US WOMEN’S CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 8

Wow, all six games were decisive and one of them surprising at that too!

Early on Paikidze held her cool to win with black against Foisor, taking her to 6/8. At that stage Krush had a winning position against tournament leader Wang. Victory would have put her, Paikidze and Wang just a half point apart with three rounds to play.

That was until Krush blundered with Rxa2 on move 47. The loss drops Krush to fifth place and no chance at winning the tournament with 2.5 points off the lead.

Round 9 will have Paikidze facing leader Wang with the white pieces. Victory will close the gap, but a loss will extend Wang’s lead to an untouchable two full points.

Foisor,Sabina-Francesca (2308) - Paikidze,Nazi (2352)

US-ch Women 2018 Saint Louis (8), 26.04.2018

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Bg5 dxc4 6.e4 c5 7.e5 cxd4 8.exf6 gxf6 9.Bh4 D39: Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defence with 5 Bg5 dxc4 [9.Qa4+ Nc6 10.0–0–0 Bd7 11.Nxd4 Bxc3 12.Nxc6 fxg5 13.Qa3 Qf6 14.Rxd7 Kxd7 15.bxc3 Qf4+ 16.Kb2 Qxf2+ 17.Ka1 Qe1+ 18.Kb2 bxc6 0–1 (18) Londyn,R (2401) -Kobo,O (2490) Teplice 2016] 

9...Nc6 10.a3 Ba5 11.Nxd4 Black is slightly better. 

11...Nxd4 [Don't play 11...Qxd4?! 12.Qxd4 Nxd4 13.0–0–0³] 

12.Bxc4 

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12...Nf5! 13.Bb5+N [13.Bxf6 Qxf6 14.Qa4+ Bd7 15.Qxa5 Nd4 16.Rd1 Bc6 0–1 (25) Vul,A-Estrin,Y Moscow (Russia) 1983] 

13...Ke7 14.Qa4 [14.Bg3µ] 

14...Nxh4 15.Qxh4 Qd5! 16.b4 [¹16.Qa4 Bxc3+ 17.bxc3] 

16...Qe5+–+ [But not 16...Qxg2? 17.bxa5 Rd8 18.Qb4+ Rd6 19.Rf1+-] 

17.Kd2 Rd8+ 18.Kc2 Bb6 White must now prevent ...Bd4. 

19.Qxh7? [19.Rad1 a6 20.Rxd8 Bxd8 21.f4] 

19...Bd4 20.Rad1 Qc7 [20...Bxc3? 21.Rxd8 Kxd8 22.Rd1+ Bd4 23.Qxf7–+] 

21.Rd3 e5 [¹21...a5 22.Rc1 axb4 23.axb4 Bxc3 24.Rxc3 Qe5] 

22.f4? [22.Rc1 Be6 23.Kd2] 

22...Be6 23.fxe5 intending Rxd4. 

23...Bxe5 24.Re1 Rac8 25.Ree3 a6 26.Ba4 Qc4 

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aiming for ...Qa2+. 

27.Rxd8 Qa2+ 28.Kd1 Rxd8+ 29.Rd3 Bg4+  0–1

Wang,Annie (2321) - Krush,Irina (2422)

US-ch Women 2018 Saint Louis (8), 26.04.2018

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 c5 5.dxc5 Qc7 6.e3 E38: Nimzo-Indian: Classical: 4...c5 

6...Bxc5 7.Nf3 a6 8.Bd3 b6 9.b3 Bb7 10.Bb2 Be7 11.0–0 d6 

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12.Rfd1N [12.Qe2 Nbd7 13.e4 0–0 14.Rad1 Rfe8 1–0 (63) Granda Zuniga,J (2601)-Slipak,S (2489) Villa Martelli 2005] 

12...Nbd7 13.Rac1 Nc5 14.Be2 0–0 15.Nd4 Rfd8 16.Ba1 [16.f3 is more complex. 16...Rac8 17.b4 Ncd7 18.a3 Ne5 19.Na4] 

16...Rac8 17.Bf3 Bxf3 18.Nxf3 Qb7 19.Qe2 Nfe4 20.Nxe4 Nxe4 21.Nd2 Nf6 22.e4 Rd7 23.Rc3 b5 24.Rg3 e5 25.Re3 Bd8 26.Re1 Bb6 27.Rd3 Bc5 28.Bc3 h6 29.Qf3 Rdd8 30.h3 Nh7 31.Qg4 Ng5 32.Rg3 Qe7 33.Rf1 Ne6 34.Kh1 g6 35.Qf3 Nf4 36.Rg4 Nh5 37.Qd3 Kh7 38.cxb5 axb5 39.Ba5 [39.Qxb5= keeps the balance. 39...Nf4 40.Ba5] 

39...Rf8µ 40.Qxb5 

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40...Qa7! 41.Kg1 [41.Bb4µ] 

41...Bd4 White must now prevent ...Rc5. 

42.Nc4 [42.Bb4µ] 

42...Rxc4? [42...Rc5–+ 43.Qb4 Ra8] 

43.bxc4= Rb8 44.Qd5 Rb2 45.Bd8 Qd7 [Better is 45...Rxa2³ 46.Kh2 Rxf2] 

46.Qa8 Ba7 

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And now ...Rb8 would win. 

47.Bh4 Hoping for Rd1. 

47...Rxa2 [47...Rb8!= remains equal. 48.Qd5 g5 49.Bxg5 hxg5 50.Rxg5 Nf4] 

48.Qf8± Strongly threatening Rb1. 

48...Bc5? [48...Rb2±] 

49.Rb1+- White threatens Rb8 and mate. 

49...Ba7 50.Kh2 Ra4 51.Be7 Qe6 52.Rb7 Bxf2 53.Rb8  1–0