Mar-30-19 | | Otoy: White king was forced to walk the `green mile'. |
|
Mar-30-19
 | | OBIT: While Zatonskih is definitely in trouble after 29...Be3, the move 30. Qe1?? is still a shocking oversight. The finish after 30...Bf2 31. Qd2 is about a Tuesday level puzzle, IMO. Oh well, this combo did clinch the championship for Yu. |
|
Mar-31-19
 | | Richard Taylor: The end of the game was pretty obvious. Zantoskih new she was lost in any case. Earlier there was even a Q sac by Black in some variations... But, congratulations to Jennifer Wu! |
|
Mar-31-19
 | | keypusher: <OBIT: While Zatonskih is definitely in trouble after 29...Be3, the move 30. Qe1?? is still a shocking oversight. The finish after 30...Bf2 31. Qd2 is about a Tuesday level puzzle, IMO.> Huh?? Plenty of the losers in Monday and Tuesday puzzles are a lot stronger than Zatonskih, to say nothing of you or me. And yet, those combinations happened. |
|
Apr-01-19 | | MelvinDoucet: Great pun, it has to be said. |
|
Apr-01-19 | | whiteshark: White had to win this game to catch up to Yu. Therefore some omissions are understandable. Furthermore, white was in severe (high grade) time trouble with less than two minutes for the last ~ ten moves. |
|
Apr-01-19 | | InTheBotvinnikOfTime: "Anna, R Yu OK? Anna, R Yu OK? R Yu OK, Anna?"
I'm quite surprised that this pun was even allowed, seeing the whole 'Leaving Neverland' controversy. Maybe the Alien Ant Farm version of Smooth Criminal is being referenced, or perhaps <Annie K.> is a big fan of CPR! Anyhow, great game and pun! |
|
Apr-01-19 | | SugarDom: Great pun! |
|
Apr-01-19 | | faulty: I am sorry, has "Leaving Neverland" ever been used as a pun? Thanks. |
|
Apr-01-19
 | | woldsmandriffield: Jennifer Yu took Bobby Fischer's "show me" attitude in this game. She repeated the opening that appeared in her round 5 game vs Annie Wang not at all phased by Anna Zatonskih's capacity to prepare lines (evidenced for example in Zatonski vs Krush from this event). Wang played 14 Nxe5. 14 Ne4 is "book" but 16 Rd4 seems a new move. After the game Yu suggested 16 a5 preventing Black from cementing the Bb4 outpost and that looks a much better try. Probably Yu prepared for this position and knew that after 16 a5 the line 16..Nc5!? Rxd8 Qxd8 18 Nxe5 Nb3 19 Nxc6 is a better version of the game continuation for White. Note that here 18..fxe5 runs into 19 Nxc5 Bxc5 20 Qxc5 exf4 21 Qxa7 (or even 21 a6 b6 22 Qxc6) Instead after 16 Rd4 a5! 17 h4 Nc5! 18 Rxd8 Qxd8! Black was doing really well. The point is that after 19 Nxe5 Black can go 19..fxe5 20 Nxc5 Bxc5 because after 21 Qxc5 exf4 White no longer wrecks Black's Q-side. Zatonskih chose 19 Nxc5 instead but ran into 19..Bxc5 20 Nxe5 Bxf2+! In the resulting position, Black's pawn structure is far superior to White's, plus her King is safer and piece coordination better (the Qc1 and Ra1 are in a tangle). |
|
Apr-01-19
 | | woldsmandriffield: There is an incredible line after 16 a5! It runs 16..Nc5 17 Rxd8 Qxd8 18 Nxe5 Nb3 19 Nxc6 Nxc1 20 Nxd8 Nxe2+ 21 Kf1 Rxd8 22 Kxe2 Bc4+ 23 Kf3 click for larger viewBlack wins the piece back with 23..f5 but I don't know what is going on here. |
|
Apr-01-19
 | | woldsmandriffield: Can Black ever get the light-squared Bishop back in the game after 24 Nc3 Bxc3 25 bxc3 Bd5+ 26 Ke2 Bxg2 27 f3 Rc8 28 Kf2 Bh3  click for larger view |
|
Apr-01-19
 | | Breunor: White falls behind with 20 Nxe5 which the computer ranks as about -1. This allows Bxf2 ch! Now white can't play 21 Kxf2 since after fxe5, the bishop on f4 is lost as it is pinned against the king. White is only slightly behind after 20 Bxe5. Now black can't play Bxf2 since white has 21 Kxf2 Qd4ch 22 Ne3. |
|
Apr-02-19 | | Granny O Doul: A lot of what makes easy puzzles easy is that they are labeled as puzzles, which, as has often been pointed out before (but let me point it out again) doesn't happen while the game is being played. Also, the position after 29...Be3 arises a move and a half before the alleged Tuesday puzzle position. |
|
Apr-02-19 | | Smyslov57: Congratulations to my friend Jennifer Yu! She thoroughly dominated this tournament and showed the heart and courage of a true champion! |
|
Apr-09-19
 | | woldsmandriffield: Another look at this opening.
Zatonskih could have tried 16 Qc2 and now if Black opts for 16..a5 seeking to stabilise he Q-side, then 17 Rd4! is good centralisation. Note that with the Q on c2, Black has to keep an eye out for Ng5 tactics plus White has the nice plan of Ncd6 followed by Rad1. The 12..Rd8 line does not look so easy for Black and Zatonskih will be disappointed she did not get more from her opening prep ahead of this decisive encounter. |
|