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Winning starts with what you know
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A new sole leader emerged at the Cairns Cup following an eventful fourth round on Tuesday. Co-leaders Alexandra Kosteniuk and Irina Krush both lost their games, with Kosteniuk losing to Anna Zatonskih, who now tops the standings in Saint Louis. Zatonskih has won her two games with black and drawn twice with white for a 3/4 score. Kosteniuk, Krush and Nana Dzagnidze are sharing second place with 2½ points each.
Attack like a Super Grandmaster
In this Fritztrainer: “Attack like a Super GM†with Gukesh we touch upon all aspects of his play, with special emphasis on how you can become a better attacking player.
Dzagnidze bounced right back from her loss against Krush by beating top seed Humpy Koneru. In a dramatic time trouble phase, Humpy missed a couple of clear winning chances, and not only gave up her advantage but also blundered into a losing position. Incredibly, the Indian star resigned the game with mate-in-3 on the board only three moves after having lost her +5 edge according to the engines.
A compatriot of Dzagnidze, Bella Khotenashvili also had reason to celebrate in round 4. The Georgian scored her second consecutive win by taking down 8-time US women’s champion Irina Krush. In yet another sharp struggle, Krush also gave up a clear advantage as time trouble approached. Unlike Humpy, though, Krush got to fight until move 82.
Zatonskih, the new sole leader in Saint Louis, will face Harika Dronavalli with the white pieces on Wednesday.
Bella Khotenashvili started the tournament with two losses, but has bounced back to a fifty-percent score by winning in rounds 3 and 4 | Photo: Crystal Fuller
As ever, Kosteniuk played actively from the get go while facing Zatonskih’s pet French Defence. The 4-time US women’s champion got the usual structural solidity in these setups, while Kosteniuk failed to demonstrate enough counterplay in the early middlegame. On move 20, Zatonskih even managed to grab a pawn on the queenside.
20.Qxa3 h4 21.Qxb3 axb3 followed. Zatonskih had to work hard, until move 61, to win the game, but she was in the driver’s seat throughout.
Top Choice Repertoire: Play the French Defence Vol.1 & 2
In this two-volume video course former world-champion and startrainer Rustam Kasimdzhanov shows you the ins and outs of this hugely complex opening.
Anna Zatonskih beat Alexandra Kosteniuk in a crucial game for the standings | Photo: Crystal Fuller
In a position with queens and rooks, Humpy failed to make the most of her winning initiative, as she defended a pawn that could have been lost without major consequences given the circumstances.
38.f3 is not the way to go here — the active 38.Re7 instead wins for White, when the g6-pawn is a key attacker in all potential lines involving a queen infiltration.
After 38...d3, things went from bad to worse for Humpy, who instead of playing 39.Re3, keeping equality, blundered again with 39.Qe3, allowing 39....Qc8
Now it is not the g6-pawn but the d3-pawn the one creating deadly threats to the opposite king. Humpy resigned after playing 40.Rd6, with mate-in-3 on the board.
Harika Dronavalli looks on as Humpy Koneru and Nana Dzagnidze try to find the best moves in a double-edged position | Photo: Crystal Fuller
Making the right decisions in chess - Fundamentals
In a total of 6 chapters, we look at the following aspects: the right decision based on tactical factors, decisions in exchanges and moves, complex and psychological decisions in longer games and in defence.
