USCF National Events / 2014 U.S. Open
English Opening (A13) WFM Jennifer Yu (2160) Lilia Poteat (2081) National Girls Invitational Tournament (3) 07.27.2014
1. c4 e6 2. Nc3 Bb4 3. e4 Ne7 4. d4 0-0 5. Nf3 f5 6. Bd3 b6 7. 0-0 Bxc3 8. bxc3 Bb7 9. Qe2 Ng6 10. Bg5 Qc8
Now my position is better because Black
is not fully developed and isn’t active with a badly-placed queen. The move 10. ... Qe8 was much more active than the move played in the game but 11. exf5 exf5 12. Qxe8 Rxe8 13. Bxf5 simply wins a pawn.
11. exf5 exf5 12. Rfe1 d6 13. Nh4
NATIONAL GIRLS INVITATIONAL: JENNIFER YU
The NGIT or the National Girls Invita-
tional Tournament is unique in many ways. All the participants at the tourna - ment passed some kind of criteria to represent their state in the event. I was honored when I found out that I would be representing Virginia. The participants included beginners, amateurs, and some of the nation’s top-rated girls. Maybe because of this large range of players, the tournament contained many surprises and upsets. The Orlando setting was nice, calm and
very fitting for a chess tournament—only the thumping of pieces and occasional pattering of feet could be heard. Meanwhile the main lobby was bustling with tourists clutching shopping bags and oversized Mickey Mouse dolls. When the tournament started, it was
fun at first to see some old friends and meet new ones but I could feel the tension slowly building up with each round. Every single game was a challenge and a single mistake could cost you. To be honest, when I entered this tournament as one of the top-rated players, I did not really think about winning it. I knew from first- hand experiences and from others and their encountering situations that scholas - tic tournaments were hard to predict. When my last game was over, I did not know where I stood on tiebreaks and I was thrilled I had won. Overall, I learned many things from this
tournament. I had a great time too playing chess and meeting other girls from all over the country. Here is my favorite game, against New Yorker Lilia Poteat:
At A Glance ⁄2
Avirneni, Margaret M. Hua, Rebecca Deland, 14th-18th, 31 Director: Jon Haskel.
42 November 2014 | Chess Life
16. ... g6 I was hoping for this as it weakens the
dark squares. A sample variation is 16. ... c5 17. g4 cxd4 18. cxd4 Be4 19. Rxe4 fxe4 20. Bxe4 threaten ing the Exchange and mate when White has the following ideas: 20. ... g6 21. Qg5 threatening 22. Bd5+ and 23. Qf6+ if ... Kh8 and 23. Qe7+ if ... Kg7.
17. Qg5 Re8 ... either wins material right away or
gets an advantageous position by trying to force the black knight to h8 by h4-h5 and penetrating in e7. 13. ... h6 Trying to force the bishop
away but White can still play h5 anyway (13. ... Nd7 14. h5 Nh8 15. Be7 Re8 [15. ... Rf7 16. Ng5] 16. Bxf5; 13. ... Rf7 Even if Black tried to give the black knight a square on f8 and more protection for the seventh file I still have 14. h5 Nf8 15. h6 Ng6 16. hxg7 Kxg7 17. Qe3 with penetra - tion in the dark squares around the black king) 14. h5 Nh8 (14. ... hxg5 15. hxg6 g4 16. Ng5) 15. Be7 Rf7 (15. ... Re8 16. Nh4 Nf7 17. Bxf5 Nd7 18. Qg4 with a crushing advantage and winning the knight) 16. c5 clearing the c4-square for White’s bishop. 16. ... dxc5 (16. ... d5 Now 17. Bh4 clearing the e-file and making things like Ne5 possible in certain variations. 17. ... bxc5 18. Ne5 Rf8 19. Qf3 Although White is down by a pawn Black cannot do much to improve her position so White has a huge advantage.) 17. Bc4 Nc6 18. dxc5 Nxe7 19. Qxe7.
This is a blunder but I didn’t catch it.
18. Re7 Even stronger is 18. Rxe8+ Qxe8 19. Re1
(19. Bxf5 A good move taking a free pawn.) 19. ... Qf8 20. Re7 Re8 (20. ... Rc8) 21. Rxc7 Be4 22. Bf1 d5 23. cxd5 Bxd5 24. Rxa7 Bxa2 25. Bb5.
18. ... Rxe7 No better is 18. ... Nc6 19. Rxe8+ Qxe8
20. Bxf5 wins a pawn and if 20. ... Qe3+ 21. Kh1 Qxc3, then 22. Be6+.
19. Qxe7 Qe8
White invades on the seventh after 19. ... Nc6 20. Qg5 Qf8 21. d5 Nd8 22. Re1. 20. Re1 Qxe7 21. Rxe7
Now that the rook penetrates the seventh rank I am simply winning.
21. ... Ba6 22. Rxc7 d5 23. Bf6 Bxc4 24. Bxc4 Nxc4 25. Rg7+ Kf8 26. Rxh7 Re8 27. Be5 a5 28. Rd7 g5 29. Rxd5 g4 30. Kf2 Kf7 31. Rd7+ Ke6 32. Rc7 Kd5 33. Rf7, Black resigned.
National Girls Invitational Tournament
Date: July 26-29, 2014 | Location: Rosen Centre Hotel, Orlando, Florida | 44 players | Top Finishers: 1st-3rd, 5: Jennifer R. Yu, Jessica Regam, Claudia E. Munoz; 4th-5th, 41
: Kimberly Ding, Veronika Zilajeva; 6th-13th, 4: Becca Lampman, Miranda Liu, Lilia Meilan Poteat, Carissa Shiwen Yip, Emma E. Wing, Saithanusri ⁄2
: Evan Xiang, Annie Wang, Lauren Treiman, Brynna Bartlett, Lauren Kleidermacher. | Chief Tournament
This loses a little bit of my advantage because 13. h4 ...
13. ... Nxh4 14. Bxh4 Nc6 Developing the knight and possibly
preparing for an attack on c4 with a knight on a5 and ... Ba6 like she did later on.
15. f4
Preparing to play d4-d5 when Black will not have a chance to play ... Ne5. 15. ... Na5 16. Qh5
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