Chess: Irina Krush, Sam Shankland win national titles

Position No. 6117: White to play and win. From the game Francisco Vallejo Pons-Conrad Holt, World Open, Pennsylvania 2010.

Solution to Position No. 6116: White wins with 1 Rc5! Qxc5 2 Qxe6+ Kg7 3 Qd7+ Kg6 4 Re6+ Kf5 (or 4…Kg5 5 Qg7+) 5 Rd6+ Ke4 6 Qg4+ Ke5 7 Qe6 mate.

Irina Krush of New York won her third U.S. Women’s Championship on Monday in St. Louis. Two rounds before the finish, she trailed her chief rival, three-time champion Anna Zatonskih. However, she won her last two games, while Zatonskih was held to draws.

Krush scored 8-1. Zatonskih shared second place at 71/2-11/2 with the tournament’s sensation, Tatev Abrahamyan of Glendale. Although she lost her second-round battle with Krush, Abrahamyan came close to defeating Zatonskih, and she won all of her other games.

The U.S. Junior Championship, also in St. Louis, had an even more dramatic finish. Heavy favorite GM Ray Robson of Florida, undefeated and leading by a half-point, lost in the final round. His closest pursuer, Parker Zhao of New York, botched a two-pawns-up endgame and missed his opportunity to pass him. Those surprises allowed IM Sam Shankland of Berkeley, who had started 0-2 and had announced his retirement from chess, to catch up. All three scored 6-3, necessitating a speed playoff on Tuesday. Shankland defeated both to cap an astonishing comeback. Maybe he won’t retire.

Local news

The nine-day U.S. Open begins next Sunday at the Hyatt Regency, 17900 Jamboree Road in Irvine. Entrants may opt for the six-day schedule (beginning Aug. 3) or the four-day schedule (beginning Aug. 5) or for many side events. More information is posted at uschess.org.

State champion IM Enrico Sevillano won the 15th Pacific Coast Open last weekend in Agoura Hills. Sevillano suffered a fourth-round loss to GM Alejandro Ramirez, the top seed, but won the rest of his games to finish with a 5-1 score in the 34-player Open section. Ramirez (who yielded three draws), IM Andranik Matikozyan and IM Simon Ansell of England tied for second place at 41/2-11/2.

Other section winners: Peter Hodges, 5-1 in Under-2100; Yash Pershad, 5-1 in Under-1900; Annie Wang, 51/2-1/2 in Under-1700; Gil E. Magno, 6-0 in Under-1500; and David M. King, 51/2-1/2 in Under-1200. The Continental Chess Assn. tournament attracted 205 players, counting re-entrants.

Leigh Hunt and Mehrdad Miralaie shared first place in the 31-player Igor Ivanov Memorial at the La Palma Chess Club. Brenda Nardi, Timothy Chou, Raul Nair and Jesse Luong earned class prizes. The club meets at 6 p.m. Fridays in Central Park, 7821 Walker St. in La Palma. See lapalmachessclub.741.com for details.

Today’s games

Conrad Holt-John Daniel Bryant, U.S. Junior Championship, St. Louis 2010: 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 Bg7 4 e4 d6 5 Nf3 0-0 6 h3 A nameless but fashionable system against the King’s Indian Defense. e5 7 d5 Nh5 The old move. Lately, Black has preferred 7…a5 or 7…Na6. 8 Be3 Long ago, White used to discourage …f7-f5 by 8 Nh2. The modern approach is 8 g3 f5 9 exf5 gxf5 10 Ng5, when Ng5-e6 will leave Black vulnerable on the light squares. Qe8 Not necessary, because 8…f5 9 exf5 gxf5 10 Nxe5? can be parried strongly by 10…Qe8! 11 Nd3 f4 12 Be2 fxe3 13 Bxh5 exf2+. 9 Nb5!? Both players seek a sharp fight. More prudent is 9 c5. Na6 10 Nxa7 Rxa7!? Also 10…Bd7 11 Nb5 f5 offers Black compensation. 11 Bxa7 b6 12 a4 Else 12…Bd7 and 13…Qa8 wins the trapped Bishop. f5 13 Ra3 Guarding e3. White must avoid 13 a5? fxe4 14 Nd2 e3!, when 15 fxe3 Qf7 16 Qf3 Qe7 lets Black enter on the dark squares. Nor are 13 exf5? e4 and 13 Nd2?! fxe4 14 Nxe4 Bf5 15 Nc3? Nb4 acceptable. fxe4 14 Ng5 Worse is 14 Nd2?! Qf7 15 Nxe4 Qf4. Bh6 15 h4 Nf4 16 a5 Bxg5 17 hxg5 bxa5 18 Rxa5 White is playing well but dangerously. It’s uncertain if Black has enough compensation after 18 Be3 or 18 g3 Nd3+ 19 Bxd3 exd3 20 Qxd3 Nb4 21 Qd2. Nb4 19 Qd2 Nbd3+ 20 Bxd3 exd3 21 g3 Bg4! 22 gxf4?? Losing. The position is still unclear after 22 Rh2 Qe7 23 Be3 Qxg5 24 Ra7. exf4+ 23 Kf1 If 23 Be3, not 23…fxe3? 24 Qxe3, but 23…Qe4! 24 Rg1 Qf3! 25 Rd1 Re8, making …f4xe3 irresistible. Be2+ 24 Kg1 Qe5 White’s Queenside pieces cannot assist their King. 25 Rh3?! Tougher is 25 Rh2, but Black wins anyway with 25…Rf5! 26 f3 Rxg5+ 27 Kf2 Rg3. Qxg5+ 26 Rg3 Neither 26 Kh1 Qg4 nor 26 Kh2 Bf1 27 f3 Bxh3 saves White. Qh4 27 Rg2 Rf5 28 Qb4 Rg5 29 Qb8+ Kg7 30 Bd4+ Kh6 31 Be3 Bf3 32 Bxf4 Qxf4 33 Rxg5 Qxg5+ 34 Kf1 Qc1 mate.

IM Sam Shankland-Conrad Holt, U.S. Junior Championship, St. Louis 2010: 1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 Nc3 dxc4 5 a4 Bf5 The Slav Defense. 6 Nh4 Most common are 6 e3 and 6 Ne5. Bg4 7 h3 Bh5 8 g4 Bg6 9 Nxg6 hxg6 10 e4 Or 10 e3 e6 11 Bxc4 Bb4, with nearly even chances. e5! 11 Bxc4 As 11 Be3 cxd4 12 Bxd4 c5 is harmless. exd4 Not 11…Qxd4?? 12 Qb3 Qd7 13 Be3 Na6 14 Rd1 Qc7 15 g5 Nh5 16 Nb5!, and White wins. 12 e5 dxc3?? One mistake is all it takes! The correct 12…Bb4 13 exf6 dxc3 maintains equality. 13 Bxf7+ Ke7 14 exf6+ gxf6 15 Qb3 Bh6 No better is 15…Qd6 16 bxc3, threatening 17 Ba3. 16 Bxh6 Rxh6 17 Rd1 Qc8 18 0-0 Reminiscent of Morphy. White’s forces rush into action while Black’s King vainly looks for shelter. Kf8 19 Rfe1 c2 As good as any. 20 Bg8! Qc7 21 Rd8+ Kg7 22 Rde8 c1Q 23 Rxc1 Rh8 24 Rce1 Kh6 25 Qe3+ g5 26 Re7 Welcoming 26…Qf4 27 Qd3 and 26…Qd6 27 Qe4. Qd8 27 Qe6, Black Resigns.