US WOMEN’S CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP 2018 ROUND 10

Heading into the final round we have a sense of déjà vu all over again. Wang leads Paikidze by half a point, identical to the situation at the end of round 6 before the rest day.

Round 10 could have sealed tournament victory for Wang. Instead, however, Paikidze’s win and Wang’s draw closed the gap to a margin that creates the possibility of a play off for the title.

GM Irina Krush also closed the gap to Wang, moving into a clear third place. But her one and a half point deficit leaves the seven time champion out of the running for 2018.

Abrahamyan,Tatev (2366) - Paikidze,Nazi (2352)

US-ch Women 2018 Saint Louis (10), 28.04.2018

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 b5 4.Bd3 [4.a3 dxe4 5.Nxe4 Nf6 6.Bd3 g6 7.Bg5 Bg7 8.Nf3 0–0 9.Qd2 Bf5 10.Nxf6+ exf6 11.Be3 Bxd3 12.Qxd3 Nd7 13.d5 0–1 (41) Belyakov,B (2487)-Howell,D (2644) Doha 2016] 

4...b4 5.Nce2 dxe4 6.Bxe4 B15: Caro-Kann: 3 Nc3: 3...g6 and 3...dxe4 4 Nxe4 Nf6 5 Nxf6+ exf6 

6...Nf6 7.Bf3 e6 

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8.Nh3 The position is equal. 

8...Bd6N [8...Be7 9.0–0 0–0 10.Nhf4 Bb7 11.Nd3 Nbd7 1/2–1/2 (41) Abrahams,D (2080)-Garcia Albarracin,F (2374) Porto 2015] 

9.Nhf4 Qc7 10.Nd3 Nbd7 11.Bf4 Bxf4 12.Nexf4 Rb8 13.0–0 0–0 14.a3 a5 15.axb4 axb4 16.Qd2 Qd6 17.Qe3ƒ White has some pressure. 

17...Nd5 18.Bxd5! cxd5 19.b3 Ba6 20.Ra4 Rfc8 21.Rc1 Rb6 22.Qd2 Rcb8 23.Rca1 Bxd3 24.Nxd3 h6 25.Ra7 Re8 26.h3 Reb8 27.R1a4 Nf6 28.Nc5 e5 29.dxe5 Qxe5 30.Na6 Ne4 31.Qe3 [31.Qe1² Rf8 32.Nc5! (32.Rxb4 Qf6=; 32.Nxb4 Qc3³) ] 

31...d4!= 32.Qe1 Re8 33.Nxb4 Rg6 

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[33...Nc5= remains equal. 34.Qxe5 Rxe5] 

34.Ra8!± Rxa8 35.Rxa8+ Kh7 36.Ra6 f6 [36...Rxa6± was worth a try. 37.Nxa6 f5] 

37.Nd3 Qf5 Threatens to win with ...Qf3. 

38.Ra5?? [38.Qe2+- and life is good for White.] 

38...Qf3!–+ Black has strong compensation. 

39.Qf1 

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39...Nd2! 40.Ne1? [40.Kh1 Qc6 41.Qg1 (41.Nb4? Qc3–+) 41...Qxc2 42.Nf4] 

40...Qd1  0–1

Goletiani,Rusudan (2306) - Krush,Irina (2422)

US-ch Women 2018 Saint Louis (10), 28.04.2018

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 e6 4.c4 dxc4 5.Qa4+ c6 6.Qxc4 b5 7.Qc2 Bb7 8.0–0 Nbd7 A13: English Opening: 1...e6 

9.b3 [9.d4 c5 10.Nc3 a6 11.Bg5 Rc8 12.Rad1 Qb6 13.Qd2 Be7 14.Ne5 Bxg2 15.Nxd7 Nxd7 16.Kxg2 cxd4 17.Bxe7 Kxe7 18.Qxd4 Qxd4 19.Rxd4 1/2–1/2 (55) Mamedov,R (2688)-Ghaem Maghami,E (2574) Doha 2016] 

9...Be7 10.Bb2 0–0 11.Nc3 

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11...Qb6 12.d3N [12.Ng5 h6 13.Nge4 Nd5 14.d3 Nb4 15.Qd1 c5 16.a3 0–1 (43) Skembris,S (2412)-David,A (2584) Loutraki 2015] 

12...c5 13.e4 Rac8 14.Nd2 Nb8 15.Ne2 Nc6 16.a3 Rfd8 17.Rac1 Rd7 18.Nf3 Rcd8 19.Rfd1 [19.Nf4=] 

19...b4 20.a4 Ba6 [20...h6³] 

21.Nf4= Rc8 22.Rd2 Rdc7 23.h4 Nd4 24.Qd1 Nd7 25.Bh3 [25.e5= remains equal.] 

25...Bf6µ 26.Ne1 Ne5 27.Nfg2 Nec6ƒ White is under strong pressure. 

28.Rb1 Na5 29.Bc1? [29.Bxd4µ Bxd4 30.Qe2] 

29...Naxb3–+ 30.Rxb3 Nxb3 31.Qxb3 c4 32.dxc4 Bxc4 [Resist 32...Rxc4 33.Bb2–+] 

33.Qb1? 

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[33.Qf3] 

33...Ba2! Black is clearly winning. 

34.Qxa2 b3 35.Qa3 Rxc1 36.e5 Bxe5 37.a5 

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37...Qb8! 38.Rd8+ Rxd8 39.Qxc1 b2 40.Qb1 Qc7 Strongly threatening ...Qc1. 

41.Nc2 Qxa5 42.Nge3 Qa1  0–1