksa on her triumph in the World Girls Junior Chess Championship in Russia. Ukrainian women – they’re the best!”.

Frontier Girl

Nataliya Buksa – Alina Bivol
33rd World Girls Junior Championship; Khanty-Mansiysk, September 6, 2015
Sicilian Defence B80

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e6 7. f3 Be7 8. Qd2 0-0 9. 0-0-0 b5 10. g4 Bb7 11. g5 Nfd7 12. h4 Nc6 13. Nxc6 Bxc6 14. Ne2 Ne5. For 14. ... Qc7 15. Nd4 Rfc8 16. g6 hxg6 17. h5 see Feygin – Savchenko, Helmut-Kohls-Turnier, Dortmund 2013, while for 14. ... d5 15. Nd4 Bb7 16. Bh3 Ne5 17. Qe1 Nc4 see Short – Ljubojević, Reykjavík 1987. 15. Nd4 Bd7 16. h5 Rc8 17. Kb1 Qc7 18. Rg1 Nc4 19. Bxc4 Qxc4 20. f4 e5? “White got a formidable position out of the opening, but after a typical Scheveningen move such as 20. ... Rfe8 the whole struggle still lies ahead. How to start? 21. g6 fxg6 22. hxg6 h6 23. Qh2 Bf8, or 21. Qh2, or even 21. Qf2?“, wonders International Master Vladimir Barsky. 21. Nf5 Rfe8. No better is 21. ... Bxf5 22. exf5 with a “rollerball” coming. 22. Nxe7+ Rxe7 23. Qxd6 Qxc2+ 24. Ka1 Rce8 25. f5. Threatening f5-f6. 25. ... Bc8? A final blunder, but Black has no good moves left. After 25. ... Qxe4? 26. f6 White’s dream have come true, while if 25. ... Bc6 then 26. Rc1 Qxe4 27. Bb6 with an overwhelming advantage.

26. Qxe7! 1 : 0.

chess24.com (@chess24com)