Bigger and Better

For 2005, the Women’s Championship was scheduled for a Sunday to avoid conflicting with the Detroit Metro Scholastic League. This move helped attendance by increasing the total to 37. I did not have a chance to go back and look up the history of the event, but I have to believe that this large total has to be a record for this event.

It was also very strong at the top with an A-player, Jennifer Skidmore, and four B-players, Connie Munson, Heather Swan, Kelly Cottrell-Finegold, and Ashley Carter. After those five players, the highest rated was 1202, so it would take a little while for the top players to meet each other. And as it would happen, the top five were the only remaining perfect scores after three rounds.

In round four, Jennifer Skidmore defeated Kelly Cottrell-Finegold and Heather Swan won against Connie Munson. Ashley Carter was paired down to the top two-pointer and won her game, leaving three players with perfect score going into the last round.

In the final round, Heather Swan pulled out the upset of Jennifer Skidmore to complete a perfect event. Ashley Carter defeated Connie Munson to become the other perfect score. That leaves us with Co-Champions at 5-0, Heather Swan and Ashley Carter.

Interesting Games

Jennifer Skidmore (1878)
Kelly Cottrell-Finegold (1689)
Round 4
Sicilian: Closed (Zukertort), B23

Notes by Jeff Aldrich

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.f4

Typical Jennifer. Attack at all costs.

3...Nc6 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bb5 g6 6.Bxc6+

6.e5 is another interesting idea. Of course, there may be some limits to the attacking possibilities with the king still in the center.

6...bxc6 7.0-0 Bg7 8.d3 0-0 9.Qe1 Nd7 10.f5 gxf5 11.Qg3

Threatening 12.Bh6 to mate with the queen and bishop.

11...Kh8 12.Qh3 Rg8

Not sure if I like the idea of leaving the f-pawn undefended here. Ng5 is coming. Sometimes the best idea is to make the attacker prove that it's really there. Here is one idea: 12...fxe4 13.Ng5 h6 14.Nxf7+ Rxf7 15.Rxf7 Ne5 16.Qh5 Nxf7 17.Qxf7 and White is running out of ammunition.

13.Ng5 Bd4+ 14.Kh1 Rg7 15.Qh5 Qg8 16.Ne2 Nf6 17.Qh4 Ng4 18.Nxd4 cxd4 19.Rf3 Ne3 20.Bxe3 dxe3 21.Nh3

This concession is proof that the attack is not there. Black is going to come of this situation in a better position.

21...f6 22.exf5 Qd5 23.Nf4 Qxf5 24.Rxe3? Rg4!

Black picks up the piece.

25.Qh6

Black to Move

25...Rxf4??

Not this way. Maybe, all the attacking pressure was just too much. 25...Qxf4! wins the piece and leads to an easily won game. 26.Qf8+ Rg8 27.Qxe7 Bg4

26.Qf8# 1-0

Heather Swan (1690)
Connie Munson (1714)
Round 4
English: Asymmetrical, A34

Notes by Jeff Aldrich

1.c4 c5 2.Nc3 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.g3 b6 5.Bg2 Bb7 6.0-0 d6 7.Qc2 Nf6 8.b3 Nbd7 9.Bb2 0-0 10.Rad1 a6 11.d4 cxd4 12.Rxd4 Nc5 13.Re1 Re8 14.e3 Nfe4 15.Rdd1 Nxc3 16.Bxc3 Be4 17.Qd2 Nd3

Black's pieces have penetrated into the White camp, but you have to wonder if those pieces aren't a little overextended.

18.Rf1 d5 19.Bxg7 Kxg7 20.cxd5

20.Qc3+ gets two pieces for the rook.

20...Qxd5 21.Nh4 Red8 22.f3 Bf5

White to Move

23.Nxf5+?

White wants to play f4 to skewer the queen and rook. But, the bishop was in the way. It seems logical to take the bishop, but this allows the queen to vacate the diagonal and still protect the knight. The correct idea is 23.g4 and any bishop move allows f4. And it gets worse for Black as the only piece, the rook on d8, which can take the bishop is also defending the knight.

23...Qxf5 24.Qe2

Now, the knight escapes unscathed.

24...Nb4 25.Qb2+ f6 26.Rxd8 Rxd8 27.a3 Qc2 28.Rf2 Rd1+ 29.Bf1 Rxf1+ 30.Kxf1 Qd1+ 31.Kg2 Nd3 32.Qc3 Ne1+

Trying too hard to win? But, what is the alternative? 32...Nxf2 looks drawish.

33.Kh3 Nxf3 34.Qc7 Ng5+ 35.Kg2 Qd5+ 36.Kf1 Qd3+ 37.Re2 Qd1+ 38.Kf2 Nh3+ 39.Kf3 Qf1+

Black picks off the rook. But, Fritz finds a forced mate here. A tough one to find over the board. 39...Qd5+ 40.e4 Qd3+ 41.Re3 Qf1+ 42.Kg4 h5+ 43.Kh4 Kh6! The key move in the sequence. 44.g4 g5+ 45.Kg3 h4#.

40.Ke4 Qxe2 41.Qxe7+ Kh6 42.Qxf6 Ng5+ 43.Kd5 Qb5+ 44.Kd4 Qc5+ 45.Kd3 Qf5+ 46.Qxf5 gxf5 47.Kc3 Ne4+ 48.Kd3 1-0

Obviously, time came into play here, as this would be an easy win for Black.

Heather Swan (1690)
Jennifer Skidmore (1878)
Round 5
Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange, D35

Notes by Jeff Aldrich

1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.cxd5 exd5 4.d4 c6 5.Bf4 Nf6 6.Nf3 Bd6 7.Bxd6 Qxd6 8.e3 0-0 9.Bd3 Bg4 10.h3 Bh5 11.g4 Bg6 12.Qc2 Nbd7 13.0-0-0

By extending the kingside and castling queenside, Heather gives both players attacking opportunities. Jennifer is a much stronger player when on the attack, so I am not sure that this was the best idea.

13...b5 14.g5 Ne8 15.h4 a5 16.h5 Bxd3 17.Qxd3 a4 18.Nh4 g6 19.f4 f5?

This just helps Heather open up the kingside.

20.hxg6

Looking for attacking possibilities down the h-file. 20.gxf6! is more potent. Taking with one of the knights leaves g6 undefended.

20...hxg6 21.Rh3 b4 22.Ne2 Ng7 23.Ng3 Rfe8 24.Rdh1 c5 25.Ngxf5! gxf5? 26.Nxf5

With the h-file open, it should be game over, but Jennifer finds the best way to distract.

26...Qa6 27.Qxa6?!

White is still winning, but she had a chance to end it right here. 27.Rh7!! and the queen is immune due to the mate threat. 27...Qxd3? (27...Re7 28.Nh6+ and Black must give up the queen to avoid mate. 27...Nxf5 28.Qxf5 and Black cannot stop mate.) 28.Rxg7+ Kf8 29.Rh8#.

27...Rxa6 28.Nxg7 Rea8

Taking the knight allows White to pick up one of Black's rooks at a minimum.

29.f5 Nf8 30.Ne6 cxd4 31.Nxf8 Kxf8 32.Rh8+ Ke7 33.R1h7+ Kd6 34.Rxa8 Rxa8 35.exd4

White's connected passers are way too strong. Black puts up her best defense, but it is not enough.

35...Rc8+ 36.Kd2 Rc4 37.Kd3 a3 38.b3 Rc3+ 39.Kd2 Rg3 40.g6 Rg2+ 41.Ke3 Rxa2 42.g7 Rg2 43.Rh6+ Ke7 44.Rg6 a2 45.Ra6 Rxg7 46.f6+ Kf7 47.fxg7 Kxg7 48.Rxa2 Kf6 49.Kf4 Ke6 50.Ra6+ Kd7 51.Ke5 Kc7 52.Kxd5 Kb7 53.Rh6 Kc7 54.Rg6 Kb7 55.Kc5 Ka7 56.Kb5 Kb7 57.Rg7+ Kc8 58.Kc6 Kd8 59.Kd6 Ke8 60.Ra7 Kf8 61.Ke6 Kg8 62.Kf6 Kh8 63.Kg6 Kg8 64.Ra8# 1-0

Connie Munson (1714)
Ashley Carter (1658)
Round 5
B13

Notes by Jeff Aldrich

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3 Nf6 5.h3 e6 6.Bf4 Bd6 7.Be5 Bxe5

Not an obvious mistake, but a move that makes Black's d-pawn a little stronger.

8.dxe5 Nfd7 9.Nf3 Nc6 10.Qe2 Qc7 11.Bb5 0-0 12.Bxc6

Another move that strengthens the d-pawn. Black has quietly built up a small but definite advantage.

12...bxc6 13.b3 a5 14.Nbd2 Ba6 15.c4 Nb6 16.0-0 a4 17.Rfc1 axb3 18.axb3 Qb7 19.Qd3 Nd7 20.Qc3

20.Ng5 forces a kingside weakness.

20...Qb6 21.cxd5

Now the d-pawn is passed, but you see that White's b-pawn is also passed. The difference is that the d-pawn is protected while the b-pawn will become weak.

21...cxd5 22.Qc6 Qxc6 23.Rxc6 Bb5 24.Rxa8 Bxc6 25.Ra7 Rc8 26.b4 Rb8

Black is already playing for the b-pawn and White has no good defense.

27.Rc7 Ba4 28.b5 Bxb5 29.Nd4 Nf8 30.N2b3 Bc4 31.Nc5 h6 32.Nc6 Rb1+ 33.Kh2 Ng6 34.Nd8 Nxe5 35.f4 Nd3 36.Nxd3 Bxd3 37.Rxf7 Rb2 38.Re7 Be4 39.Kg3 Rxg2+ 40.Kh4 Bf5 41.Nxe6 Bxe6

Time may be affecting both players at this point. 41...Rh2! threatens mate and, therefore, wins another pawn.

42.Rxe6 d4 43.Rd6 Rd2 44.Rd7 d3 45.Kh5 Rd1 46.Kg6 Rg1+ 47.Kf5 Rg3 48.h4 Kf8 49.Ke4 Rh3 50.Kf5 Rxh4 51.Rxd3 Rh1 52.Rd7 Rg1 53.Ra7 0-1

Black queened a pawn after trading rooks.