Cornelian dilemma

Sabina-Francesca Foişor – 于润荷 (Jennifer Yú)
61st U.S. Women’s Chess Championship; Saint Louis, October 9, 2022
Slav Defence D12

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 Bf5 4. c4 c6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nh4 Bg6 7. Be2 Be7 8. Nxg6. Another continuation is 8. 0-0 Nbd7 9. g3 dxc4 10. Nxg6 hxg6 11. Bxc4 Qa5 12. Bd3 Rd8 13. Bd2 Qc7 14. Rc1 e5 15. Qf3 exd4 16. exd4 Nb6 17. Rfe1 Qd7 18. Bf1 0-0 19. Rcd1 Rfe8 20. Bg5 Nfd5 21. Bc1 Qf5 22. Kg2 Bb4 23. Rxe8+ Rxe8 24. Nxd5 Nxd5 25. Bc4 Ba5 26. Qxf5 gxf5 27. Bxd5 cxd5 28. Be3 Rc8 29. Rc1 Rxc1 30. Bxc1 Kf8 31. Kf3 ½ : ½ Gelfand – Goryachkina, 2nd FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament, Riga 2021.
8. ... hxg6 9. Qc2 Qc7 10. g3 Nbd7 11. Bd2 g5!? Black’s move suggests that 于 (Yú) aims at something more ambitious than 11. ... a6 12. a3 (12. Rc1!?) 12. ... dxc4 13. Bxc4 c5 with approximate equality, Abramović – Sa. Martinović, International Tournament Zagreb Open 2008, Zagreb 2008
12. 0-0 dxc4 13. e4 e5! 14. d5. Obviously not 14. dxe5?? because of 14. ... Nxe5 followed by ... Qc7-d7-h3 with devastating effect.
14. ... Nb6 15. dxc6? A careless move which allows Black to get more than she was going to pay for. White’s best was 15. Bxg5 Qc8 (idem to say 15. ... Qd7) 16. h4 Qh3 (Δ ... Be7-c5) 17. Nd1! Bc5 18. Qc3 cxd5 19. Qxe5+ Kf8 20. Be3 Bxe3 21. Nxe3 Re8 22. Qd6+ Kg8 23. exd5 Re4! with a volatile, dynamic and complex equilibrium.

15. ... Qc8! This sharp zwischenzug threatens the invasion ... Qc8-h3.
16. Bf3? Another misstep. White seems to have no better than 16. g4, although after 16. ... Qxc6 (16. ... Nxg4?? 17. cxb7+−) 17. Kg2 0-0-0 Black has a Pawn ahead and the initiative (18. Bxg5? Nxe4!).
16. ... Qh3 17. Rfe1 bxc6! Cool as ice.
18. Be3

18. ... Nfd7? Strangely, 于 (Yú) is more worried about losing the g-Pawn than what she could get by pushing on her attack. Consistent and strong was 18. ... Qxh2+ 19. Kf1 Nh5! (Δ ... Nh5xg3+) 20. Ne2 (if 20. Bg2 then 20. ... Rh6! Δ ... Rh6-f6) 20. ... Nf4! and Black’s attack continues.
19. Na4! Qxh2+ 20. Kf1 Qh3+ 21. Bg2 Qe6 22. Rac1 f6 23. Red1 Kf7 24. a3 Nxa4 25. Qxa4 Nb6 26. Bxb6 axb6 27. Qxc4 Qxc4+ 28. Rxc4. The worst is now over, and Foişor can reasonably hope for a draw.
28. ... c5 29. Rc3 b5 30. Rcd3 g4 31. f3 gxf3 32. Bxf3 g6 33. Kg2 b4 34. axb4 cxb4 35. R1d2 Ra1 36. Bd1 f5 37. Rf3 Bg5 38. Rd7+ Ke6 39. Rfd3 Be7 (39. ... fxe4?? 40. Bg4+ Kf6 41. R3d6#)
40. Rb7? The curse of time (that is, the 40th move!) strikes. Correct was 40. exf5+ gxf5 41. g4! with a likely draw.

40. ... Kf6? Once again 于 (Yú) let the victory slip. Black should have played here 40. ... fxe4 eventually followed by ... Be7-c5-d4.
41. Rb6+ Kg5 42. Rb5 Rb1 43. Rxe5 Rxb2+ 44. Kf3 Bf6 45. Red5 Bc3 46. exf5 gxf5 47. Re3 Rh1 48. Be2 Rh2 49. Rd1? But again a reversal takes place! 49. Re8= was good enough to save the day.

49. ... Bf6? Carpe diem: 49. ... Bd2!−+ 50. Rd3 (should the White Rook leave the third rank, there would follow 50. ... Rb3+ with mate in two) 50. ... Bc1! 51. Rxc1 Rbxe2 52. Rf1 Ra2! 53. Rb2 Rhc2! and White cannot capture the b-Pawn because of the mate at c3.
50. Re8 Rb3+ 51. Re3 Rxe3+ 52. Kxe3 Be5 53. Rb1? White misses her last chance, that is, 53. Rd5!= (and if 53. ... Bxg3 then 54. Bd3 with a draw in view).
53. ... Bd6! 54. Kf3 Bc5! Menacing mate at f2.
55. Rf1 b3 56. Bd3 b2 57. Bb1 Rd2 58. Ba2 Bb6 59. Bb1 Bd4 60. Ba2 Rd3+ 61. Kg2 Be5 62. Rf3 Rd1 63. Rf1 Rxf1 64. Kxf1 Kg4 65. Bb1 Bxg3 66. Ke2 f4 67. Ba2 f3+ 68. Ke3 Bh4 69. Bb1 Kg3 70. Be4 Bg5+ 71. Kd4 0 : 1. And White resigned without waiting for 71. ... f2.

It is as if to say, all’s well that ends well. Photo © Bryan Adams/Saint Louis Chess Club.

Between the Acts

于润荷 (Jennifer Yú) – Sabina-Francesca Foişor
58th U.S. Women’s Chess Championship; Saint Louis, March 27, 2019
English Opening A21

1. c4 e5 2. e3 f5 3. d4 e4 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. Nge2 g6 6. Nf4 Bg7. An immediate 6. ... Bh6 proved to be insufficient in at least two “serious” games: 7. Be2 (7. b4 Nc6 8. Rb1 Ne7 9. h4 0-0 10. d5 Ne8 11. c5 d6 12. Bc4 a5 13. b5 Kh8 14. c6 bxc6 15. dxc6 Bg7 16. Bb2 Be5 17. h5 Kg7 18. hxg6 hxg6 19. Nh5+ Kh6 20. Nxe4 1 : 0 Kuligowski – Nogueiras, 24th Chess Olympiad, La Valletta 1980) 7. ... 0-0 8. b3 c6 9. Ba3 d6 10. d5 g5 11. Ne6 Bxe6 12. dxe6 Qa5 13. Qc1 Qe5 14. Qd2 Rd8 15. 0-0-0 Na6 16. Qd4 Qxe6 17. Bxd6 Bg7 18. Qe5 Qc8 19. Qg3 h6 20. c5 b6 21. Be7 Rxd1+ 22. Rxd1 Qb7 23. Qd6 Nh7 24. Qe6+ Kh8 25. Rd7 Nc7 26. Qf7 1 : 0 Harikrishna – Gashimov, 19th World Youth Chess Championship Under-16, Oropesa del Mar 1999. 7. h4! Nc6 8. h5 Ne7. If 8. ... g5? then 9. h6! as in the game. 9. c5 g5? 9. ... d5 10. cxd6 Qxd6 11. Nb5 is likewise unpleasant, but probably a little more sustainable, even though at cost of loss of material; an example variation is 11. ... Qd7 12. h6! Bf8 13. d5! a6 14. Qd4 axb5 15. Qxf6 Rg8 16. Be2 Ra6 17. Qc3 g5 18. Bh5+ Kd8 19. Ne6+ Rxe6 20. dxe6 Qxe6 21. Qb3!± forcing the exchange of Queens and the passage to a better ending. 10. h6! gxf4 (10. ... Bf8 11. Nh5+−) 11. hxg7 Rg8. It is not a thing that happens every day: Black is doomed after only 11 moves!

12. Rxh7! f3!? Not 12. ... Nxh7?? because of 13. Qh5+ Ng6 14. Qxg6+ Ke7 15. Nd5 mate. 13. Rh6 Ng4 14. Rh8 fxg2 15. Bxg2 d5 16. cxd6 Qxd6 17. Qb3 Be6 18. Nb5?? It’s inexplicable why 于 (Yú) did not take the b7-Pawn, which would have ensured her both a material and positional advantage and, likely, a win. One could only observe that, in his third age, 1st World Chess Champion Wilhelm Steinitz used to earn his living in the U.S. with much more pragmatism! 18. ... Bxb3 19. Nxd6+ cxd6 20. axb3 Kf7 21. Bd2 a6 22. Bb4. Somewhat simpler was, perhaps, 22. f3 Nf6 23. fxe4 fxe4 24. Rxg8 Rxg8 25. Rc1 Rxg7 26. Kf2 Ned5 with a roughly balanced ending — two good Knights versus a not-too-strong Bishop pair. 22. ... Ke6 23. Rxg8? Much better seems 23. Rh1! Rxg7 24. Bf1! with safe equality. 23. ... Rxg8 24. Bf1? And 于 (Yú) keeps playing with fire — 24. Bc3 Nd5 25. Bf1 Rxg7 26. Bc4 Nf6 is not comfortable, but yet bearable. 24. ... Rxg7. The tables have dramatically turned, and now White must invent something to save the day. 25. Rc1 Kd7? 25. ... Rh7! followed by the Rook’s invasion into White’s camp seemed decisive. 26. Be2 Nd5 27. Ba5 Nh2 28. Bc4 Nf6 29. Be2 Nf3+? Once again, Foişor misses her big chance: 29. ... Ke6! 30. Bc4+ d5! 31. Bf1 Rg1 leaves Black with a dominant position. 30. Bxf3! Rg1+ 31. Kd2 Rxc1 32. Bxe4. 32. Kxc1?? exf3 33. Kd1 Ne4 tellingly demonstrates that a Knight can also bring rich rewards. 32. ... Ra1 33. Bxf5+ Ke7 34. Bc3. Although her half “bad” dark-square Bishop, White has more than enough compensation for the Exchange, both positional and material, and Foişor should hurry to seek a draw. 34. ... a5 35. e4 d5 36. f3 b5 37. b4 a4 38. Kd3 Ne8 39. e5 Ng7 40. Bg4 Ne6 41. Bf5 Rh1 42. Ke3 Rh2 43. Bd3 Nc7 44. f4 Rh3+ 45. Kd2 Rh2+ 46. Ke3 Rh3+ 47. Kd2 Ke6? Maybe Black could have saved herself even later (I wouldn’t be so sure of that), but Foişor would have done better to immediately “book” a draw by 47. ... Rh2+ — now instead, White’s Bishop comes immediately back to life: 48. f5+! Kd7 49. Ke2 Kc6 50. Bd2! Rh2+ 51. Kd1 Rh4 52. Be3 Kd7 53. Kc2 Rg4 54. Be2 Rg2 55. Kd1 Ke7 56. Ke1 Kf7 57. Bf4 Rg1+ 58. Kd2 Rg2 59. e6+ Nxe6 60. fxe6+ Kxe6 61. Ke3 Kf5 62. Bd6 Ke6 63. Bc5 Rg3+ 64. Kf4 Rb3 65. Bxb5 Rxb2 66. Bxa4 Rf2+ 67. Ke3 Rb2 68. Bc6 Rb1 69. b5 Kf5 70. b6 Rb3+ 71. Kd2 Ke4 72. b7 1 : 0.

After Round Seven, 于润荷 (Jennifer Yú) still has the sole lead with 6½/7, half a point ahead of Anna Vitalievna Zatonskih. Photo © Austin Fuller/Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis.

The Checkered Blouse

雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) – Sabina-Francesca Foişor
7th World Women’s Team Chess Championship; Astana, March 13, 2019
Spanish Game C95

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 0-0 8. c3 d6 9. h3 Nb8 10. d4 Nbd7 11. Nbd2 Bb7 12. Bc2 Re8 13. Nf1 Bf8 14. Ng3 g6 15. d5. By closing the centre now, White gets little or nothing. More advisable is 15. Bg5 h6 16. Bd2 Bg7 17. a4 Nb6 18. axb5 axb5 19. b3 Nfd7 20. Bd3 b4 21. Rxa8 Bxa8 22. dxe5 Nxe5 23. Nxe5 dxe5 24. Qc2 bxc3 25. Bxc3⩲ Karpov – Kortschnoi, Leningrad 1971, match game 1. 15. ... c6 16. dxc6 Bxc6 17. Bg5. Indeed, it makes more sense than 17. Be3 Nc5 18. Nd2 d5! 19. Qf3? (19. Bg5 was called for) 19. ... Nfxe4 20. Ndxe4 dxe4 21. Nxe4? f5−+ E. P. Geller – Ibragimov, 48th Russian Chess Championship, Elista 1995. 17. ... Nc5. Black should have played 17. ... h6(!), questioning White’s Bishop. 18. Qd2 Bb7 19. Rad1 Ne6 20. Bh6 Bxh6 21. Qxh6 Qe7 22. a4 Red8 23. Qe3. If 23. Ng5 Black can reply with 23. ... Nxg5 24. Qxg5 Nd5! getting close to equality. 23. ... Nc5 24. a5 Rac8 25. Rd2 Rc7 26. Red1 Rcd7 27. b4 Ne6 28. Bb3 Nf4 29. c4 bxc4 30. Bxc4 d5?? The idea may be right but the timing is totally wrong! Black should have played something like 30. ... Rc8 31. Bf1 Rdd8 with a tenable game. Now it’s quickly over: 31. exd5 N4xd5 32. Qxe5 Qxb4 33. Bxd5 Rxd5. On 33. ... Nxd5 34. Ne4! is crushing. 34. Qxf6 Rxd2 35. Nxd2 Rxd2 36. Re1 Qf8

37. Nf5! Threatening both Nf5-e7+ and Re1-e8. 37. ... gxf5 38. Qg5+ Kh8 39. Qxd2 f6 40. Qd7 Be4 41. Rc1 1 : 0.

雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) (with checkered dress) vs. Sabina-Francesca Foişor. Photo © David Llada.

I’ll Tell the World

Nazí Nodarovna Paikidze (@NaziPaiki)

Her Mother’s Daughter

Apurva Virkud – Sabina-Francesca Foişor
57th U.S. Women’s Chess Championship; Saint Louis, April 9, 2017
Nimzo-Indian Defence E39

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 0-0 5. Nf3 c5 6. dxc5 Na6 7. c6 bxc6 8. g3 d5 9. Bd2? A disastrous novelty. Theory gives 9. Bg2 or 9. a3; for instance: 9. a3 Bxc3+ 10. Qxc3 Nc5 11. Bg2 Ba6 12. Qc2 dxc4 13. 0-0 Nb3 14. Rb1 Qa5 15. Bg5 Rad8 16. Rfe1 Rd5 17. Bxf6 gxf6 18. Qe4 Nd2 19. Qg4+ Kh8 20. Rbc1 Rfd8 21. Qf4 Kg7 22. Qg4+ Kh8 23. Qf4 Kg7 24. Qg4+ ½ : ½ Ivanišević – Pelletier, 40th Chess Olympiad, Istanbul 2012. 9. ... d4 10. Ne4 Rb8 11. Nxf6+ Qxf6 12. Bg2 e5 13. 0-0 Bf5. Black stands much better already. 14. Qc1 Bxd2 15. Qxd2 h6 16. Qa5 c5 17. b3 e4 18. Nd2 Rfe8 19. Rad1 Rb6 20. Nb1 Qe7 21. e3 Bg4 22. Rd2? This allows Black a superb crescendo.

22. ... Nb4! Cutting Her Majesty off from the world. 23. exd4. If, instead, 23. h3 then 23. ... Ra6! 24. Qb5 Bd7 25. Qb7 Qd8! with the threat of ... Bd7-c6 trapping the White Queen. 23. ... e3! 24. fxe3 Qxe3+ 25. Kh1. Also 25. Rdf2 is met by 25. ... Rf6. 25. ... Rf6 26. Rg1 Qxg1+! 27. Kxg1 Re1+ 28. Bf1 Rfxf1+ 29. Kg2 Rg1+ 30. Kf2 Ref1+ 31. Ke3 Rf3+ 0 : 1. For after 31. Ke2 (or 32. Ke4 Re1+) 32. ... Rf5+ 33. Ke3 Re1+ mate follows.

Standing is Nazí Paikidze literally “struck to the board” of Sabina-Francesca Foişor’s game. Photo: Christopher Yapp‏ (@yappattack).