After two contenders have worked hard for hours — calculating, making tough decisions and looking to understand nuances — often a small detail in the ending is what decides the result of the game.
In round 7 of the U.S. Women’s Championship, for example, Atousa Pourkashiyan gained a pawn in her game with black against Tatev Abrahamyan. But on move 68, Abrahamyan found the one bishop manoeuvre that saved the draw despite the material deficit!
Only 68.Bg2 draws for White, keeping the possibility of attacking the f5-pawn via h3 open. The game continued until move 79, but Black could not convert her pawn advantage into a win, as Abrahamyan found the correct defensive concept and executed it proficiently.
Similarly, and also in round 7, Ashritha Eswaran got an extra pawn with black in her encounter against Irina Krush. In this case, however, a rook endgame was reached. Despite the setup’s drawish tendency, Eswaran could have continued fighting for a win had she not faltered on move 61.
61...Ke5 was the winning move here, while Black’s 61...Rg3 allowed Krush to get counterplay and eventually create a fortress in a position with queen against rook and pawn. It was a remarkable defensive effort!
These are only two of the six instructive endgame positions which you can study and enjoy in our dynamic replayer below.
