A close fight
The Ukrainian Championships are the best organised tournament in the country, and this year's events were no exception, even if a number of the country's top players were not participating, especially in the women's championship. The main section, nonetheless, boasted a 2603 rating average with six out of ten participants above the 2600 Elo barrier.
The most remarkable game of the open championship was played in round one: it was a somewhat surprising but extremely nice victory by Alexander Kovchan over the tournament's rating favourite Anton Korobov.
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1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 e6 4.d4 b5 5.a4 b4 6.c4 bxc3 7.Nxc3 Bb4!? 8.0-0 0-0 9.Bf4 a5 10.Rc1N c6 11.Ne5 Ba6 12.Na2 Bd6 13.Re1 Qc7 14.Nc3 Qb7 15.e3 Rd8 16.Rc2 h6 17.h4 Bf8 18.g4 Nbd7 19.Nxf7!? Kxf7 20.g5 Kg8 20...Nh7 21.Bh3 Re8 22.gxf6 Nxf6 23.Kh2 c5 24.Rg1 Kh8?! 25.Be5?! 25.dxc5! e5 26.Bg5 25...Nd7 26.Bg3 Rac8 27.Rd2 Nf6 28.Be5 Nd7 29.Bf4 cxd4 30.exd4 Rc6 30...Nf6 31.Be5 Nd7 31.Qh5 Nf6 31...Re7!? 32.Qg6 Bd6 33.Be5 Rf8 34.f4 Qe7 35.Rdg2 Rf7?? 35...Rc7! 36.Nxd5?? exd5 37.Bf5 Bc8! 36.Nxd5‼ exd5 36...Nxd5 37.Qxh6+ Kg8 38.Rxg7+ 37.Qxh6+‼ 37.Qxh6+ gxh6 37...Kg8 38.Rxg7+ Rxg7 39.Be6+ Kf8 40.Qh8+ Ng8 41.Qxg8+ Rxg8 42.Rxg8# 38.Rg8+ Kh7 39.Bf5# 1–0
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Kovchan,A | 2575 | Korobov,A | 2698 | 1–0 | 2018 | A46 | UKR-ch Men Final 2018 | 1 |
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Flank Attacks

Which wing should I be playing on? When do I need to watch for counterplay? Flank attacks are an important theme in every game. FM Lilov will teach you how to employ a range of techniques to perfection!

Ukrainian champion Anton Korobov
Eventually this turned out to be Kovchan's only win in the championship. While Korobov, despite losing one more game in round four, became sole winner and the Ukrainian Champion for the third time in his career. It must be said that luck was on his side at times. He achieved his most clear and convincing win against former FIDE World Champion Ruslan Ponomariov.
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1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e4 Nc6 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bg4 6.d5 6.Be3 e6 7.Bxc4 Bb4 6...Ne5 7.Bf4 Nfd7! 8.Qa4!? Nxf3+ 9.gxf3 Bxf3? 9...e5! 10.dxe6 Bxe6 11.Nb5 Rc8 12.0-0-0 Bc5 10.Rg1± a6N 10...Rc8!? 11.Qxc4! g6?! 12.Rg3 Bh5 13.Bxc7 Qc8 14.d6 e6 15.Qd4 Rg8 16.e5+- Bh6 17.Be2 Bxe2 18.Kxe2 g5 19.h4 g4 20.Rag1 f5 21.exf6 Kf7 22.Ne4 b6 23.Rxg4 Rxg4 24.Rxg4 Qb7 25.Ng5+ Bxg5 26.hxg5 Qh1 27.g6+ hxg6 28.Rh4 Qc6 29.Rh7+ Kg8 30.Rg7+ Kf8 31.Kd2 Qb5 32.Rxd7 Qxd7 33.Qh4 Kg8 34.Qe4 Qe8 35.Qd3 1–0
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Korobov,A | 2698 | Ponomariov,R | 2663 | 1–0 | 2018 | D07 | UKR-ch Men Final 2018 | 3 |
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Besides this unfortunate game, Ponomariov had a good tournament and got an interesting victory against Stanislav Bogdanovich.
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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e5! Nd5 4.Nc3! Nxc3 4...e6 5.dxc3 Nc6 5...e6 6.Bd3 6.Bf4!? 6...Nc6 7.0-0!? d6 7...Qc7 8.exd6 Bxd6 9.Qe2?! 9.Ng5!? 9.Be4!? 9...h6! 10.Rd1 Qc7 6.Bd3!? d6 6...e6 7.exd6 Qxd6 7...exd6!? 8.Be3 8.Qe2 8...Bg4N 9.h3 Bh5 10.Qe2! e6 11.0-0-0 Qc7 12.g4 Bg6 13.Bxg6 hxg6 14.Qc4! Qa5 15.Ng5!? Be7 16.Nxe6 fxe6 17.Qxe6 Kf8 18.a3? 18.Rd7!± Re8 18...Rd8 19.Rxb7! Rd6 20.Qc4 Qd8 21.Bxc5! Rxh3 22.Qf1! 19.Rhd1!? Qb6 19...Rxh3?! 20.g5 Rh4 21.Qxg6 Qxa2 22.R7d5!+- 20.R1d6! Rxh3 21.Qxg6 Qb5 22.b3! 18...Re8?! 18...Nd8!? 19.Qxg6 Qb6 18...Qb6 19.Rd5?! 19.Qxg6 c4 20.h4!± 19...Rd8?! 20.Rhd1! Rxh3 21.Qxg6! Rxd5 22.Rxd5 Qc7 23.Qf5+!? 23.Qe6!?± Rf3 24.g5! 23...Ke8? 23...Kg8 24.Bf4! Rh1+ 25.Kd2 Qb6 26.Qe4!+- 23...Bf6! 24.Rd1! 24.g5?! 24.Bf4! Qb6 25.g5!+- 24...Rh1+ 25.Kd2 Bf8? 25...Nd8 26.Qe4 26.Qe4++- 1–0
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Ponomariov,R | 2663 | Bogdanovich,S | 2537 | 1–0 | 2018 | B29 | UKR-ch Men Final 2018 | 7 |
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How to combat rare lines as Black

A complete repertoire for Black is set out to be used against moves such as 1.Nf3, 1.f4, 1.g3, 1.Nc3, 1.b3, 1.b4 and 1.g4. The author uses content from his own notebooks to provide a full explanation of how to proceed.

Ruslan Ponomariov finished on 5/9
The championship was very hard-fought, as the difference between first and last place was a mere two points. Despite eventually finishing last, Bogdanovich scored two wins, including this good game from the penultimate round.
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1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 e6 4.0-0 c5 5.c4 d4 6.e3 Nc6 7.d3 Bd6 8.Na3 0-0 9.exd4 cxd4 10.Nc2 e5 11.b4! Re8! 12.Re1 Bg4 12...a6 13.c5!? Bc7 13...Bf8 14.h3 Bxf3 15.Qxf3 a5 15...e4 16.dxe4 a5! 16.b5 e4! 14.h3!?N 14.b5 Na5?! 14...Ne7! 15.Bg5! 14...Bh5 15.b5 Na5?! 15...Ne7 16.g4 Bg6 17.Nxe5 Bxe5 18.Rxe5 Nd7 19.Rxe7 Qxe7 16.Nb4! e4?! 17.dxe4 Nxe4 18.Bb2!± Nxc5 18...Nc4 19.Rxe4!? Rxe4 20.Qd3 19.Rxe8+ Qxe8 20.Nd5! Bd8 21.Qxd4 Ne6 22.Re1! f6 23.Qe4 Qxb5? 24.Bxf6 24.Qxe6+ Bf7 25.Nd4 Qxb2 26.Qd7! 24.Qf5 Qxb2 25.Qxh5! 24...Nc5 25.Ne7+ Bxe7 26.Qxe7 gxf6 27.Ng5 Qd7 28.Bd5+! Kh8 29.Qxf6+! Qg7 30.Re7! 1–0
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Bogdanovich,S | 2537 | Kravtsiv,M | 2644 | 1–0 | 2018 | A13 | UKR-ch Men Final 2018 | 8 |
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The last round in Kiev
Final standings - Open section
All games - Open section
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Fortune favours the brave
In the women's championship, where both Muzychuk sisters, Anna Ushenina and Nataliya Zhukova were absent, the fight was comparatively more unbalanced, but also quite tense — no one scored less than 3 points out of 9.
On the whole, the Elo favourites dominated. IM Nataliya Buksa, who recently married Azerbaijani grandmaster Rauf Mamedov, won her first Ukrainian Championship title. After looking at Buksa's decisive victory in the final round, one can say that 2018 was indeed a lucky year for her.
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.b4 Bd6?! 6.d3 Ne7 7.Ng5 0-0 8.f4 b5? 9.Nxf7 Rxf7 10.Bxf7+ Kxf7 11.fxe5 Bxe5 12.d4+- Nxe4 13.dxe5 13.Qf3+!? 13...Bb7 14.0-0+ Kg8 15.Qd3 a6 16.a4 bxa4 17.Rxa4 Ng6 18.Ra5 c5 19.Bf4? Nxf4 20.Rxf4 Qg5?! 21.g3?! Qxe5 22.Qxd7?? Nd6!-+ 23.Ra2 Qd5 24.Rd2 Qh1+ 25.Kf2 Re8 26.Qxe8+ Nxe8 27.Rd8 Qxh2+ 28.Kf1 Qg2+ 29.Ke1 Qxg3+ 30.Rf2 Bc6 31.Nd2 Qxc3 32.bxc5 Qxc5 33.Re2 h5 0–1
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Babiy,O | 2275 | Buksa,N | 2410 | 0–1 | 2018 | C54 | UKR-ch Women Final 2018 | 9 |
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Buksa's final round win over Babiy secured her first place
The experienced fighter Inna Gaponenko arrived as first seed but finished in second place. She achieved a nice win over WIM Anastasiya Rakhmangulova in round seven.
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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c3 d5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.d4 Nc6 6.Bd3 Nf6 7.0-0 cxd4 8.cxd4 Be7 9.Nc3 Qd6 10.a3 h6?! 10...0-0 11.Bg5 Rd8 11.Be3 0-0 12.Qe2?! 12.Qd2! 12...b6 12...Rd8!? 13.Rad1 Bb7 14.Rfe1 Rad8?! 15.Bb1 15.Qd2! 15...Rfe8 16.Qc2!? Nb8?N 16...Qb8! 17.Ne5!± Bf8 17...Nbd7 18.Bf4 18.Bf4 Qe7 19.Re3!? g6 20.Rg3 Bg7 21.Nxg6! fxg6 22.Qxg6 22.Rxg6!? 22...Qf7 23.Qxh6! 23.Bxh6 Qxg6 24.Rxg6 Rd7 25.Bxg7 Rxg7 26.Rxf6 Rxg2+ 27.Kf1 23...Nh5 23...Nc6 24.Ne4! Nxe4 24...Kf8 25.Rxg7 Qxg7 26.Nxf6+- 25.Bxe4 Kf8 26.Qh7 Bf6 27.Bh6+ Ke7 28.Bg7!+- 24.Qh7+ Kf8 25.Bg6?! 25.Rxg7! Nxg7 26.Bg6! Qxf4 26...Qg8 27.Qh4 27.Qh8+ Ke7 28.Qxg7+ Kd6 29.Nb5+ Kc6 30.Bxe8+ Rxe8 31.Nxa7+ Kd6 32.Qxb7+- 25...Qxf4 26.Qxh5 Re7 27.h3?? 27.d5!+- Bxd5 27...Qh6 28.dxe6! 28.Rf3 Bxf3 29.Rxd8+ 27...Rxd4! 28.Re1 28.Rxd4 Bxd4! 28...Rd2? 28...Nd7 28...Qh6 29.Ne4! Rxf2? 29...Bxe4? 30.Rxe4 Qh6 30...Qxf2+ 31.Kh2+- 31.Qf3+! Kg8 32.Rf4!+- 29...Rd5! 30.Ng5 Rxg5 31.Rxg5 Nd7 31...Bc6 30.Rg4+- Bxe4 31.Rxf4+ Rxf4 32.Rxe4 Rxe4 33.Bxe4 Nd7 34.Qf3+ Nf6 35.h4 Kg8 36.Bg6 Nd5 37.Qe2 Bd4+ 38.Kh2 Kg7 39.h5 Be3 40.Be4 Bf4+ 41.g3 Bg5 42.Bxd5 exd5 43.Qd3 Bc1 44.Qc3+ 1–0
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Gaponenko,I | 2420 | Rakhmangulova,A | 2233 | 1–0 | 2018 | B22 | UKR-ch Women Final 2018 | 6 |
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Last year's champion Iulija Osmak was not in her best form. The following curious but chaotic game, which she won, rather confirms this observation.
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1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.Ngf3 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Nc6 6.Bb5 Bd7 7.Nxc6 bxc6 8.Bd3 Qc7 9.Qe2 Bd6 10.Nf3 e5 11.exd5 cxd5? 11...Ne7! 12.Nxe5! Bxe5 13.f4 f6 14.0-0 Ne7 15.fxe5 Qxe5 16.Qf2 Kf7 17.c4!? Rhc8?! 18.Bf4 Qh5 19.cxd5 19.Rae1+- 19...Nxd5 20.Ba6? Nxf4 21.Qxf4 Qc5+ 22.Kh1 Re8 23.Rac1 Qe5? 24.Bc4+ Kf8 24...Kg6!? 25.Qf2! 25.Qd2? 25.Qh4‼ Bf5 25...h6 26.Rce1 Qd6 27.Rd1! Qe7 28.Rxd7 Qxd7 29.Rxf6+ gxf6 30.Qxf6+ 26.Bb3! 25...Rad8?! 25...Bc6!= 26.Qb4+?! 26.Qd3! 26...Qe7 27.Qa5 Bc6!= 28.Rce1 Be4 29.Qc3 Qd6 30.Bb3 Qd4 31.Qa5 Re5 32.Qc7 Re7 33.Qg3 Rde8 34.Rd1? Qxb2 35.Rd6 35.Rd2 Qe5 35...Bg6 36.Qh4 Qe5 37.Rc6 Rc7?! 38.Qb4+ Rce7 39.Re6 Qb8?! 39...a5! 40.Qa3! Bf7! 41.Re3?! 41.Rxe7 Rxe7 42.Re1 Qe8! 43.Bxf7 Qxf7! 43...Kxf7 44.Rxe7+ Qxe7 45.Qb3+ Kg6 46.Qg3+ Kf5 47.Qf3+ Ke6 48.Qe3+ Kd6 49.Qa3+= 41...Bxb3 42.Rxb3 Qc7 43.Rg3 Kg8 44.Qb3+ Kh8 45.Qb4 Re2 46.a4 R2e4 47.Qb5 Qc4 48.Qxc4 Rxc4 49.Ra3 Ree4 50.Rfa1 a5 51.h3 h5 52.Kh2 h4 53.R3a2 Kh7 54.Ra3 Kg6 55.R1a2 Kf7 56.g3 hxg3+ 57.Kxg3 g5 58.Ra1 Kg6 59.R1a2 f5 60.Ra1 Kh5 61.R1a2 Red4 62.Ra1 Rd2 63.R1a2 Rxa2 64.Rxa2 Rc3+ 65.Kg2 Kh4 66.Rd2 Rg3+ 67.Kf2 Rxh3 68.Rd5 Kg4 69.Rxa5 Ra3 70.Ra8 Ra2+ 71.Ke1 f4 72.a5 f3 73.Rg8 f2+ 74.Kf1 Kf3 75.Rf8+ Kg3 76.a6 Ra1+ 77.Ke2 Re1+ 0–1
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Dolzhykova,K | 2161 | Osmak,I | 2403 | 0–1 | 2018 | C07 | UKR-ch Women Final 2018 | 1 |
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Fascinated by the French Winawer

The Winawer Variation in just 60 minutes - that can only work by reducing it to a clear repertoire for Black and, where possible, general recommendations rather than variations. Alexei Shirov was surprised at how quickly he managed to make of the French Winawer an opening he himself could play. And now he will let you share in his conclusions.

Iulija Osmak defeated Nadiia Shpanko with the white pieces
Final standings - Women's section
1 |
2 |
IM |
Buksa Nataliya |
UKR |
2410 |
7,0 |
0,0 |
5 |
28,25 |
2 |
9 |
IM |
Gaponenko Inna |
UKR |
2420 |
6,5 |
0,0 |
4 |
26,25 |
3 |
6 |
IM |
Osmak Iulija |
UKR |
2403 |
5,0 |
0,0 |
3 |
21,25 |
4 |
10 |
WGM |
Doluhanova Evgeniya |
UKR |
2367 |
4,5 |
0,0 |
2 |
20,25 |
5 |
3 |
WIM |
Martynkova Olena |
UKR |
2173 |
4,0 |
1,0 |
3 |
18,00 |
6 |
7 |
WIM |
Rakhmangulova Anastasiya |
UKR |
2233 |
4,0 |
1,0 |
3 |
15,00 |
7 |
8 |
WGM |
Babiy Olga |
UKR |
2275 |
4,0 |
1,0 |
2 |
17,50 |
8 |
5 |
WIM |
Dolzhykova Kateryna |
UKR |
2161 |
3,5 |
0,5 |
2 |
13,00 |
9 |
4 |
WFM |
Shpanko Nadiia |
UKR |
2262 |
3,5 |
0,5 |
1 |
15,50 |
10 |
1 |
|
Berdnyk Mariia |
UKR |
2248 |
3,0 |
0,0 |
2 |
12,00 |
All games - Women's section
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Additional reporting by Antonio Pereira
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