One for the Young

The 2003 Women’s Championship made for a last hurrah for the Flint location of All the King’s Men Chess Supplies. There were twenty players this year, most of them youth. I note that of the twenty there were four Ashleys and one Ashlee making it the most popular name for female chess players in Michigan for 2003. This year was a bit of a surprise. Perennial favorite Jennifer Skidmore was held to a draw in round three and then lost in round four. These two players were Ashley Carter and Alla Tabak, respectively. And they both tied for first place at three and a half points. On tie-breaks, Ashley is the 2003 Women’s Champion.

Interesting Games

Slow development by Black creates a predicament:

Jennifer Skidmore (1884)
Diana Tabak (1093)
Round 2
King's Gambit Accepted: Abazzia, C36

Notes by Jeff Aldrich

1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 d5 4.e5

Not book, but a great practical idea. The question is: How will Black develop both the king-side knight and bishop? 4...f6 This just weakens the king-side. The real test appears to be 4...g5. A move that is definitely in the spirit when fighting the King's Gambit.

5.d4 c5

Aggressive. But, that's a lot of pawn moves to start the game. Black is quickly falling behind in development.

6.Bxf4 Nc6 7.Bb5 Bd7 8.0–0

In the true spirit of the King's Gambit. It is not important how pawns each player has left. Development is the key.

8...cxd4?!

This does nothing to help the development cause.

9.Re1 fxe5?

The king is coming under fire and there is nowhere to go.

10.Nxe5 Nge7??

10...Be7 is better, so the knight can get out via the f6-square. Either way, it won't be pretty.

11.Qh5+ g6 12.Nxg6 hxg6 13.Qxg6# 1–0

All Black's “developed” pieces do nothing more than entomb the king.

White’s queen-side pressure causes Black to falter:

Ashley Carter (1412)
Sha’Toirea Drew (995)
Round 2
Queen's Gambit Accepted, D20

Notes by Edward Laurin

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3

Interesting choice.

3...Be6

This just ties down Black's central pawn and development of her pieces.

4.Qc2 b5 5.a4 c6 6.Na3

6.Nc3 b4 7.Ne4 Nf6 8.Nc5=

6...Qa5+

6...a6 Black can actually attempt to hold the pawn in these variations. 7.axb5 axb5µ

7.Bd2 b4?

7...Qb6

8.Nxc4 Bxc4 9.Qxc4 e6 10.Nf3 Nd7 11.Qxc6 Qd8 12.Rc1

Taking control of this file is very important for White. Now, Black will have a difficult time at getting her queen's rook out, and all the other pieces are just as undeveloped.

12...Be7 13.Bb5

Continuing to build the pressure.

13...Ngf6 14.Ne5 Rc8 15.Qxc8 0–0 16.Bxd7 Nxd7 17.Qxd7 Re8 18.Qxd8 Rxd8 19.Nc6 Re8 20.Nxe7+ Kf8

20...Rxe7 21.Rc8+ Re8 22.Rxe8#

21.Bxb4 f5 22.Nxf5+

22.Rc7 This looks rather interesting, although the text is just as effective.

22...Kf7 23.Nd6+ Ke7 24.Nxe8+ Kxe8 25.Rc7 Kd8 26.Rxg7 Ke8 27.0–0 Kd8 28.Rc1 Ke8 29.Rc8# 1–0

Black finds a nice shot to win a piece, but that doesn’t mean that the game is over:

Ashlee Payne (1027)
Olga Tabak (1246)
Round 2
Pirc: Two Knights (Schlechter), B08

Notes by Jeff Aldrich

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 g6 3.e4 d6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Be3 0–0 6.h3 Nbd7 7.Qd2 b6 8.Bh6 Bb7 9.Bd3 c5 10.d5 Re8 11.Bxg7 Kxg7 12.0–0 e5 13.b3 Nh5 14.Ne2 f5?!

You got to wonder about this with the fianchettoed bishop gone.

15.Ng5 Nf8

There goes the pawn.

16.exf5 gxf5 17.Bxf5 h6 18.Ne6+ Nxe6 19.Bxe6 Qf6 20.Ng3 Qg6 21.Bf5 Qf7 22.Be6 Qg6 23.Nf5+

Obviously, White isn't ready for a draw.

23...Kh7 24.Nxd6

On the surface, this appears to win a pawn, but Black has a nice tactic. White must relent with 24.Nh4. She still has the advantage, but Black might be able to whip a little king-side attack at some point.

Find the Shot for Black

24...Rxe6!

The mate threat pins the pawn.

25.Nxb7

But, the knight won't make it out alive.

25...Rf6 26.Qd3 Qxd3 27.cxd3 Rb8 28.g4 Nf4 29.Nxc5 bxc5 30.Kh2 Nxd3?!

No! The passed pawn is more valuable.

31.Rad1 Rxf2+ 32.Rxf2 Nxf2 33.Rd2 Ne4 34.Re2 Nc3

34...Rb4 Black wants to avoid pawn trades. Her best chance of winning is when there are more pawns still on the board.

35.Rxe5 Nxa2 36.d6 Rd8 37.Re7+ Kg8 38.Rxa7 Nb4 39.d7 Nc6 40.h4 Kf7 41.Kg3 Ke6 42.Rc7 Ne7 43.Rxc5

Black is fast running out of pawns.

43...Rxd7 44.Rc3 Nd5 45.Rc6+ Rd6 46.Rxd6+ Kxd6 47.h5 Nf6 48.Kf4 Ke6 49.g5

And there goes any chance of winning for Black. Excellent piece down play for White.

49...hxg5+ 50.Kxg5 Nxh5 51.Kxh5 Kd5 52.Kg5 Kc5 53.Kf4 Kb4 54.Ke3 Kxb3 ½–½

An open king-side dooms White:

Ashley Bish (315)
Elena Stojanovski (498)
Round 2
King's Knight, C44

Notes by Jeff Aldrich

1.e4 e5 2.d3

White blocks in her king-side bishop with this early pawn move. Remember kids, you want to develop your pieces first and then only move pawns when necessary. (1.e4 is good because it lets the bishop out.)

2...Nc6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Be2 0–0 6.0–0 d6 7.Be3 Bxc3 8.bxc3 d5

If Black was planning on this push, then she could have saved a move by taking the knight instead of 6...d6.

9.d4 dxe4 10.Ng5

10.Nxe5 is a much better. It gets over-exposed with the text.

10...exd4 11.cxd4 h6 12.Nh3 Bxh3 13.gxh3

Now White's king can feel the breeze.

13...Qd7 14.Bg4 Qd6 15.f3?!

Every pawn move creates a weakness. This one is no exception.

15...Rfe8 16.fxe4 Nxe4 17.Qd3 Re7 18.a3 g6?!

This move doesn't serve any purpose. It is important to keep focus and continue with her original idea: 18...Rae8

19.Bxh6 Rae8 20.d5 Nf6? 21.Bg5?

Both player miss the hanging knight.

21...Ne5 22.Qd4 Nexg4 23.Rxf6?

Seems like a good in-between move. Unfortunately, the drafty king-side allows Black in. She follows through efficiently.

When pawns get locked up:

Ashley Carter (1412)
Jennifer Skidmore (1850)
Round 3
Grünfeld: Three Knights (Schlechter Deferred), D94

Notes by Edward Laurin

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c6 4.e3 Nf6 5.Nf3 g6

Black already has a good number of weak black-squares, no need to create more. 5...Nbd7

6.Bd3 Bg7 7.0–0 0–0 8.b3

8.e4 dxe4 (8...dxc4 9.Bxc4 b5 10.Bd3²) 9.Nxe4 Nxe4 10.Bxe4². White enjoys better development and space.

8...Nbd7 9.Bb2

9.Ba3 gives White's light-squared bishop a bit more activity.

9...Re8 10.Qc2 Nh5 11.Ne2 f5

Opens some holes in Black's position.

12.Ne5

Moving a rook to the c or e-file proves to be more effective. This knight move is unnecessary since Black's e-pawn is stuck for the time being anyway, plus after the trade White's pawn structure isn't as desirable.

12...Ndf6

12...Nxe5 13.dxe5 b6=

13.c5 Bd7

Too slow. 13...Nd7 Black has time to admit the knight moves aren't going to produce anymore of an effect than they are.

14.f3 Bh6 15.Qd2

15.Bc1 An odd looking move, but White's dark-squared bishop isn't doing much on the a1–h8 diagonal anyway, why not put it on something where there is a target? 15...Bc8 (15...Bg7 16.g4+-) 16.e4 Bxc1 17.Raxc1 Nd7 18.Nxd7 Bxd7 19.e5 Qh4 20.Qd2 Ng7 21.g3±. White still enjoys much move space, and her bishop is suddenly much better than Black's imprisoned twin.

15...g5 16.Ng3

No need to trade off White's good knight for Black's horrible knight. 16.b4 attacks the base of the pawn chain. Or attack in the direction your pawn chain points. Notice how the pawns from e3-c5 point toward the queen-side. 16...Bc8 (16...Ng7 17.Bc2 g4 18.Nc1 Moving to position another knight to attack e5 for even better occupation.) 17.b5 cxb5 18.Bxb5

16...Qe7

16...Nxg3 17.hxg3= Now that Black's weak knight and White's ability to take control of the e5 square are gone the game shifts to a drawish setting.

17.a4

17.Nxh5 Black's failure to take advantage of the knight trade gives White a chance to add in a distraction. This capture forces Black to misplace his other knight giving White time to begin an attack on the queen-side. 17...Nxh5 18.a4 Nf6 19.b4

17...Rf8

17...Nxg3 See note after Black's 16th move. Black missing this chance several times through the next few moves.

18.b4

18.Nxh5 See note after White's move 14. White misses this chance several times during the next few moves.

18...a6 19.a5 Kh8 20.Ne2

The second best move, removing the chance for Black to trade off the weak knight.

20...g4 21.f4 Rg8 22.g3

22.Nc3 White needs to keep the hole at e4 filled now.

22...Be8

22...Ne4

23.Nc3 Nd7 24.Na4 Nhf6 25.Nb6 Rb8 26.Rad1

26.Nbxd7 Nxd7 27.Rad1÷

26...Bf8

26...Nxe5 27.fxe5 Ne4 28.Bxe4 fxe4³ White's trapped dark-squared bishop gives Black a slight edge in this position.

27.Qc3

27.Nbxd7 Getting rid of White's somewhat misplaced knight for Black's centralized is a decent idea. Although, Black still retains somewhat of an advantage.

27...h5 28.Rf2 Bh6

28...Nxb6 29.axb6 Bg7³

29.Kf1 Nxe5

29...Nxb6 30.axb6 Ne4 31.Bxe4 fxe4 32.Qd2 Ra8 Black now has a penetration point, but the spatial advantage for White should equalize the position.

30.dxe5 Ne4 31.Bxe4 fxe4 32.Qd2 Bg6 33.Bd4 Rbf8 34.Ke2 h4 35.Rh1 Rf5

35...h3

36.Rff1

36.gxh4

36...Bh5

36...h3

37.Kd1

37.Rb1 h3

37...h3

37...Rgf8 38.gxh4 (38.Qe1 h3 39.Bb2³ (39.Rf2 Bg7 40.Rhf1 Qc7 41.Ke2 Bh6 42.Kd1)) 38...Rd8 39.Kc1²

38.Bb2 Bg6 39.Kc1³ ½–½

Draw was offered here and accepted.