ELIZABETH PAEHTZ IS THE EUROPEAN ACP RAPID CHAMPION

European ACP Women’s Rapid Chess Championships 2018 took place on 30 and 31 March in Tbilisi, Georgia, with participation of 78 players from 16 European federations.

The European ACP Women’s Rapid Chess Championship was played in Hotel Iota, as the official venue of the event. After two days and 11 rounds, five players tied for the first place, each with 8 points. According to the tiebreak system, Elizabeth Paehtz of Germany ( 2475 Rapid) became the new European ACP Rapid Chess Champion, while the second place went to Anastasia Bodnaruk of Russia (2425 Rapid) and defending champion Anna Muzychuk of Ukraine (2611 Rapid) took bronze.

The total combined Rapid and Blitz prize fund of the event was 20.500€, with 14.500€ reserved for the Rapid Championship.

The event was organized by government of Georgia, the Tbilisi City Hall, the Georgian chess federation and the Association of Chess Professionals (ACP) under the auspices of the European Chess Union.

Most of these ladies will now travel to Vysoké Tatry, Slovakia, for the 11 round European Women’s Championship that starts on 8 April. At stake will be 14 slots for the next Women’s World Championship knockout tournament.

Here is Paehtz' win against 2004 Women's World Champion Antoaneta Stefanova:

Paehtz, Elisabeth (2475) - Stefanova, Antoaneta (2471)

EIWCC Rapid 2018 Tblisi (4), 30.03.2018

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Qb3 e6 5.g3 Nbd7 6.Bg2 D11: Slav Defence: 3 Nf3 sidelines and 3...Nf6 4 e3 Bg4 

6...b6 7.Nc3 [7.0–0 Be7 8.Bf4 0–0 9.Nc3 Nh5 10.Be3 Bb7 11.Rfd1 Bd6 12.Rac1 Qe7 13.cxd5 exd5 14.Bg5 f6 15.Bd2 f5 16.Bg5 Qe6 17.e3 1/2–1/2 (78) Van Wely,L (2609)-Korobov,A (2750) Schifflange 2017] 

7...Ba6 8.cxd5 White is slightly better. 

8...cxd5 9.Qa4 Bb7 

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10.Ne5N [10.Bg5 Be7 11.Ne5 0–0 12.Bxf6 Nxf6 13.0–0 Qe8 14.Qb3 Nd7 1/2–1/2 (69) Nyzhnyk,I (2637) -Bukavshin,I (2510) Warsaw 2012] 

10...a6 11.0–0 b5 12.Qd1 Nxe5 13.dxe5 Nd7 14.e4ƒ White has some pressure. 

14...d4! 15.Qxd4 Bc5 16.Qd1 Nxe5 17.Qh5 Qf6 [Black should play 17...Nd3= ] 

18.Bf4² Bd4 19.Rad1 g6 [19...Bxc3!² 20.bxc3 Nc4] 

20.Qe2 [White should try 20.Qh6± Ng4 21.Qh3 Bxc3 22.bxc3 (22.Qxg4 h5±) ] 

20...Bxc3!= 21.bxc3 Hoping for Qd2. 

21...0–0! 22.Bh6 Rfd8 23.f4 Rxd1! 24.Rxd1 Nc4 25.Rd7! Black must now prevent e5. 

25...Qxc3? [25...e5!²] 

26.Rxb7+- Rd8 27.f5 Nd6 28.Ra7 Strongly threatening fxe6. 

28...exf5 29.exf5 [Don't do 29.Rxa6?! fxe4 30.Bg5 Qc5+ 31.Be3 Qc8+-] 

29...Nxf5 

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30.Rd7! Qa1+ [30...Rxd7 31.Qe8#] 

31.Bf1 Rc8 32.Bf4 Qf6 33.Qd3 h5 34.Bd2 Kh7 [34...Qb6+ keeps fighting. 35.Kh1 Qf6] 

35.Qd5 Kg8 36.Bd3 Ne7 37.Qd6 Qa1+ 38.Bf1 Nf5 39.Qd5 Qf6 40.Bd3 [¹40.Bg5 Qb6+ 41.Kh1] 

40...Ne7 41.Qd4 Qe6? [41...Qxd4+ 42.Rxd4 Nc6] 

42.Rd8+ Rxd8 43.Qxd8+ Kh7 44.Qd4 Nc6 45.Qe4 Qxa2 

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46.Bc3! White threatens Qe8 and mate. 
46...b4? [46...Qe6 47.Qf4 Qe7] 
47.Bf6 [Not 47.Qxc6 bxc3 48.Qxc3 a5±; ¹47.Bc4 Qa5 48.Bxf7 (48.Qxc6 bxc3 49.Bxf7 Qf5±) ] 
47...Qa4? [47...Qe6+-] 
48.Qe8 White mates. 
48...Qd1+ 49.Bf1 Qd5 50.Qh8#  1–0