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Fighting chess has been the norm so far at the second edition of the Cairns Cup. Two decisive results and two sharp draws were the highlights of Monday's round, with only Humpy Koneru versus Kateryna Lagno a quiet affair. Two players that were on fifty percent before the round, Ju Wenjun and Alexandra Kosteniuk, won and are now part of a five-player chasing pack trailing behind sole leader Nana Dzagnidze.
Before the rest day on Wednesday, Dzagnidze will have the white pieces against Humpy, while Lagno v Ju and Kosteniuk v Muzychuk are two crucial games for the standings.
Valentina Gunina and Mariya Muzychuk chatting with Dr. Jeanne Sinquefield, neé Cairns | Photo: Crystal Fuller
After the quiet draw between Humpy and Lagno, the first game to finish saw Harika saving a half point in her encounter against Irina Krush. As the commentators pointed out during the webcast, Krush is currently 4 out of 4 out of the opening and in the early middlegame, as she has got a clear edge every day since the start of the event. The American, however, has had trouble making the most of her chances.
By move 22, Harika found herself defending a very similar position to the one her opponent from the previous round had had to defend:
How to play the Sicilian Defence!
The continuous stream of new ideas in the Sicilian makes 1..c5 the most popular answer to 1.e4. On this DVD I do give an introduction to the most important Sicilian systems.
Harika later confessed that she had "completely forgotten her prep", which resulted in her getting this uncomfortable position with White (some moves earlier, her 17.♗c3 was way too slow). Curiously, however, she had also got a strong d4-pawn and a similar structure in her round three victory over Kosteniuk.
In the diagrammed position, there followed 23.♕g4 and Krush responded with 23...f6, a manoeuvre the computer approves but which Harika thought gave White some chances to get counterplay. Krush was on the driver's seat, but once again did not quite find the way to convert her advantage, and on move 32 she allowed her opponent to completely equalize with a small tactic.
Irina Krush has got excellent positions so far in Saint Louis | Photo: Crystal Fuller
In Muzychuk v Dzagnidze, a Richter-Rauzer Sicilian appeared on the board. Muzychuk later confessed that it is very difficult to prepare against Dzagnidze as she "plays everything". Thus, the Ukrainian started thinking long and hard as early as move 3, and she spent 23 minutes on move 11, when she decided to step away from a sharp continuation:
How Bobby Fischer battled the Sicilian
Fischer liked to play aggressive but basically sound lines against the Sicilian and many of his variations are still very much alive and a good choice for players of all levels.
The most common here is 11.h4 — played, for example, by Shirov and Motylev — when White needs deep theoretical knowledge to navigate the complications. But since she had not reviewed this variation recently, Muzychuk went for 11.♗h4 ♛a5 and the rare 12.♗e1, which worked out well insofar Dzagnidze started spending time on her clock.
Muzychuk got the bishop pair, which made her feel that she had a slightly better position, but Dzagnidze had enough conunterplay on the queenside to keep things under control. By move 30, the players reached a drawish position, but instead of simplifying into a pure opposite-coloured bishop endgame and calling it a day Muzychuk decided to keep trying for more. The game continued until move 48, when the point was finally split.
Mariya Muzychuk facing sole leader Nana Dzagnidze | Photo: Austin Fuller
Carissa Yip's woes continue in Saint Louis, as the youngster lost for a fourth straight time, this time against former women's world champion Alexandra Kosteniuk. Against the Russian's Petroff Defence, Yip did not find the correct 12.exf6 and played 12.♖b1 instead, which left her with a strategically inferior position early on. Kosteniuk slowly increased her edge, but when the time control was reached a rather dynamically balanced position meant it would be difficult for her to break through.
Yip had shown resilience throughout, until she failed to anticipate a killer tactical shot on move 46:
A World champion's guide to the Petroff
The great popularity of the Petroff Defence at the highest level has attracted general attention as strong players employ this opening with great success and with both colours. Unfortunately, the opinion of the Petroff as a sterile drawish opening seems to be firmly implanted in many minds. The author tries to dispel these myths and examines the most popular lines and provides a large number of ideas that will enable you to play Petroff successfully, with either colour.
The American's 46.♗b5 gave way to 46...♝h4 and Black had an unstoppable attack against the king (46.♔h2 would have prevented this from happening). After 47.♕f1 ♛g3 White went for 48.♖a2 instead of the more stubborn 48.♗xd3. Kosteniuk did not take long to find the way to shatter White's scarce defences, and resignation came shortly after.
Carissa Yip versus Alexandra Kosteniuk | Photo: Lennart Ootes
The last game to end, after a little over five hours, could have finished much earlier, as Gunina kept on playing what can only be defined as a miserable position against Ju Wenjun. We cannot blame the Russian for doing so, however, as she had obtained a solid edge with the black pieces in the middlegame:
Navigating the Ruy Lopez Vol.1-3
The Ruy Lopez is one of the oldest openings which continues to enjoy high popularity from club level to the absolute world top. In this video series, American super GM Fabiano Caruana, talking to IM Oliver Reeh, presents a complete repertoire for White.
The defending champion missed 22...♜fc8 here, when the threats against the uncoordinated white pieces on the queenside are hard to deal with. Instead, she went for the immediate 22...b4, which is still good but gives White more chances to fight back.
It was during the time trouble phase that Gunina lost the thread, a circumstance the world champion gladly exploited in her favour:
Ju played 34.♕g3, with a double attack against e5 and g5, to which Gunina responded with 34...♝f4 giving up a pawn. To defend against the threats of invasion on the dark squares, Black sacrificed an exchange and soon after White had a completely dominating position with her rooks doubled on the eighth file. Gunina continued playing until move 59, however, when a second white queen was about to appear on the board.
Current women's world champion Ju Wenjun | Photo: Lennart Ootes
The Reti, a flexible attacking opening
The Nimzo-Indian, the Gruenfeld and the King's Indian Defence are three incredibly uncomfortable defences to meet. This hypermodern DVD gives new ideas on how to squash these setups with sound, positional play based on double fianchetto systems.
Commentary by WGM Jennifer Shahade, GM Yasser Seirawan and GM Alejandro Ramirez
