American Cup: Krush successfully defends her title

by Carlos Alberto Colodro
3/26/2023 – Irina Krush claimed her second consecutive American Cup title in the women’s section after obtaining a 2½-1½ victory over Alice Lee. On Saturday, Lee defeated Krush in classical chess to force a rapid playoff. Krush, however, showed the better nerves in a topsy-turvy pair of rapid games to grab the title. Meanwhile, Wesley So defeated Hikaru Nakamura — also in playoffs — to force an extra rapid match in the open section. | Photo: Saint Louis Chess Club / Lennart Ootes

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A first loss in two years

The perennial favourite in US women’s events did it again. Irina Krush, an 8-time national champion, successfully defender her American Cup title in Saint Louis. For a second year in a row, she won the event by beating 13-year-old Alice Lee in the finals. Unlike last year, though, the youngster did manage to score a win over her famed opponent, as she bounced back from her loss on Friday by beating Krush in the second classical game of the match.

Playing black, Krush miscalculated on move 24, as she gave up her knight one move too early in a dynamic position.

 
Lee vs. Krush - Classical game #2

Krush’s idea to capture on e4 with the knight is not mistaken, but before taking the pawn she needed to play the intermediate 24...Rg6, threatening mate on g2. In that line, after 25.g3 Nxe4, White does not count with the winning recourse that she used in the game — i.e. the immediate 24...Nxe4 failed to 25.Nc8, attacking the rook on d6. In this case, 25...Rg6 does not work due to 26.Ne7+, with a deadly fork.

The defending champion immediately noticed she had made a grave mistake and continued with 25...d3 — after contemplating the situation for more than 20 minutes. Notwithstanding, after 26.fxe4, Black is simply a piece down with barely any compensation.

 

Lee calmly converted her advantage, simplifying the position whenever she got a chance. The match would be decided in rapid playoffs.

Alice Lee

At 13, Alice Lee has two IM norms and is ranked third among US women | Photo: Saint Louis Chess Club / Lennart Ootes

Krush’s loss in the classical game was actually her first loss in any American Cup, as she had finished the 2022 edition undefeated and had yet to concede defeat this time around. It was also the first time Lee defeated the multiple US champion in a classical game.

Nonetheless, after showing great poise in the classical game, the 13-year-old crumbled under pressure in the first encounter of the playoff. The youngster faltered in a rook ending with three pawns per side, in which she had a minute structural disadvantage.

 
Lee vs. Krush - Rapid game #1

As they were following this game parallel to the Wesley So vs Hikaru Nakamura match, the commentators safely predicted that it would end in a draw. Black does have her rook on the second rank and a better pawn structure, but rook endgames have a major drawing tendency, especially with equal material on the board.

Here, Lee’s 48.Kf1 was not a mistake, but 48.h4 was perhaps a simpler way to go about securing a draw. The king would then leave the first rank via h2 and the defensive task should not be so difficult for a player of Lee’s calibre.

In the game, the youngster began to lose the thread, and an alert Krush managed to take her chance, eventually claiming a 72-move win that once again (like at the beginning of the day) left her only needing a draw to grab the title.

The final game was a nervy affair, with Krush missing some chances to score a second consecutive win in the middlegame. However, she got to make the most of her experience once the position was simplified, as she finally signed a draw from a position of strength to win the match and collect her second American Cup title.

Irina Krush

The moment Irina Krush won the 2023 American Women’s Cup | Photo: Saint Louis Chess Club / Lennart Ootes

 
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1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 e4?! 3...Nc6 4.e3 Bb4 5.Qc2 0-0 6.Nd5 Re8 7.Ng5 g6 8.Nxf6+ 4.Ng5 c6 5.Ngxe4 Nxe4 6.Nxe4 d5 7.cxd5 cxd5 8.Ng3 h5 9.e3 h4 10.Bb5+? 10.Ne2 10...Nc6 11.Ne2 Bd6?! 11...h3 12.g3 a6 13.Bxc6+ bxc6 14.0-0 Bd6 15.b3 0-0 16.Bb2 Re8 17.Rc1 c5 18.Nc3 12.0-0 Qf6 13.f3 Bd7 14.d4 0-0-0 15.Bd2 Bc7 16.Bd3 Qd6 17.f4 g5 18.Qb3 Rhg8 19.Kh1?! 19.Qa3 19...g4 20.Rfc1 Qf6 21.Qxd5 g3?! 21...Kb8 22.Qc4 22.Qf3?! 22.Be4 22...Bg4 23.Qf1 Bxe2?? 23...gxh2 24.Be4 24.Bxe2 h3 25.Bf3 hxg2+ 26.Bxg2 gxh2 27.Qf3 Rg6?! 27...Kb8 28.Rc2 28.Rc2?! 28.Bc3 28...Rdg8 29.Be1 Kb8 30.Rac1? 30.d5 30...Qf5 31.b4 Bd6 32.a4 f6?? 32...a6 33.b5 Ba3 34.bxc6?! 34.e4 Qe6 35.bxc6 Rxg2 36.Rxg2 Rxg2 37.Qxa3 Rg1+ 38.Kxh2 Rg8 39.c7+ Kc8 40.Qh3 Qxh3+ 34...Rxg2 35.Rxg2 Rxg2 36.c7+ Kc8 37.Qxg2 Bxc1 38.Qg8+ Kxc7 39.Qc4+ Kd7 40.Qxc1 Qh3 41.Bd2 Qf3+ 42.Kxh2 Qf2+ 43.Kh1 Qf3+ 44.Kg1 Qg3+ 45.Kf1 Qf3+ 46.Ke1 f5 47.Qc4 Qg3+ 48.Kd1 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Krush,I2432Lee,A23621–02023A22American Cup 2023 Women's Championship Bracket9.1
Lee,A2362Krush,I24321–02023E11American Cup 2023 Women's Championship Bracket10.1
Lee,A2362Krush,I24320–12023E11American Cup 2023 Women's Championship Bracket11.1
Krush,I2432Lee,A2362½–½2023A40American Cup 2023 Women's Championship Bracket12.1
 

So bounces back, forces extra rapid match

Following Friday’s wild game — which ended with a good-looking stalemate — Wesley So decided to take the match to a rapid playoff by agreeing to a quick draw with the white pieces. The strategy worked out well, as he won the two 25-minute games that followed to remain in contention for the title.

Due to the double-elimination format, Hikaru Nakamura, who had not lost a single match prior to this one, will get a second chance to win the tournament on Sunday.

Hikaru Nakamura, Wesley So

In good spirits before one of their Saturday’s games — Hikaru Nakamura and Wesley So | Photo: Saint Louis Chess Club / Lennart Ootes

So outplayed Nakamura in what turned out to be a very tense first game in the playoffs. Only needing a draw with black in the next encounter, the Filipino-born star found a remarkable move out of the opening to get in the driver’s seat.

 
Nakamura vs. So - Rapid game #2

17...Bf3 is not the computer’s first line, but it is a great move under the circumstances. If White grabs the piece with 18.gxf3, there is 18...Qg5+ 19.Ng3 Bxg3, and White is forced to agree to a perpetual if he does not want to lose the game.

Nakamura naturally rejected this alternative and went for 18.Ng3 instead. In the ensuing battle, White was by no means without chances of fighting for a win, but it was apparent that the opening had been a big psychological win for So.

Forced to win to keep the match going, Nakamura ended up playing imprecise moves in the endgame, eventually allowing his opponent to grab a second consecutive win — and overall match victory. Thus, the two strongest performers of the event (and two of the very best players in the world) will play a third match in a week to decide who wins the 2023 edition of the American Cup.

Hikaru Nakamura, Wesley So

Right after Hikaru Nakamura resigned the second game of the rapid playoffs | Photo: Saint Louis Chess Club / Lennart Ootes

 
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1.c4 4 e5 45 2.Nc3 14 Nf6 5 3.Nf3 15 Nc6 5 4.e4 10 Bb4 34 5.d3 9 d6 5 6.a3 4 A28: English Opening: Four Knights Variation. Bc5 51 7.b4 19 Bb6 3 8.Na4 10 Bg4 3:03 9.Be2 46 Bxf3 35 10.Bxf3 6 Nd4 4 11.Nxb6 9 axb6 41 12.0-0 26 Qd7 17:48 13.Bb2 28 Nxf3+ 1:56 14.Qxf3 43 0-0 7 15.Qe2 5
15...Rfe8N 7:02 Predecessor: 15...Qe7 16.g3 Nd7 17.Kh1 c6 18.Rae1 Rfe8 19.f4 f6 20.f5 Qf7 21.g4 d5 1-0 Pap,G (2517)-Medvegy,Z (2547) HUN-chT 1314 2013 (1) 16.f4 7:44 b5 24 17.c5 9:11 Qe6 14:45 18.Rac1 8:23 c6 5:44 19.cxd6 17:49 Nd7 1:46       20.Qf2 5:57 f6 1:34 21.d4 3:12 Threatens to win with fxe5. exf4 5:16 22.e5 7:51 fxe5 2:19 23.dxe5 1:05 Nxe5 4 24.Rce1 9:42 Qd5 2:55 And now ...Nd3 would win. 25.Qe2 1:59 25.Qxf4 Nd3 26.Rxe8+ Rxe8 25...Nc4 7:59 26.Qxe8+ 4 Rxe8 1 27.Rxe8+ 6 Kf7 3 28.Re7+ 1:30       28.Rxf4+? Kxe8 29.Bxg7 Qxd6 30.Re4+ Kf7-+ 28...Kg6 5 29.Rxg7+ 48 29.Bxg7? Ne3 30.Rxe3 fxe3-+ 29...Kh6 1 30.Ba1 12:27 Ne3 3:24
30...Qxd6= 31.Rf7 31.Rxb7 Qd2 31...Kg5 31.h4! 12 White threatens Rg5! and mate. Qd3 3:09 31...Qxd6? 32.Rg5 Qd7 33.Bg7+ 33.Rxf4 Qd1+ 34.Kf2 Qxa1= 33...Qxg7 34.Rxg7 34.Rxf4? loses. Qe7-+ 34...Kxg7 35.Rxf4+- 32.Rxf4 6:27 Qd1+ 15 33.Kf2 25 33.Kh2± Qxa1 34.Re7 33...Qxa1 6:45 Better is 33...Nd5= 34.Rff7 Qxa1 34.Rg5 6 White is more active. White should play 34.Re7! Nxg2       Decoy 35.Kxg2 Qa2+ 36.Kg3 Qg8+ 37.Kf2 Qa2+ 38.Kg3 Qg8+ 39.Kf2 Qa2+ 40.Kg3 34...Nd5= 2:22 34...Qxa3? 35.Rf6# 34...Nc4!? 35.d7 Qc3= 35.d7 1:26 Dancing on a razor blade. Qh8 3:46 35...Nxf4? 36.d8Q Ne6 37.Qd2 Qd4+ 38.Qxd4 Nxd4 39.Re5+- 36.Re4 2:03 Re6+ would kill now. Qf6+ 1:53 37.Kg1 34 Hoping for Rg8. Qd6 10 37...Nc7? 38.Rg8+- 38.d8Q 3:13      
Deflection 38...Qxd8 4 39.Re6+ 3 Nf6 3 40.Kh2? 9       40.Kf2!= 40...Qd4? 2:37 40...Qc7+-+ 41.g3 Qf7 41.Kg3 33:14 The position is equal. b6 33:54 Strongly threatening ...c5. 42.Rxc6 2 Qe3+ 27 43.Kh2 1 Qf4+ 2 43...Qf2!? 44.Kh3 Qd4= 44.Kh3 11 Qf1 1:01 44...Qd4!? 45.Kg3 Qe3+ 46.Kh2 Qd4 47.Kg3= 45.Re6 56 Qf2 2:03 46.Rc6 22 Qe3+ 1:27 47.Kh2! 7 Qd4 52 48.Kg3 10 Qxh4+ 43 49.Kxh4 3 A fantastic game! Weighted Error Value: White=0.14 (very precise) /Black=0.18 (very precise)
½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Nakamura,H2768So,W2761½–½2023American Cup Champions 20234.1
So,W2761Nakamura,H2768½–½2023American Cup Champions 20234.2
So,W2761Nakamura,H27681–02023American Cup Champions 20234.3
Nakamura,H2768So,W27610–12023American Cup Champions 20234.4
 

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Carlos Colodro is a Hispanic Philologist from Bolivia. He works as a freelance translator and writer since 2012. A lot of his work is done in chess-related texts, as the game is one of his biggest interests, along with literature and music.

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