Zatonskih Wins Fourth US Title
Submitted by SonofPearl on Chess.com
Zatonskih Wins Fourth TitleBy FM Mike Klein
After two weeks of almost non-stop playing, IM Anna Zatonskih needed a few more hours to win the 2011 U.S. Womens Championship. She won her first rapid game as Black on Thursday against WFM Tatev Abrahamyan. Zatonskih seemed to be able to cruise to the title, but in the next round she spoiled a better position and lost. The two had to play a deciding Armageddon match that Zatonskih drew to give her the title. She had draw odds by virtue of playing Black and with less time.
I dont have enough energy to celebrate, Zatonskih said. She slid down into a chair in relief.
The final game saw Zatonskih aim for an opposite-colored bishop endgame. Her control of the light squares stifled any chances for Abrahamyan to advance any pawns to make progress. After admitting that progress was impossible, a reluctant Abrahmyan looked up and signaled that she would concede the draw. Zatonskih immediately agreed, which gave her a fourth championship in six years.
See an interview with the 2011 U.S. Women's Champion here.
Anna Zatonskih is the 2011 Women's US Chess Champion
Abrahamyan, Tatev vs. Zatonskih, Anna
2011 US Womens Championship rapid | Saint Louis | Round 10.3| 28 Apr 2011 | 0-1
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Qb6 6. a3 Nh6 7. b4 cxd4 8. cxd4 Nf5 9. Bb2 Bd7 10. g4 Nfe7 11. Nc3 Na5 12. Qc2 Nc4 13. Bxc4 dxc4 14. Nd2 Qc6 15. Nce4 c3 16. Bxc3 Nd5 17. O-O h5 18. g5 Rc8 19. Rac1 Nf4 20. Kh1 Ne2 21. Qd3 Nxc1 22. Rxc1 Be7 23. f3 Qd5 24. Rg1 g6 25. Qe3 Qa2 26. d5 Qxd5 27. Nd6+ Kf8 28. Nxc8 Bxc8 29. Ne4 Bd7 30. Nd6 Bc6 31. Rf1 Kg7 32. Rf2 Qb3 33. Qf4 Rf8 34. Bd4 b6 35. Kg2 Qxa3 36. Rc2 Bxg5 37. Qg3 h4 38. Qg4 Bd5 39. b5 Qd3 40. Rf2 Be7 41. h3 a6 42. bxa6 Qxa6 43. Qf4 Qd3 44. Be3 g5 45. Qd4 Qxd4 46. Bxd4 Rb8 47. Rb2 Kg6 48. Rxb6 Rxb6 49. Bxb6 f5 50. Kf2 Bc6 51. Be3 Bd5 52. Bd4 Bd8 53. Ne8 Ba5 54. Nf6 Bc6 55. Bb2 Bd2 56. Bd4 Bf4 57. Bb2 Bg3+ 58. Ke2 Bb5+ 59. Ke3 Bf1 60. Bd4 Bxh3 61. Ke2 Bg2
Zatonskih, Anna vs. Abrahamyan, Tatev
2011 US Womens Championship rapid | Saint Louis | Round 10.4| 28 Apr 2011 | 0-1
1. e4 c5 2. c3 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5 4. d4 Nc6 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. dxc5 Qxc5 7. Be3 Qa5 8. Nbd2 e6 9. Nc4 Qc7 10. Qd2 Nd5 11. Bg5 Bc5 12. Bh4 O-O 13. Bg3 Qe7 14. Bd3 b5 15. Nce5 Nxe5 16. Bxe5 a6 17. O-O Bb7 18. Rfe1 Rad8 19. Bg3 f6 20. Qc2 g6 21. a4 Qd7 22. axb5 axb5 23. Rad1 Kg7 24. Qe2 e5 25. Bxb5 Qf7 26. Bc4 Rfe8 27. Qc2 Qc7 28. Qb3 Nb6 29. Bb5 Rxd1 30. Rxd1 Re7 31. Qc2 Nc8 32. Qe2 Nd6 33. Ba6 Bxf3 34. Qxf3 Qb6 35. Qd5 Nf5 36. b4 Bxb4 37. cxb4 Qxa6 38. b5 Qb6 39. Qc4 Nd4 40. Rb1 Rc7 41. Qf1 Rc5 42. Kh1 Rxb5 43. Rxb5 Nxb5 44. f3 Nd6 45. Bf2 Qc6 46. Bg1 Qd5 47. Qe2 f5 48. Qb2 g5 49. Qb6 e4 50. fxe4 fxe4 51. Qc7+ Kg6 52. Qd8 Qe6 53. Be3 h6 54. Qb6 Qd5 55. Bg1 Kf5 56. Qf2+ Ke6 57. Qf8 Nf7 58. Qe8+ Kf6 59. Qa4 Nd6 60. Qd7 Qe5 61. Qd8+ Kf7 62. Qc7+ Qe7 63. Qc3 Nf5 64. Qb3+ Qe6 65. Qb7+ Kg6 66. Qb2 e3 67. Qe2 Qe4 68. Qb5 e2 69. Qb6+ Kh5 70. Qc7 e1=Q 71. Qf7+ Kh4 72. h3 Ng3+ 73. Kh2 Qxg1+ 74. Kxg1 Qe1+ 75. Kh2 Qh1#
Abrahamyan, Tatev vs. Zatonskih, Anna
2011 US Womens Championship rapid | Saint Louis | Round 10.5| 28 Apr 2011 | 1/2-1/2
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Qb6 6. a3 Nh6 7. b4 cxd4 8. cxd4 Nf5 9. Bb2 Bd7 10. g4 Nfe7 11. Nc3 Na5 12. Qc2 Nc4 13. Bxc4 dxc4 14. Nd2 Qc6 15. Nce4 c3 16. Qxc3 Nd5 17. Qb3 Rc8 18. O-O Qc2 19. Rac1 Qxb3 20. Rxc8+ Bxc8 21. Nxb3 b6 22. Nbd2 Ba6 23. Rc1 Kd7 24. Nc4 f6 25. exf6 gxf6 26. Ne3 Be7 27. Nxd5 exd5 28. Ng3 Bd6 29. Nh5 Rf8 30. Re1 Bd3 31. Bc1 Bg6 32. Bh6 Rf7 33. Nf4 Bxf4 34. Bxf4 Rf8 35. Kg2 Re8 36. Be3 Rc8 37. Bh6 Rc3 38. f3 Rxa3 39. Bg7 f5 40. Kg3 fxg4 41. Kxg4 Ra2 42. h4 Rg2+ 43. Kf4 Bd3 44. Bf6 Re2 45. Rd1 Bg6 46. Ra1 Ke6 47. Be5 Rb2 48. Rxa7 Rxb4 49. Kg5 Rb2 50. h5 Rg2+ 51. Kh6 Bd3 52. Rb7 Rb2 53. Rb8 Rb1 54. Rf8 b5 55. f4 Rf1 56. Rf6+ Ke7 57. Rb6 Rh1 58. Kg5 Rg1+ 59. Kh4 Rh1+ 60. Kg5 Rg1+ 61. Kh6 Rh1 62. Bd6+ Kf7 63. Bc5 Bg6 64. Kg5 Rxh5+ 65. Kg4 Rh1 66. Rxb5 Be4 67. Rb7+ Kg6 68. Rb6+ Kf7 69. Bd6 Rg1+ 70. Kh4 Rh1+ 71. Kg3 Rg1+ 72. Kf2 Rb1 73. Ra6 Rb3 74. Be5 Rf3+ 75. Ke2 Ke7 76. Rf6 Kd7 77. Bd6 Ke8 78. Be5
Prior to the games commencement, Zatonskih entered a secret bid of 19 minutes, 55 seconds. When Abrahamyans bid of 24 minutes, 28 seconds was revealed, it meant that Zatonskihs lower time would give her a time handicap but the advantage of only needing a draw to win. Abrahamyan started with 45 minutes but took the White pieces. She chose to repeat her opening from the first rapid game.
In that first game, Abrahamyan sacrificed an exchange early but got good pressure. Zatonskih gave the material back and entered an endgame with an extra pawn but without an obvious breakthrough. On her 58th move with only seconds left for both women, Abrahamyan slid her king out of check to the left, allowing Zatonskihs bishop to attack from behind. Abrahamyan resigned a few moves later.
In their second rapid game, Zatonskih needed only a draw as White to avoid an Armageddon match and with the title outright. Instead, she squandered her space advantage and entered an endgame, this time down a pawn. Abrahamyan eventually found shelter for her king and promoted a pawn to a second queen, which she sacrificed for a forced checkmate. The match then stood at 1-1, requiring the Armageddon match.
Including the tiebreak and playoff matches, Zatonskih played 19 games of chess over a two-week period. This marks her fourth U.S. Womens Championship title and second since 2009 when the U.S. Womens Championship was first hosted in St. Louis.
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