Chess Federation of Russia wins the Women’s World Team Championship

by Klaus Besenthal
10/4/2021 – At the Women’s World Team Championships in Sitges, Spain, the Russian team won the gold medal on Saturday by defeating India in the final match. The Russian players in the photo from left to right: Alina Kashlinskaya, Aleksandra Goryachkina, Polina Shuvalova, Kateryna Lagno and Alexandra Kosteniuk. | Photos: Niki Riga
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Russia beats India

Kateryna Lagno played a big role for the Russian team, as she won both games in the final against India and finished the event with a 9/10 score.

Lagno’s win against Kulkarni Bhakti in the first leg against the Indians was particularly important, as “Team CFR” won that set by the smallest of margins. The game had a whole series of instructive moments regarding the correct handling of pawn moves.

 
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1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+ exf6
This variation, which used to have a rather bad reputation from Black's point of view, now enjoys great popularity. 6.c3 Bd6 7.Bd3 0-0 8.Qc2 The attack against h7 is a good idea in this position. Re8+ 9.Ne2 h5! But Black actively uses her majority - now we see why this variation has been rehabilitated. 10.0-0 h4 11.h3 Nd7 12.Bd2 Nf8 13.Rae1 Bc7 14.c4 Ne6 15.Be3
15...g5 The placement of the pawns on the light squares with 15...g6 and then f6-f5 was perhaps better here. Then there would be a certain standstill on the kingside, but the dynamic potential for Black would have been greater. 16.c5 Bb8 17.Bc4 Kg7 18.Qd2 Qc7 19.f4 Now we see dynamic possibilities for White on the kingside! b6 20.b4 Nf8
Black made some haphazard moves that left her in a losing position. 21.Nc3 White could have broken through with 21.d5! 21...Ng6 22.d5 gxf4 23.d6?! This plan makes it unnecessarily complicated. In fact, later the game the white advantage crumbles to a large extent - at least temporarily. Probably 23.Bxf4 Qxf4 24.Qxf4 Bxf4 25.Rxe8 was the easiest way to win: White is an exchange up and has an extra pawn on the queenside - not to mention the strongly positioned e8-rook. 23...fxe3 24.dxc7 exd2 25.Rxe8 Bxc7 26.Ne4 Bf4 27.Rd1 bxc5 28.bxc5 Ne5 29.Nxd2 Bg4 30.Rxa8 Bxd1 31.Bb3 Be3+ 32.Kf1 Bh5
33.Nc4? After this move, White loses most of her advantage. Better was 33.Ne4! and, for example, f5 34.Nd6 Bg6 35.Nb7 Nd7 36.Rxa7 Nxc5 37.Nxc5 Bxc5 38.Rc7 when White has a strong passer on the queenside. 33...Bxc5 34.Nxe5 fxe5 35.Rc8 Bg6 36.Bc4 Bb6 37.Rxc6 Be4 38.Rd6
38...f6? But now Black errs agains. It was much better to go for 38...Bf5! trying to keep the bishop pair. 39.Bd3! Now Black loses the bishop pair - her most important asset. Bxd3+ 39...Ba8 avoids the exchange of the bishop for the moment, but places it on a very bad square. 40.Rxd3 Kg6 41.Ke2 f5 42.Rb3 Kg5 43.a4 Kf4 44.Rf3+ Kg5 45.Rf1
45...f4? This move is a mistake. Did Black perhaps think that the bishop would always be able to protect her pawns, which are all placed on dark squares? The plan doesn't work: the rook is too mobile and the white king can advance on the light squares, while the black one has lost protection. Much stronger was 45...e4! as here the black king might reach g3. 46.Kf3 Kf5 47.Rb1 Bd4 After 47...e4+ 48.Ke2 Black can no longer defend all the weaknesses. 48.Rb5 Bb6 49.a5 Bd4 50.a6 Be3 51.Rd5 Bd4 52.Rd7 e4+ 53.Ke2 Bb6 54.Rd5+ Ke6 55.Rh5 Bd8 56.Rh7 Be7 57.Rh8 Kd5 57...Bf6 58.Rh6 Kf5 59.Rh7 Bd4 60.Rxh4 does not work either. 58.Rb8 Ke6 59.Rb7 Bc5 60.Rc7 Bd4 61.Rh7 Kf5 62.Rxh4 Kg5 63.Rh7 Kg6 64.Rd7 Bc5 65.Rd5 Bg1 66.Re5 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Lagno,K2550Kulkarni Bhakti23881–02021B15FIDE Women World-chT-KO 20213.1

Kateryna Lagno facing Kulkarni Bhakti, while behind them Aleksandra Goryachkina plays Harika Dronavalli

The return match was then clearly won by the Russians by 3-1. In their second confrontation, Aleksandra Goryachkina did not lose to Harika but contributed with a draw, while Lagno and Polina Shuvalova scored full points. Shuvalova alternated with Alina Kashlinskaya on board 4.

Women's World Team Championship 2021

The knockout bracket

India

The Indians returned home with silver medals

All games - Knockout

 
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  • Start an analysis engine:
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  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
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Klaus Besenthal is computer scientist, has followed and still follows the chess scene avidly since 1972 and since then has also regularly played in tournaments.

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