ChessBase Magazine 190: Eve at the chessboard

by Nagesh Havanur
8/5/2019 – “She brings a whiff of romance to the magazine,” writes our columnist on the young player seen on our latest issue. Indeed, grace and elegance marked her performance in the recent European Women’s Championship that she won. But then her rivals were not far behind and as many as five players scored 8/11 before the result was determined by tie-break. This issue has 709 games from the championship with six fascinating encounters annotated by leading players. In the next part of the review our columnist would deal with the rest of the magazine. Among others it includes reports on FIDE Grand Prix, Grenke and Gashimov Memorial Tournaments (both won by Carlsen) plus 12 opening surveys and regular arsenal for the tournament player. Watch this space.

Analyses by Caruana, Nepomniachtchi, Anand, Kashlinskaya, Wojtaszek, Navara, Meier, Keymer etc. from recent top-class tournaments. Videos by King, Trent, Pelletier and Marin. 12 opening articles with new repertoire ideas and much more!

How a Grandmaster is mated

The little kid had just learnt moves. “How long does it to take to find mate?” He asked. “No more than four moves. But remember, it does not happen in real life.” Years pass, he grows up and is now a young grandmaster. One day he meets a lovely lass and he asks, “How long does it to take to find one’s mate?” “None whatsoever!” she replies gaily and he tips his king in resignation. For once, the loser is as happy as the winner. How a 2700+ GM came to be mated without making a single move remains a mystery. Alpha Zero is still trying to figure that out!

Now who is the lass that captured the heart of our grandmaster? Alina Kashlinskaya! Recently she won the European Women’s Championship in a field of 130 players. In this issue she annotates her game with Pauline Guichard. Her annotations deserve to be read both for her insight and self-criticism.

A challenge for young readers

Before you see the game itself, here is a little test for young readers: The following position did not occur over the board, but it sets a minefield. Black has just played 41…♜e2. How should White respond? 

 
Kashlinskaya vs Guichard, EIWCC 2019
Position after 42...♜e2

Kashlinskaya vs Guichard

Kashlinskaya vs Guichard | Photo: Başak Göktaş / Turkish Chess Federation 

Here I have given it with my own commentary for young readers not familiar with opening theory.

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.h3 The flexible Makogonov System. It prevents...Ng4 before playing Be3 and also prepares g2-g4, meeting Black head on if he tries...f7-f5. 0-0 6.Be3 6.Bg5 provoking...h6 and then only playing Be3 followed by Qd2 is is seen more often. However, Black is not compelled to play...h6. 6...Nbd7 This move is less common. 6...e5 is standard. 7.g4 An aggressive move. However, there are other lines. 7.Nf3 7.Bd3 7...e5 8.d5 Nc5 9.f3 a5 Seeking active counterplay along the a-file and dissuading White from castling on queenside. 10.Qd2 c6 11.Nge2 cxd5 12.cxd5 Bd7 13.Ng3 a4 Vacating...a5 for the queen 14.h4 Qa5 15.h5 a3? Following the same policy of opening the a-file. But this time White strikes back. If 15...b5 16.h6 Bh8 17.Nf5! Bxf5 17...gxf5 18.Bxc5+- 18.gxf5± So far Kashlinskaya's home preparation! 15...Rfc8 is the critical test and it led to dangerous complications witth chances for both sides in Almeida Quintana-Garcia Pentoja, Santa Clara 2019. (0-1, 54 moves). 16.b4! With this pawn sacrifice Kashlinskaya puts an end to Black's counterplay on queenside before starting her own attack on the kingside. Qxb4 17.Rb1 Qa5 18.h6 Not 18.Bxc5 Qxc5 19.Rxb7?? Rfb8 20.Rxb8+ Rxb8-+ 18...Bh8 19.Nf5! Bxf5 If 19...gxf5?? 20.Bxc5 with the threat of 21.Qg5+ wins. 20.gxf5 Nfd7 Black thinks, maintaining a knight on c5 would protect the b-pawn. However, White finds other ways of making inroads into Black's position. Kashlinskaya prefers 20...Ne8 21.Nb5 21.Bxc5 Qxc5 22.Rxb7 allows Black to regroup and defend with Nc7 21...Bf6 22.Qxa5 Rxa5 23.Bxc5 dxc5 24.d6 though she indicates, even here White enjoys a plus. 21.Nb5 Qb6 If 21...Qxd2+ 22.Kxd2 Ra6 23.Nc7 Ra5 24.fxg6 fxg6 25.Bh3 Rb8 26.Nb5 Ra6 27.Rhc1+- 22.Bh3 22.fxg6 fxg6 23.Bh3+- with the threat of 24.Be6+ is already winning. 22...Qd8 Abandoning the d-pawn and rushing to defend the kingside. 22...Rad8? loses to 23.fxg6+- Or 22...Nf6? 23.Qc2! Qa5+ 24.Kf1 Qa6 25.Kg2 23.Nxd6 Qe7 24.Nb5 Bf6 25.d6 Bh4+ 26.Ke2 Qf6 27.Nc7 Rac8 28.Rbc1 Kashlinskaya comments that she wanted to induce...b6 so that any tactic with .. Rxc7 would not work. b6 If 28...Rxc7? 29.dxc7 Qa6+ 30.Kd1+- 29.Bg4 Kh8 30.Nd5 Qd8 31.f6? With this move White hoped to shut out the Black bishop.But it only closes the position and allows Black to wriggle out. After 31.fxg6! fxg6 32.Bxd7 Qxd7 33.Bxc5 bxc5 34.Rxh4 Qxd6 35.Qc3+- White is a piece up and threatens to win more pawns. 31...Bg3 31...Bxf6 32.Bxd7+- 32.Ne7? This move only allows the rook where it wants to go and initiate counterplay. 32.Qb4!+- wins either the a-pawn or the b-pawn and the game. 32...Ra8 33.Rh3 This could have waited. It was more important to prevent the other rook from reaching the 4th rank. 33.Rc4! Ra6 34.Nd5 folllowed by 35.Rb1 would have been decisive. 33...Bf4 34.Bxf4 exf4 35.Qxf4 Ra4 36.Rc3? This move gives Black counterchances according to Kashlinskaya. Bringing the rook into play with 36.Rh2! Rb4 37.Ke3 followed by 38.Rd2 was strong. 36...Qa8? Black is anxious to bring the queen into play. However, the rook should enter the b-file first. Kashlinskaya suggests the far from obvious 36...Rb4! 37.Rxa3 b5∞ making way for...Qb6 as well. 37.Bxd7 Qa6+ On 37...Nxd7 Kashlinskaya gives 38.Qe3 After Qa6+ 39.Kf2 White can also bring the other rook to the queenside. 38.Kf2 Nxd7 39.Rh1 Rb4 40.Kg3 Rb2 41.Qe3 b5 If 41...Rxa2? 42.Nd5 b5 43.e5 Qa8 44.Nb4+- Instead she could have set a dangerous trap with 41...Re2!? 42.Rxa3?? 42.Qd3!+- however puts an end to it all as pointed out by Kashlinskaya. 42...Qb5! and suddenly Black is winning. 42.Rc6 Qa5 43.Rhc1 b4 44.Nd5! Alert as ever. Not 44.Rc8? Qh5! 45.R1c2 b3 46.Rxf8+ Nxf8 47.Rxb2 axb2 48.Qxb3 Qg5+ 49.Kh3 Qxh6+ 50.Kg3 Qg5+ 51.Kh3 Qxf6 52.Nd5 Qd4 44...Qa8 After the last fling 44...b3 White wins with 45.Rc8 Rc2 Or 45...Qa6 46.Rxf8+ Nxf8 47.Qc5+- 46.R1xc2 bxc2 47.Rxc2+- 45.Nb6 Qe8 46.Nxd7 Qxd7 47.Qc5 Rd2 48.Rc8 Rd8 49.e5 1–0
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Kashlinskaya,A2477Guichard,P23921–02019E71European Championship((W)

A fascinating battle! In fairness to Pauline Guichard, it may be mentioned that she was less prepared. The French Women’s Champion is a busy doctor.

What did Ushenina miss?

The tournament was not a cakewalk for Alina, though. In the 8th round she blundered in her game with Anna Ushenina. Fortunately for her, Ushenina did not even notice and the game was drawn. Here is the position and our young readers have to find the little tactic that would have won for White. Try to play against the diagram!

 
Kashlinskaya vs Ushenina, EIWCC 2019
Black to play

Kashlinskaya vs Ushenina

Kashlinskaya vs Ushenina | Photo: Russian Chess Federation

“The Nimzo is not part of Anna Ushenina’s repertoire. So she did not see the win right out of the opening,” commented Alina in an interview with 64 Chess Review Magazine. A moment of reflection would have told her she did not understand it either. Otherwise, she would not have drifted into a lost position with White that soon.

Young players often assume, the Nimzo-Indian is all about slow manoeuvring with doubled pawns. This game should disabuse them of such notions. The Nimzo can lead to very sharp positions that  look deceptively simple. 

For the record, Ushenina was undefeated and dogged by draws; she only scored 7½ out of 11.

Anyway, Alina’s troubles began when she faced Inna Gaponenko in the next round.

Gaponenko

Inna Gaponenko | Photo: Russian Chess Federation

As she recalled later, “Gaponenko offered a draw on the 10th move and I refused. She did it literally in the 6th minute of the game and I thought it would be wrong to accept such an offer…” As it turned out, Alina played badly and lost. She was utterly devastated. However, help was on hand and her parents spoke to her. More importantly our grandmaster (now her spouse and soul-mate) provided the healing touch. Later she was to confess, “He consoled me and brought me around.”

With two rounds remaining, Gaponenko was the sole leader. The 42-year-old veteran from Ukraine was very tired after her Herculean labours in the previous rounds. When she faced Marie Sebag she did not want to take chances and offered a draw as early as the ninth move. The latter also wanted to play it safe, and they signed a peace treaty.

Gaponenko vs Sebag

Gaponenko vs Sebag | Photo: Kasia Selbes / Turkish Chess Federation

But Kashlinskaya was determined not to let it go and played for a win against Bodnaruk. Her effort was rewarded, and she was back in contention for the prize before the final round. But it was Gaponenko that many expected to win the championship title, until tragedy struck. She suffered a disaster against Antoaneta Stefanova who kept her nerve in a positional battle.  Meanwhile, Kashlinskaya made a safe draw with Pia Cramling.

 At the end of the event, five of them scored 8/11: Alina Kashlinskaya (Russia), Marie Sebag (France) Elisabeth Paehtz (Germany), Irina Gaponenko (Ukraine) and Antoaneta Stefanova (Bulgaria). On tie-break the first three qualified and the last two were left in the cold.

Elisabeth Paehtz and her fateful moment

Of the five players who ended on eight points, Paehtz was the only one who remained undefeated. Fate also played its role in her participation in this tournament. She wrote in Face Book, “Life is sometimes a matter of too many coincidences. I planned to play the Gamma Open in Iceland, then wow air got bankrupt and my flight was gone... A new ticket was quite expensive and I decided to take it as a sort of sign switching my plans and fight at the European Women's Championship. 8/11 unbeaten and 3rd place. Well, nothing to complain but proud to suffer one of the most common chess illnesses: Superstition!”

Elisabeth Paehtz | Photo: Lars OA Hedlund

Paehtz had her moment of misfortune in the following position. White’s attack looks dangerous, but Black can still consolidate and win. She missed it in the heat of the battle. The test for young readers is to find out how she could have won.

 
Arakhmia-Grant vs Paehtz, EIWCC 2019
Black to play

EWICC playing hall

The playing hall | Photo: Başak Göktaş / Turkish Chess Federation

This was a fiercely competitive event with 130 players from several lands, Russia, France and Germany among others. Quite a few experienced players like Alexandra Goryachkina, Nana Dzagnidze and Sophie Milliet fell by the wayside. Since then, Goryachkina has redeemed herself by winning the Candidates’ Tournament for Women’s World Championship. We shall return to that feat in the coming days.

Among the also-rans, Melanie Lubbe lived dangerously and lost her game with Polina Shuvalova. When you see her annotations you understand why she took such great risks and what went wrong. Two other games are also deeply annotated: Marie Sebag-Bela Khotenashvili and Monika Socko-Zeinab Mamedjarova.

Both Sebag and Socko pay a lot of attention to opponents’ chances and explain how their play could have been improved.

Pia Cramling

Pia Cramling in Baku, 2016 | Photo: Swedish Chess Federation

Among the veterans Pia Cramling shone and her score could have been higher but for a momentary lapse with Elina Danielian. In this issue she annotates her game with Beydullayeva. Don’t miss her other games, though.

Note: As is known, one game, Maria Gevorgyan-Deimante Cornette acquired notoriety in this event. The player with White pieces resorted to castling on the queenside only neither she nor her opponent remembered that she had moved the queen's rook back and forth from a1. Play continued and she even went on to lose. This issue has only the first moves and the next, an illegal move is not recorded. Perhaps an explanation to that effect could have helped.


Analyses by Caruana, Nepomniachtchi, Anand, Kashlinskaya, Wojtaszek, Navara, Meier, Keymer etc. from recent top-class tournaments. Videos by King, Trent, Pelletier and Marin. 12 opening articles with new repertoire ideas and much more!


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Prof. Nagesh Havanur (otherwise known as "chessbibliophile") is a senior academic and research scholar. He taught English in Mumbai for three decades and has now settled in Bangalore, India. His interests include chess history, biography and opening theory. He has been writing on the Royal Game for more than three decades. His articles and reviews have appeared on several web sites and magazines.

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