California women do well
Just imagine to be asked to compete in one of our nation’s premier closed chess championships. What a high recognition and imposing challenge. This year, three California young ladies had that experience; they were invited to play in the 12-person U.S. Closed Women’s Championship, one of the strongest ever held.
From Glendale came 28year-old Women’s International Grandmaster Tatev Abrahamyan, the thirdhighest-ranked female player in the U.S. A participant in eight U.S. Women’s Championships, she has placed as high as second three times.
Women’s International Master Agata Bykovtsev, 16, a resident of Goleta, is the highest-rated female in America under-18. Her accolades include taking first in last year’s North American U/20 Female Championships and winning the gold medal in the 2015 North America Junior Chess Championships.
San Jose resident National Master Ashritha Eswaran, 15, was the first-place winner in last year’s U.S. Girls Junior Championship. She competed in the 2015 Women’s Championship and was awarded a prize for the best game of the tournament.
Leading going into the last round this year, Abrahamyan appeared destined to finally finish first. Then two unlikely events occurred: First she suffered an upset defeat from Eswaran. Second, International Master Nazi Paikidze of Maryland managed to defeat seventime Champion GM Irina Krush. That left Paikidze in first and Abrahamyan taking second once again. The California teens managed to take some scalps and gain valuable experience. Cal-gal numbers
Thirteen of the Top-100rated chess women in the U.S. are Golden-Staters. As for youth standouts, 15 of the Top-100 Girls Under 21 are Californians.
Major upcoming event
The Lina Grumette Memorial Day Classic, May 2830, Ontario.
Six Rounds, $5,000 minimum guaranteed prizes, five rating-defined sections. This tournament is named for one of California’s most devoted chess promoters. A top female player in the 1940s, Grumette was referred to as Bobby Fischer’s “chess mother” for helping to support his efforts to become the world champion.
Game of the week
Zatonskih-Abrahamyan U.S. Women’s Championship St. Louis
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6(A) 3.g3(B) c5 4.Nf3 cxd4 5.Nxd4 d5 6.Bg2 e5(C) 7.Nb3 d4(D) 8.0–0 Nc6 9.f4(E) exf4(F) 10.Bxf4 Be6 11.Na3 Rc8 12.Rc1 Be7 13.Nb5 Nh5!?(G) 14.N5xd4(H) Nxd4 15.Qxd4??(I) Bc5(J) 16.Qxc5(K) Rxc5 17.Nxc5 Qd4+(L) 18.Kh1 Qxc5 19.Bd2 0–0 20.b4 Qe7 21.Bf3 Nf6 22.a3 Rc8 23.c5(M) Bd5 24.Bf4 Qxe2(N)0–1.
A) A number of different openings can emerge from this position. B) The Catalan Opening. C) Black’s position is opening up with freedom for all her pieces. D) On the upside, the black pawns are space-gainers. On the downside, they serve as targets for White. E) The assault on the pawns begins. F) Standard and logical is 9...e4. Keeping the invading pawns abreast has produced good outcomes for Black. G) The straightforward 13...0–0, leading to mutual pawn grabs, is probably better: 14.N3xd4 Nxd4 15.Nxd4 Rxc4 16.Nxe6 Qb6+ 17.Kh1 Rxc1 18.Qxc1 Qxe6 19.Bxb7 Qxa2 H) 14.N3xd4 Nxf4 15.Rxf4 Qb6 16.e3 0–0, with slightly more space control for White. I) A blunder! Since the c5 square is protected by the b3 knight, it appears at a glance that Black’s next move is a loser. It is quite the opposite. White should have played 15.Nxd4 Nxf4 16.Rxf4 Qb6 17.Qa4+ Bd7 18.Qb3 Qxb3 19.axb3 b6 and Black would be down a pawn with only the bishop pair for compensation. J) Abrahamyan alertly notices that the b3 knight is overworked. If it takes the bishop, the queen loses protection: 16.Nxc5 Qxd4+. K) Grab what you can! L) Adding insult to injury; there goes the knight. M) Optimizing the queenside pawns and hoping to use the two bishops, but the material deficit is too great. N) The pinned bishop must trade, leading to a hopeless ending.