2009 U.S. Women's Chess Championship

Who will win it? In 2007, Elizabeth Vicary won the $300 Goddesschess Brilliancy Prize for this game against much higher rated Camilla Baginskaite, as reported by Chris Bird, Round 7, at the official website of the 2007 U.S. Women's Championship: Quite simply the best game of the round by far, and possibly the best game of the tournament given that a beautiful attack was actually finished off, was played by Liz Vicary in her demolition of Camilla Baginskaite. Of course it takes two to tango, and thanks to a blunder from Baginskaite in a complicated position, Vicary was able to come up with a whirlwind attack that ended up in mate. Baginskaite,C (2361) - Vicary,E (2155)2007 US Women's Ch., (7), 19.07.2007 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 Qe7 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2 Bxd2+ 7.Nbxd2 0-0 8.0-0 d6 9.e4 e5 10.d5 Nb8 11.Ne1 a5 12.Nd3 Na6 13.a3 Bg4 14.f3 Bd7 15.b4 c6 16.dxc6 [ 16.Qb3 cxd5 17.cxd5 axb4 18.axb4 Nc7 19.Qb2 Bb5 20.Ra3 Rxa3 21.Qxa3 Ba6 22.Rc1 Nb5 23.Qa5 Nd4 24.Bf1 Nh5 25.Nf2 Be2 26.Rc3 Qg5 27.Qa2 f5 28.exf5 Qxf5 29.Bg2 Nf6 30.Rc7 Bxf3 Skembris,S-Beliavsky,A/Igalo 1994/0-1 (35)] 16...bxc6 17.f4 [ 17.Qb3 Nc7 18.Qb2 Rfb8 19.f4 Ng4 20.f5 Ne3 21.Rf3 Nxg2 22.Kxg2 f6 23.Qc3 Be8 24.Rff1 d5 25.Rfc1 Na6 26.exd5 cxd5 27.b5 dxc4 28.Nxe5 Qxe5 29.Qxe5 fxe5 30.a4 Nc5 31.Rxc4 Nd7 Pedersen,N-Shkapenko,P/Marianske Lazne CZE 2007/0-1 (47)] 17...Rab8 18.Rb1 axb4 19.axb4 Rb6 20.fxe5 dxe5 21.c5 21...Rxb4!? 22.Nxb4 Qxc5+ 23.Kh1 Nxb4 24.Qb3 Rb8 25.Qc4 Qd6 26.Qe2 [ 26.Nf3! c5 ( 26...Be6 27.Qc3 Nxe4 28.Qxe5) 27.Rfc1 Rb5 28.Rd1 Nd3! with complicated play for both sides.] 26...c5! Giving the bishop some life. 27.Nc4 Qe6 28.Rfc1 Bb5 29.Bf1? [ 29.Qe3! holds the position thanks to a few tactics 29...Rc8 ( 29...Ng4 30.Qxc5 Nd3 31.Rxb5 Rf8 32.Qa3 Qh6 33.h3 Nxc1 34.Rb2 is good for White.) 30.Nb6! Ng4 ( 30...Qxb6 31.Rxb4) 31.Qd2] 29...Nxe4! Not only does Baginskaite blunder a pawn but now her king is wide open on the diagonal. 30.Qe3 [ 30.Qxe4? Bc6] 30...Bc6 31.Bg2 f5! Vicary finds by far the best and most energetic continuation. The position is already winning for Black, it is just a question of finishing it off! 32.Nd2 32...f4!! 33.gxf4 [ If 33.Qe2 Nxd2 34.Qxd2 f3! is simply crushing.] 33...exf4 34.Qe1 [ 34.Qxf4 Rf8! 35.Qe3 ( 35.Qh4 Nxd2) 35...Nf2+] 34...Ng3+! 35.hxg3 [ 35.Kg1 Ne2+ 36.Kh1 Bxg2+ 37.Kxg2 Qg6+ is also devastating.] 35...Qh3+ and mate next move. 0-1 　 In 2008, GM Susan Polgar selected Tatev Abrahamyan as the winner of the $500 Goddesschess Fighting Chess Award ($350 from Goddesschess and $150 from the Susan Polgar Foundation) for her record of six wins, no draws, and three losses. She finished in 4th place overall. Abrahamyan has since earned an IM title that will be confirmed at the upcoming FIDE Congress. Who will win the 2009 Goddesschess Fighting Chess Award of $500? GM Susan Polgar will once again select the Fighting Chess Award winner in 2009. The guidelines are simple – the winner exhibits the same qualities in her games as the fighting chess played by the Polgar sisters. Stay tuned!

2008 Hales Corners Challenge

Yaaahhhhhh! My adopted local chess club is hosting a USCF Grand Prix event: Our popular Hales Corners Challenge (held each year in April and October) is coming soon. Mark your calendar now! Tournament information is below, and a flyer is attached to this email (or go to http://home.wi.rr.com/swcc/HC%20Challenge.htm ) NOTE !! NEW LOCATION THIS TIME ! Wyndham Milwaukee Airport Hotel—4747 S. Howell Avenue—Milwaukee (Phone—414-481 October 4, 2008 Hales Corners Challenge VIII GPP: 10 Wisconsin 4SS, G/60. Two Sections: Open & Reserve (under 1600). Wyndham Milwaukee Airport Hotel—4747 S. Howell Avenue—Milwaukee (Phone—414-481-8000; formerly known as Four Points Sheraton, across street from airport). EF: $35-Open, $25-Reserve, both $5 more after 10/1. Comp EF for USCF 2200+, contact TD for details. $$ Open (b/25)=1st-$325 (guaranteed), 2nd-$175 (guaranteed), A-$100, B & Below-$75; $$ Reserve (b/25)=1st-$100, 2nd-$75, D-$50, E & Below-$40. Reg.: 8:30-9:30, Rds.: 10-1-3:30-6. Ent: Payable to Southwest Chess Club, c/o Allen Becker, 6105 Thorncrest Drive, Greendale, WI 53129 (http://us.mc379.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=allenbecker@wi.rr.com). Questions to TD Gary Wright 414-226-5753. http://home.wi.rr.com/swcc/ Hales Corners Challenge VIII Sponsored by The Southwest Chess Club http://home.wi.rr.com/swcc/ Saturday, October 4, 2008 Two Sections – Open & Reserve (Under 1600) FORMAT: Four Round Swiss System - Four Games in One Day USCF Rated TIME LIMIT: Game in One Hour (60 minutes per player) ENTRY FEE: $35 – Open; $25 – Reserve Comp Entry Fee for USCF 2200+ (call TD for details) (both sections $5 more after October 1, 2008) SITE REGISTRATION: 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. ROUNDS: 10 am -- 1 pm -- 3:30 pm -- 6 pm Pairings by WinTD---No Computer Entries---No Smoking PRIZES OPEN RESERVE 1st—$325* 1st—$100 2nd—$175* 2nd—$75 A—$100 D—$50 B & Below—$75 E & Below—$40 * Prize fund in each section is based on minimum of 25 players in that section; however 1st and 2nd prizes in Open Section are guaranteed ***Special Additional Prizes provided by Goddesschess.com*** Top Finishing Female Player--$50/Best Game by Female Player--$25/Best Game by Male Player--$25 Tournament Director: Gary Wright Assistant Tournament Directors: Tom Fogec/ Allen Becker /Robin Grochowski SITE: Wyndham Milwaukee Airport Hotel—4747 S. Howell Avenue—Milwaukee—414-481-8000 (formerly known as Four Points Sheraton, across street from airport) ENTRIES TO: Allen Becker —6105 Thorncrest Drive— Greendale , WI 53129 http://us.mc379.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=allenbecker@wi.rr.com QUESTIONS TO: Gary Wright—414-226-5753 USCF I.D. Required -- Bring your own clocks – Sets and Boards Provided Irrevocable half point bye available in any round, except round 4, if requested prior to first round _____________________________________________________________________________ Checks payable to Southwest Chess Club (Please indicate section desired) __Open Section __Reserve Section Name: __________________________________________________ USCF ID#: ________________ Rating: _________ Expire Date: ___________ Address: ______________________________________ City: _____________________ State : _______ Zip: _________ Phone: __________________ e-mail Address: _______________________

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P.S. Also a $25 prize from Goddesschess to the best female finisher in the U1600 Section.

In July, 2008 Goddesschess sponsored a $100 prize to the "most improved" player at the 2008 Canadian Open Chess Championships held in delion's home city of Montreal, Quebec. The winner was Kelly Wang. See details at Goddesschess' Random Round-up Coverage of August 3, 2008 (scroll to date). We're still looking for a local chess event in or around Las Vegas, Nevada that would like $100 for prizes from Goddesschess. Goddesschess will be sponsoring more prizes for local events in 2009, in addition to its third special prize for the 2009 U.S. Women's Chess Championship to be held in St. Louis, Missouri in May, 2009!

2008 U.S. Women's Chess Championship

The USCF website has published a new article about the soon to be held "qualifier" event for the 2008 U.S. Chess Championships. The pertinent part as far as Goddesschess is concerned (one of our goals is to promote women's chess) is about the women's event. In short - to quote directly from USCF's press release: the top female finisher will receive a nod to the Women's Championship. Math tiebreaks will be used to determine those slots, if necessary. According to this current information, it appears that only four women in the entire USA have decided to enter the qualifier, hoping for a shot at one of the 10 spots in the U.S Women's Chess Campionship: WFM Iryna Zenyuk, WFM Chouchan Airapetian, Mila Mokriak and Alexey Root. Good luck to all of these chess femmes! In 2007, Goddesschess awarded a $300 brilliancy prize at the 2007 U.S. Women's Chess Championship, which was won by Liz Vicary. This year Goddesschess is sponsoring a $350 "Fighting Chess" award/prize for the best game among the women at the 2008 U.S. Women's Chess Championship. GM Susan Polgar has graciously agreed to be the judge of the game best fitting the "Fighting Chess" title in the style epitomized by the Polgar sisters. It is the intent of Goddesschess that this will be a long-term sponsorship for the benefit of the women competing in the U.S. Women's Chess Championship each year.