unified with Abrahamyan, who also inter- twined her hair before her rapid playoff with Baginskaite. Krush repeated the variation from their
preliminary game. This time Zatonskih prepared an improvement and the two later entered an unusually-complicated opposite-colored bishop endgame. All the pawns were vulnerable, with Krush’s king marauding the kingside and Zatonskih’s bishop feasting on the helpless queen- side pawns. After some liquidation, Krush’s bishop faced off against an a- and b-pawn tandem. At first sight drawn, Zatonskih’s king moved in and she won by a tempo (although 63. Bxb4 or 63. Kb2 should draw). Curiously, GM Robert Hess remarked that he had also won the exact same endgame against Krush years ago. In the rapid rematch, Zatonskih again
Tatev Abrahamyan Anna Zatonskih
failed to make her quest easy. Krush played the Pirc and got the complications that she sought. She was often seen sit- ting on both feet in her chair, the only player in either event to strike such a pose. Zatonskih’s center collapsed and after her wishful dark-squared check- mate was rebuffed, she offered her hand in resignation. Both players flew out of their seats and regrouped for their ten minute break, followed by an Armaged- don bidding match. With no lucubration possible for the
final game, preparation and bidding strat- egy would be based on quick plans made during the ten-minute break. Krush picked up her cell phone from downstairs (they are banned from the upper-floor tournament hall). She left the club and quickly dialed her coach, GM Giorgi Kacheishvili, whom she holds in very high regard. Zatonskih brought her phone to the club for the first time but she said she decided there was not enough time to confer with her husband, GM Daniel Frid- man, who was in Europe. Instead she stayed upstairs, washed her face and tried to collect herself. After the respite ended, the duo reprised
Iryna Zenyuk
squandered the chance to finish off her rival the next day. In a closed position, Zatonskih played a natural lever to open her bishops, but it was Krush’s pieces that benefited. “I was grateful to get this position and have something to play for,” Krush said, referencing the fact that a draw was as good as a loss for her. Fur- ther on, Zatonskih overlooked an obvious bishop sacrifice against her king that sealed her fate. After the event, Zatonskih admitted
that she had to work on this predica- ment—how to hold a draw when that is
uschess.org Alisa Melekhina
all that is required (later in the tourna- ment, she faced the same situation twice more, and failed to draw both times). “This is just psychology that I have to learn at home how to improve this situ- ation,” Zatonskih said. The following afternoon’s rest day was
again anything but for Zatonskih. She and Krush faced off in a two-game rapid match with the same parameters as the Foisor playoff (Game/25 with a five-sec- ond delay). Before the game, a last-minute hair-braiding gave Zatonskih pig tails to add to her lucky jersey. She symbolically
their contentious history for a few moments. When Krush showed up late for the bidding procedure, Zatonskih cried foul. “She’s doing this on purpose,” Zaton- skih said to assistant arbiter Tony Rich. Zatonskih said Krush had also arrived late during their previous tiebreak. At the 2008 U.S. Women’s Champi-
onship, the two played a series of tiebreak games that resulted in an infamous end- ing. Krush lost on time and, unsatisfied with the properness of Zatonskih’s final moves, swatted a piece and stormed out of the room. The two have since repaired their relationship, but subtle remem- brances were unearthed. After several minutes, a growingly irri-
tated Zatonskih asked if a time penalty was in order, but it would be hard to
Chess Life — July 2011 31
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84