The Cucumber Queen

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“Five with a plus”. Evgeny Ellinovich Sveshnikov sums up both his match as well as the tournament in Jūrmala (pictures, games). See http://chess-news.ru/node/22902. A merciless Sveshnikov closed his friendly six game Rapid chess match against Gaprindashvili by a score of 5 to 1. “Nona Terentevna played interesting chess”, Sveshnikov afterwards argued. “She only lacked that extra bit of energy. But strangely, after two days of play I feel tired, while she is fresh like a cucumber. I am admired!”.

Evgeny Ellinovich Sveshnikov – Nona Terentevna Gaprindashvili
Exhibition Rapid chess match game 6; Jūrmala, March 26, 2017
Owen Defence B00

1. e4 b6 2. d4 Bb7 3. Nd2 e6 4. Ngf3 g6 5. Bd3 Bg7 6. h4!? A novelty but no fundamentally new concept. On the other hand, the position after Black’s 5th move may be well regarded as a theoretical tabiya with respect to Gaprindashvili’s opening repertoire. Here is just one reference: 6. c3 d6 7. Nf1 Nd7 8. Ng3 Ne7 9. h4 h6 10. Bd2 a6 11. b4 c5 12. Rb1 Qc7 13. a4 e5 14. bxc5 bxc5 15. h5 g5 16. d5 c4 17. Bc2 a5 18. Be3 Ba6 19. 0-0 Nc5 20. Nh2 0-0 21. Ng4 Rfb8 22. Qf3 Bc8 23. Nf6+ Kf8 24. Nh7+ Kg8 25. Nf6+ Kf8 26. Nh7+ Kg8 ½ : ½ Jonkman – Gaprindashvili, 1st BDO Chess Tournament, Haarlem 2005. 6. ... h6 7. Nf1 d6 8. Ng3 c5 9. c3 Ne7 10. Be3 Nd7 11. Qd2 Qc7 12. 0-0 Nf6 13. e5!? dxe5 14. Nxe5 Nfd5 15. Bb5+ Nc6. 15. ... Kf8 was also possible, and maybe even better. 16. Bf4 Nxf4 17. Qxf4 Rc8? I think that she should have first played 17. ... 0-0(!) in order to unpin the Knight. 18. Ne4! Now this is possible, and may become quite annoying. 18. ... 0-0 19. Bxc6 Bxc6 20. Nf6+ Kh8? Gaprindashvili had, by now, lost the match, so maybe it was worth trying 20. ... Bxf6 21. Qxf6 Qd8 22. Qf4 g5!? (22. ... Qd5 23. f3).

21. g4! Now White launches a vehement attack on the Kingside, that between ups and downs arrives at its destination. 21. ... cxd4 22. cxd4 Qe7 23. g5 Rfd8 24. Rac1 Bb7 25. Nfg4. Even stronger seems 25. d5!+− for if 25. ... exd5 then 26. Rfe1 Rxc1 27. Rxc1 (Δ Rc1-c7) 27. ... Rc8 28. Re1 finis. 25. ... Kg8. It is not a panacea, but 25. ... Kh7 26. Rxc8 Rxc8 27. gxh6 Qxh4 28. f3 Bxe5 29. dxe5 Kh8 30. Qf6+ Qxf6 31. Nxf6 Rc2 32. Rf2 (Stockfish) is only good to hold on just a while longer – the White Knight paralyses Black’s Kingside. 26. gxh6 Bxe5? Gaprindashvili should, at any cost, have tried 26. ... Rxc1 27. Rxc1 Rxd4! 28. Qxd4 Qxh4 forcing her opponent to find 29. Kf1! – in fact the only potentially winning move. 27. dxe5. Stronger was 27. Qxe5 Qf8 (or 27. ... f5 28. Nf6+ Kf7 29. Nh7!+−) 28. Nf6+ Kh8 29. Nd7+ f6 30. Nxf6 Qxh6 31. Ne8+ Kg8 32. Qxe6+ Kf8 33. Nd6+−, but Sveshnikov is content with playing the cat and mouse game. 27. ... Ba6 28. Rxc8 Bxc8 29. Rc1 Bb7 30. Qg5 1 : 0.

Measure for Pleasure

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“I really do get a lot of pleasure out of it!”. Evgeny Ellinovich Sveshnikov cracked down on Nona Terentevna Gaprindashvili (pictures, games). See http://chess-news.ru/node/22897. Evgeny Ellinovich Sveshnikov is actually leading 2½–½ after the first three games of his exhibition six game Rapid chess match with Nona Terentevna Gaprindashvili, which started yesterday in Jūrmala, Latvia. The five-time Women’s World Chess Champion almost invariably suffered her opponent’s deeper theoretical preparation, even though in the second game she missed a great chance to win the whole point:

Evgeny Ellinovich Sveshnikov – Nona Terentevna Gaprindashvili
Exhibition Rapid chess match game 2; Jūrmala, March 25, 2017
2r2k2/1r2pp2/p4bp1/1p1P2Np/1B3Pnn/3B4/PP2RP1P/4R1K1 w - - 10 29

Position after 28. ... Bd4-f6

29. d6! A quite interesting Exchange sacrifice in the breathlessly time scramble. 29. ... Bxg5 30. fxg5 Nf3+ 31. Kf1 Nxe1 32. dxe7+? Going astray. After 32. Rxe1 exd6 33. h3 Nxf2 34. Kxf2 White remains with Rook, two Bishops (even though two Pawns down) against two Rooks, but – by far more important – with a much better position. 32. ... Ke8 33. Rxe1 Rd7 34. Be2 Ne5 35. f4? I guess Sveshnikov should have played, for bad or for good, 35. Bxb5 Nc6 36. Bxa6 Ra8 37. Bb5 Nxb4 38. Rd1 Ra7 39. a3 Na6 40. Rxd7 Rxd7 41. Bxd7+ (or even 41. Bxa6) trying to make the opponent’s task harder (and possibly harder and harder). 35. ... Nd3 36. Bxd3 Rxd3. Now White is (should be) finished. 37. Re2 Rd4 38. Bc3 Rxf4+ 39. Ke1 Rxc3. There is nothing wrong about it, except that 39. ... Rc6! (intending ... Rc6-e6) would have been infinitely simpler. 40. bxc3 Rc4. You’d think that she had given back the Exchange just to play 40. ... Rg4! without fearing the ghost-Bishop going to f6, but rapid chess is not an exact science. 41. Kd2 Rc7. 41. ... Rg4! was still the simplest way to do the job. 42. Re4 Rxe7? The last careless inaccuracy that indeed throws away the win. It took just an intermediate check: 42. ... Rd7+! 43. Kc2 Rxe7 44. Rb4 Re2+ and Black must win. 43. Rb4 Kd7 44. a4! Kc6 45. axb5+ axb5 46. c4! bxc4 47. Rxc4+ Kd5. After all, it has remained on the board only a drawish 3 vs. 2 same side Pawn ending. 48. Rf4 Ke5 49. Ke3 Ra7 50. Rf6 Ra3+ 51. Kf2 Ra7 52. h4 Ra4 53. Kg3 Rg4+ 54. Kh3 Rf4 55. Ra6 Rf3+ 56. Kg2 Rd3 57. Rf6 Rd4 58. Kg3 Rg4+ 59. Kh3 Rf4 60. Ra6 f6 61. gxf6 Rxf6 62. Ra5+ Kf4 63. Rg5 Ra6 64. Rg3 Kf5 65. Rg5+ Kf6 66. Rb5 Ra3+ 67. Kg2 Ra4 68. Kg3 Rg4+ 69. Kh3 Re4 70. Rg5 Re5 71. Rg3 Rb5 72. Rf3+ Rf5 73. Rg3 Kg7 74. Ra3 Kh6 75. Ra7 Rf3+ 76. Kg2 Rb3 77. Rc7 ½ : ½.

Restless Youth

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Former Soviet and Latvian Grandmaster Evgeny Ellinovich Sveshnikov meets the Queen – in pictures. For further details, see http://chess-news.ru/node/22889. Former Soviet and Latvian Grandmaster Evgeny Ellinovich Sveshnikov today welcomed and greeted personally the five-time Women’s World Chess Champion Nona Terentevna Gaprindashvili at the Riga International Airport in Riga, Latvia. But, of course, it was not just a matter of gallantry. In fact, tomorrow (and the day after tomorrow) they will play an exhibition six game Rapid chess match in Jūrmala, so don’t miss the live coverage of Chess-News.ru!

Hitting the Headlines

European Chess Union (‏@ECUonline)

A Queen is never late, everyone else is simply early

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Five-time Women’s World Chess Champion Nona Terentevna Gaprindashvili (on the left with her head bent on the board) playing at the Hoogoven Women’s International Tournament in 1963. But it’s not time yet to relegate her to history and legend, since at 75 years of age the formidable Georgian was still able to write history! Photo: Wikiwand.

Stone Mountain

Viktor Davidovich Kupreichik – Nona Terentevna Gaprindashvili
16th European Senior 65+ Chess Championship; Yerevan, June 10, 2016
Owen Defence B00

1. e4 b6 2. d4 Bb7 3. Bd3 e6 4. Nf3 Ne7 5. h4!? Sharply sidelined, but Kupreichik is a strong tactical player. 5. ... d5 6. e5 Ba6 7. Bxa6 Nxa6 8. c4 Qd7 9. Qe2 dxc4 10. Qxc4 Qc6 11. Qxc6+ Nxc6 12. a3 Na5! Nona Terentevna manoeuvred very well in securing balance.

13. Be3. If 13. Nc3 there might follow 13. ... Nb3 14. Rb1 0-0-0 with satisfactory play for Black. 13. ... Nb3 14. Ra2 c5 15. Nbd2. Kupreichik temporarily sacrifices a Pawn because after 15. Nc3 0-0-0! Black is fine. 15. ... Nc1. After all, a curious destination. 16. Ra1 Nd3+ 17. Ke2 Nxb2 18. a4 c4 19. Rhc1 Rc8 20. Rc2 c3 21. Ne4 Bb4 22. Bd2. Finally White wins back his Pawn, but... what a fatigue it was! 22. ... 0-0 23. Bxc3 Bxc3 24. Nxc3 Nc4 25. Rcc1 Nb4 26. Nb5 a6 27. Na7 Rc7 28. Nd2 Rxa7 29. Nxc4 Nd5 30. Ne3. Also 30. Nd6 Rc7 must be sustainable to ensure a draw. 30. ... Rd7 31. Rab1 Nf4+ 32. Kf3 Rxd4 33. Rc4 Rxc4 34. Nxc4 Nd5 35. Nxb6 Rb8 36. a5 h5 37. Rb3 Kh7 38. Ke4 Rb7 39. Kd4 Kh6 40. Rb2 ½ : ½.

Five-time Women’s World Chess Champion Nona Terentevna Gaprindashvili
Photo © Sputnik/Saakov.

Forever Young

Nona Terentevna Gaprindashvili – Anushavan Arakelyan
16th European Senior 65+ Chess Championship; Yerevan, June 9, 2016
Queen’s Gambit Accepted D27

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. e3 Be7 5. b3 dxc4 6. Bxc4 a6 7. 0-0 0-0 8. Bb2 Nbd7 9. Nbd2 c5 10. Rc1 b5 11. Be2 Bb7 12. dxc5 Bxc5. For 12. ... Nxc5 13. Ne5 Rc8 14. Ndf3 Qa5 see Donaldson – Sadvakasov, 30th Continental Open, Los Angeles 2000. 13. Nd4. 13. Ne5 Bb4 14. Ndf3 Rc8 leads to nothing special. 13. ... e5. 13. ... Qb6 14. Bf3 Rac8 looks a better way to seek equality. 14. Nf5. Threatening Bb2xe5. 14. ... g6 15. Ng3. 15. Nh6+ Kg7 16. Ng4 Qe7 is not as strong as it looks. 15. ... Qe7 16. Bf3 Bxf3 17. Qxf3 Ba3. This turns out to be much more weakening than it may appear at first sight. After 17. ... Rac8 18. Nde4 Bb4 Black position is more tenable. 18. Bxa3 Qxa3 19. Nde4 Nxe4? From bad to worse. Black should have played 19. ... Ne8 in order to answer 20. Qd1 by 20. ... Qe7 followed by ... Ra8-a7. 20. Nxe4 f5 21. Ng5 e4

22. Qd1! Nf6 23. Ne6 Rf7? Comparatively better was 23. ... Rfc8, even though after 24. Rxc8+ Rxc8 25. Qd4 Qe7 26. Qb6! White keeps a very powerful grip on her opponent’s position. 24. Qd4 Qe7. Not 24. ... Qxa2? 25. Ng5 Rff8 26. Rc7 and wins. 25. Rc6 h6? Bad, but after 25. ... Ne8 26. Rfc1 Black is doomed anyway. 26. Rfc1 Ne8 27. Nf4 1 : 0. Being 75 years old and playing like Capablanca at 30 years of age must give great satisfaction! Bravo, Nona Terentevna!

Nona Terentevna Gaprindashvili
Photo: msy.gov.ge

A Star Called Nona

• Evgeny Surov, Звезда по имени Нона (A Star Called Nona), Chess-News.ru, May 4, 2016

Tbilisi, Georgia, opened its doors to host a liturgical mass celebration of the 75th birthday of five-time Women’s World Chess Champion Nona Terentevna Gaprindashvili.

Nona Terentevna Gaprindashvili is handed flowers amid the crowd; in front of her (on the right) is FIDE President Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov, who, on the occasion, was accompanied by his family. Major political leaders such as, for instance, former Prime Minister of Georgia Bidzina Ivanishvili and current Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili joined the party. Photo: Chess-News.ru (@Chess__News).

It was year 1963. Nona Terentevna just became Women’s World Chess Champion. She will wear the crown as Chess Queen four times more. Photo: Chess-News.ru.

The solemn celebration in honour of Nona Terentevna Gaprindashvili was staged at the Rustaveli National Theatre in Tblisi, Georgia. FIDE President Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov (the three pictures above to his credit) acted as master of ceremonies.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Mariya Muzychuk – Nona Terentevna Gaprindashvili
Women’s World Rapid Chess Championship; Batumi, May 31, 2012
Sicilian Defence B21

1. d4 c5 2. e4 cxd4 3. c3!? The so-called Smith–Morra Gambit. 3. ... dxc3 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 d6 6. Bc4 e6 7. 0-0 Be7 8. Qe2 a6 9. Rd1 Qc7 10. Bf4 Ne5. From a theoretical point of view, it’s probably best 10. ... Nf6 in order to met 11. e5? with 11. ... Nh5! turning the tables! 11. Bb3. Also tempting is 11. Bxe5! dxe5 12. Rac1 Qb8 (also after 12. ... Qa5 13. Bb5+ Kf8 14. Nxe5 axb5 15. Nxb5 g6 16. Rc7 White’s attack is very powerful) 13. Bb5+!! axb5 (or 13. ... Kf8 14. Na4 with a vehement attack) 14. Nxb5 Kf8 15. Nc7 Ra7 16. Qb5 Nf6 17. Qxe5 Kg8 18. Nxe6 Ra8 19. Nc7 Be6 20. Nxa8 Qxa8 21. Nd4 Ng4 22. Qc7 Bg5 23. Nxe6 fxe6 24. Rd7 Qf8 25. Qb6 h5 26. Rcc7 Rh6 27. h3 Ne5 28. Rxg7+ Qxg7 29. Rxg7+ Kxg7 30. Qxb7+ Nf7 31. a4 e5 32. a5 Bd8 33. a6 Rb6 34. Qc8 Rxb2 35. a7 Bb6 36. a8=Q Rb1+ 37. Kh2 Bxf2 38. Qg8+ 1 : 0 Maclès – Paoli, Le Havre 1966. 11. ... Bd7? Correct was 11. ... Nf6! 12. Bxe5 dxe5 13. Rac1 Qb8 14. Na4 (14. Qe3 Nd7) 14. ... b5 (or 14. ... Nd7 15. Rxd7 Bxd7 16. Nb6 Ra7 17. Nxd7 Kxd7 18. Qd3+ Ke8 19. Nxe5! b5 20. Qc3) 15. Nc5 0-0 16. Qe3 when White has obvious compensation, but probably nothing more. 12. Rac1 Qb8 13. Bxe5! “It’s hard to believe that nobody has played in the same way before [...]”, Grandmaster Mikhail Golubev said. 13. ... dxe5. Now White demolishes the last defences of the enemy with a series of shining sacrifices.

14. Rxd7! Kxd7 15. Ba4+ b5 16. Nxb5! axb5 17. Bxb5+ Kd8. Not 17. ... Kd6 18. Qd1 mate. 18. Rd1+ Kc8 19. Bd7+!? “A direct win, although it was harder to calculate, could be achieved by 19. Ba6+ Rxa6 20. Qxa6+ Qb7 21. Qc4+! Qc7 22. Qa4! Kb8 23. Nxe5! Qxe5 24. Qe8+ Kb7 25. Rd7+ Kb6 26. Qa8! Qc7 27. Rxc7 Kxc7 28. a4”, Golubev said. 19. ... Kb7. “More persistent was 19. ... Kd8, after which white surely can check from b5 and go to the variation mentioned above, however 20. Ba4+ also can be played (depriving Black of an opportunity to play ... Qb8xb5 in the further variation) 20. ... Kc8 21. Rc1+ Kd8 22. Qd2+ Bd6 23. Nxe5! Ra6 (exactly this way) 24. Qg5+ (24. Rc6 Ke7 25. Nd7! would also be good) 24. ... Nf6 25. Nxf7+ Ke7 26. Nxd6 with an overwhelming advantage. Gaprindashvili’s choice fasterned the finish”, Golubev said. 20. Qb5+ Ka7 21. Qa5+ Kb7 22. Bc6+ Kc8. After 22. ... Kxc6 23. Nxe5+ Black must give up her Queen to avoid mate. 23. Bxa8 Qc7 24. Qa6+ Kb8 25. Nxe5! 1 : 0.

Mariya Muzychuk
Photo: Chess-News.ru