All Indian women's affair

By Kristianus Liem

JAKARTA (JP): India maintained its supremacy in the Asian Zone 3.1 Chess Championship for Women at the Kowsar Hotel, Tehran, Iran, from Aug. 2 to Aug. 16 this year.

Indian women took four of the top six places with Women's International Master Vijayalakshmi Subbaraman leading her compatriot with 7.5 points from nine rounds.

Tere was a new and strong entrant, Women's Grandmaster Eva Repkova (2305), a former Slovenian star who has settled down in Lebanon after marrying FIDE Master Fadi Eid.

Repkova probably took the opposition lightly and her rash play was duly punished by Vijayalakshmi and Saritha Reddy (also from India) in successive rounds early in the tournament, after which it became an all-Indian affair.

Having drawn their mutual encounter in the second round, Vijalakshmi and Saritha got into a neck-and-neck race for the title. Vijayalakshmi maintained a half-point lead over Saritha till her loss to teammate Anupama Gokhale in the seventh round enabling Saritha to reverse the positions of the half-point lead.

In the final round, both needed a win to take the title, as Vijayalakshmi had a better tie-break against Saritha's half point lead.

Saritha lost to teammate Safira Shanaz with the black pieces while Vijayalakshmi systematically outplayed another teammate Swati Ghate, also with the black pieces, to clinch the title. Saritha shared second spot on 7 points with Repkova, who demolished the rest of the field.

The top six places after nine rounds with sixteen players were (India unless stated): 1. Subbaraman Vijayalakshmi 7.5; 2. Saritha Reddy and Eva Repkova (Lebanon); 4. Anupale Gokhale 6.5; 5. Rani Hamid (Bangladesh) and Safira Shanaz 5.5 points.

Here is one game from the champion.

White: WIM Vijayalakshmi Subbaraman Black: WGM Eva Repkova English Opening

1.c4 Nc6 2.Nc3 e5 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.Rb1 d6 6.d3 f5 7.e3 Nf6 8.Nge2 0-0 9.0-0 Be6?! 10.b4?! Rb8?

A right answer to white's last dubious move is 10 ... d5! leads to equality.

11.f4!

Now 11...d6-d5 is permanently stopped which gives white control of the center and no threat from the kingside too.

11...Nh5 12.Nd5 Ne7 13.b52 Kh8 14.Bb2 Qd7

Better is 14...Bxd5 15.cxd5 exf4 16.Bxg7+ Nxg7 17.gxf4 Qd7 18.Qc2 when White has a small advantage only.

15.Nxe7 Qxe7 16.Bf3 Rg8 17.Qc2! Qf7 18.Rbc1! g5?

The position was too suffocating for black to play. Better is 18...Rgf8 so white still has an advantage after 19.Bxh5 gxh5 20.fxe5 dxe5 21.d4 Rbe8 22.dxe5 Bd7 23.e4.

19.fxe5! dxe5 20.d4!

Mounting pressure on the long diagonal.

20...f4 21.dxe5 g4 22.Be4 f3 23.Nf4

If 23.Bxh7 Bh6! 24.Bxg8 Bxe3+ 25.Kh1 Kxg8, black gets compensation for the exchange and one pawn.

23...Bh6 24.Bd5 Ng7 25.Be4 Nh5 26.Bd4 Rgd8 27.Nxe6 Rxd4! 28.exd4! Be3+

See diagram.

29.Rf2!

If 29.Kh1!? Qxe6 30.Rg1 because black is threatening 30...Nxg3+ 31.hxg3 Qh6+ 32.Qh2 Bxc1 with the balance position 30...Bxd4 31.Bf5 Qg8 32.Rgd1 Bxe5 33.Qe4 Bb2 34.Rc2 Nf6 gives some chances for black.

29...Qxe6 30.Bf5 Qh6 31.Re1

Only move. If 31.Bxg4 Nxg3 32.hxg3 Rg8 33.Bxf3 Rxg3+ 34.Kf1 Bxf2 35.Kxf2 Qh2+ 36.Ke3 Qh6+ 37.Ke4 Qg6+ 38.Ke3 (of course not 38.Kd5 Qf7+ 39.Kc5 Qf8+ 40.Kd5 Qxf3+ and Black wins) 38...Qh6+ and draw by perpetual check.

31...Bxd4 32.Bxg4

After this move White gained a winning position.

32...Rg8 33.Bxh5 Qxh5 34.Re4 Bc5?

Just wasting time, but after 34...Bxf2+ 35.Qxf2 (a) 35...Qf5 36.Re3 (36.Re1 Re8 37.e6 Qf6 38.e7 Rxe7 39.Rxe7 Qxe7 40.Qxf3 c6) 36...Qb1+ 37.Re1 Qd3 38.e6 Re8 39.Qe3 Qf5 40.Qe5+ and after exchanging the Queens, white wins in the end-game; (b) 35...a6 36.bxa6 bxa6 37.e6 Rd8 38.Re1 Re8 39.Qd4+ Kg8 40.Re4 white is still better off.

35.e6! Rd8 36.e7 Bxf2+ 37.Qxf2 Re8 38.Qd4+ Kg8 39.Rh4??

White can wins faster after 39.Rg4+ Kf7 40.Qf4+ Kxe7 41.Qxc7+ Ke6 42.Re4+ Kf6 43.Qd6+ Kf7 44.Qd7+ Kf8 45.Rf4+ Kg8 46.Rg4+ Kh8 47.Qg7# mate.

39...f2+ 40.Kf1 c5 41.bxc6 Qa5 42.Rg4+ Kf7 43.Rg7+??

White missed mate in six moves after 43.Rf4+ Kg8 44.Rf8+ Rxf8 45.Qh8+ Kf7 46.exf8Q+ Kg6 47.Qhg7+ Kh5 48.Qff7#.

43...Ke6 44.Qd7+ Kf6 45.Qd4+ Ke6 46.Qd5+ Qxd5 47.cxd5+ Kxd5 48.cxb7 Kc6 49.Rxh7 Kxb7 50.g4??

Once again White can wins more easily after 50.h4 Kc6 51.h5 Kd5 52.h6 Ke6 53.Rg7 Kf6 54.g4 a5 55.g5+ Kf5 56.Kxf2 Ke6 57.h7 White wins.

50...Kc6 51.g5 Kd7 52.h4 Rg8 53.e8Q+ Kxe8 54.Rxa7 Rg6 55.Kxf2 Rc6 56.Kg3 Rc4 57.h5 Kf8 58.g6 Kg8 59.h6 Rc8 60.a4 Rb8 61.a5 Rb3+ 62.Kf4 Rb4+ 63.Ke5 Rb5+ 64.Kf6 Rb8 65.a6 Rf8+ 66.Rf7 Rc8 67.a7 Rc6+ 68.Kf5 Ra6 69.h7+ 1-0