European Women's Ch: Gaponenko catches Kashlinskaya in the lead

Inna inches to the top

Ukrainian IM (and WGM) Inna Gaponenko is currently the fourth highest woman player in her country, behind the Muzychuk sisters and Anna Ushenina. The 42-year-old got second place at the last Ukrainian Championship, but had already won that event back in 2008. She also finished first at the 1994 World U-18 Girls Championship and more recently was part of the gold-winning Ukrainian team at the 2013 Women's European Team Chess Championship in Warsaw. And we could name many more highlights from her career...

After eight rounds in Antalya, Gaponenko and Alina Kashlinskaya are the co-leaders of the European Women's Championship on 6½ points. Kashlinskaya was alone on top after beating Pauline Guichard in round six, but then went on to quickly share the point with Marie Sebag and end up on the good side of a draw against Ushenina (the Ukrainian missed a chance to gain a pawn in the early middlegame). Meanwhile, Gaponenko won two in a row to catch up.

All set on board one — a quick draw followed | Photo: eiwcc2019.tsf.org.tr

First, she took down Russian Anastasya Paramzina from the black side of a French Defence. Black was the one with all the trumps in the position after Paramzina misplayed the opening. Gaponenko's queen had penetrated her opponent's position when White simplified into an inferior middlegame:

The Classical French - Main Line

After 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Be3, the author takes a detailed look at a daring line with 7... cxd4 8. Nd4 Qb6, as well as the quieter plans with 7...cxd4 8. Nd4 Bc5, and the main line with 7... a6 and b5.

Feel free to move the pieces on the diagram above

White found nothing better than 19.♘e4 leading to a sequence of exchanges that left her a pawn down without enough resources to stir up complications: 19...dxe4 20.♘xd4 ♛xc5 21.♖xe4. Paramzina advanced her h-pawn, but Gaponenko calmly dealt with all possible threats and kept increasing her material edge until her rival finally gave up after 66 moves:

This is what happens when a French Defence goes right.

Round seven in motion | Photo: eiwcc2019.tsf.org.tr

Elisabeth Paehtz and Lilit Mkrtchian shared the point | Photo: eiwcc2019.tsf.org.tr

In round eight, Inna was paired against Turkish number one Ekaterina Atalik, who came from winning two games in a row. Gaponenko played a line favoured by American grandmaster Maxim Dlugy, who had divergent results using this variation — nonetheless, it is a line that tends to lead to unbalanced struggles. Atalik apparently was not ready to face this particular setup and simply found herself a pawn down without much compensation after the opening:

Opening Encyclopaedia 2019

Over 1,100 special theoretical databases, 180 new opening surveys, a large number revised — in total 6,680 surveys — and over 38,000 illustrative games.

White does have a solid structure and could potentially target the backward d6-pawn, but Black is still a pawn up in a queenless middlegame. For a while, it seemed like Gaponenko was having trouble finding the way to convert her advantage, but she kept her extra pawn all throughout and eventually managed to break through:

Black is threatening to keep advancing her e-pawn, so White decided to give up her queenside pawns with 90.♖g1 — after 90...♜xb2+ 91.♔g3 ♚xa3 Atalik kept going four more moves before accepting the now unavoidable defeat. A long 95-mover that might have left Inna exhausted prior to the final three rounds, in a tournament that is quite long by itself.

Olga Badelka against Pia Cramling during round eight | Photo: eiwcc2019.tsf.org.tr

Five players stand a half point behind the leaders, including Polish WGM Jolanta Zawadzka, who comes from a streak of four straight wins. Jolanta made a name for herself by eliminating second seed Humpy Koneru from the last World Championship knock-out tournament. In Antalya, she took down rating favourite Aleksandra Goryachkina with the black pieces in round eight:

Power Strategy 2 - The Middlegame - Static Positions

The second DVD deals with the middlegame positions where static factors play a determining part, permanently taking into account the inseparable dynamic and tactical elements.

Notice that White has not castled and that the black knight has more potential than the white bishop in the positions that might arise. Black kept mounting up the pressure until she trapped her opponent's bishop using a strong pin:

Aleksandra resigned after 29...♛d3 30.g5 hxg5.

Goryachkina fell victim to Zawadzka | Photo: eiwcc2019.tsf.org.tr

The five-player chasing pack has five nationalities represented, with Zawadzka joined by Georgian Bela Khotenashvili, French Marie Sebag, Ukrainian Anna Ushenina and Greek Stravoula Tsolakidou. Some well-known female players are on 5½, still with a chance to finish strongly to become the new European champion — some of them are Elisabeth Paehtz, Natalija Pogonina and Monika Socko.

Also on 5½ is 2140-rated Sila Caglar. The player from Turkey has defeated four 2300+ opponents so far, including six-time French champion Sophie Milliet.

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.

Anna Ushenina | Photo: eiwcc2019.tsf.org.tr

Standings after Round 8 (top 25)

Top results of Round 8

All available games

Links

• European Championship for Women starts in Antalya
• European Women's Ch (Rounds 1-3): Fighting chess
• European Women's Ch (Rounds 4-6): Kashlinskaya takes the lead
• Official site
• Tournament Brochure
• Full results (Chess-Results)