Gambits Galore: Krush Catches Kosteniuk

GM Irina Krush scored another victory and caught the leader, GM Alexandra Kosteniuk, in round three of the Cairns Cup 2023 on Monday. The eight-time U.S. women's champion perceptively squeezed the full point out of a bishop ending vs. GM Nana Dzagnidze.

For a third game in a row, Kosteniuk set fireworks off on the board. She went for blood vs. IM Gunay Mammadzada by sacrificing a rook in a thrilling duel in the Marshall Gambit. 

In our Game of the Day, GM Bella Khotenashvili scored her first win, outplaying GM Zhansaya Abdumalik strategically and dynamically in a lively endgame. 

The Cairns Cup continues with round four on Tuesday, June 6, starting at 11:20 a.m. Pacific/20:20 CEST.

Mammadzada vs. Kosteniuk

Though she had the white pieces, Mammadzada faced a formidable challenge in her game vs. Kosteniuk. Not only was Kosteniuk flying high with her 2-0 start, but their overall previous score favors the 12th women's world champion 14-0―quite a daunting history to overcome for the youngest competitor. 

Kosteniuk unleashed the Marshall Gambit, sacrificing a pawn to stir up an initiative versus the usually calm and strategic Ruy Lopez. Her thorough preparation was evident in her 35-minute time edge by move 18. 

When Mammadzada attacked her c-pawn, Kosteniuk ignored the threat and soon offered a rook sacrifice to enliven her attacking chances. The excitement culminated as she advanced her passed pawn to the second rank, just a breath away from promotion, and cleared away White's defenses by tactical means. Can you find how?

After Mammadzada sacrificed back the rook to eliminate the ambitious black passer, Kosteniuk continued to fight, refusing a repetition draw, despite being down a pawn. After optimizing all of her pieces yet seeing her 22-year-old opponent up to the task of active defense, Kosteniuk finally won back her pawn by trading into an opposite-color bishop ending. The double-edged battle calmed down into a peaceful result. For the first time, Mammadzada had held her own vs. the 12th women's world champion.

Krush vs. Dzagnidze

Krush also opted for the Marshall Gambit but in a totally different system, the Queen's Gambit, offering up one of her center pawns to gain the initiative and poke at the weak points in Black's position. Krush shared the background to her choice of opening:

"I went for the Marshall Gambit. This is something I've kind of had a liking for for a very long time. Back when I was a teenager 20 years ago and I was studying these lines, I went through all the gambits.... I feel like when Black doesn't control the e4-square, it makes sense to play in the maximally aggressive way."

She soon traded into an advantageous endgame and won her pawn back, gaining a strong knight on the c5-outpost and a queenside majority―essentially a two-result type of position. The American grandmaster steadily improved her position, yet Dzagnidze had good drawing chances. With accurate play, the Georgian grandmaster could keep the queenside majority at bay and prevent the white king from breaking through. However, she overlooked one clever idea, and suddenly, the game was Krush's. How would you try to win this ending?

Here is the full fascinating game:

Abdumalik vs. Khotenashvili

Despite starting the event with two losses, Khotenashvili looked like a new competitor on Monday. She sacrificed a pawn to reach an ending with more activity and targets, saddling White with doubled isolated pawns. Move after move, the Georgian grandmaster continued to improve her pieces, eventually optimizing each one and pressing her queenside majority into White's camp. Her limited material nearly paralyzed White's forces.

To capitalize on her edge, Khotenashvili sacrificed a pawn for the chance to leap her knight and rook deep into the white position, creating two potent, connected passers. Soon the full point was hers. 

Khotenashvili's first win is our Game of the Day with analysis by GM Dejan Bojkov.

Zatonskih vs. Paehtz

GM Elisabeth Paehtz gained some initiative as Black in the Nimzo-Indian, but IM Anna Zatonskih calmly caught up in development, and the position equalized as the center opened up. In typical style, Zatonskih was down to 12 minutes after just 14 moves. Yet, she played practically and managed to trade into an opposite-color bishop ending, which they drew as they neared time control.

Harika vs. Humpy

In the matchup between India's top two women, GM Harika Dronavalli and GM Humpy Koneru tested each other's opening knowledge in the Four Knights: Scotch Variation, playing into a theoretical line that rapidly traded off pieces. Though Black has to be careful, it's drawish with best play.

Both were well-prepared. When they drew, Harika had more time left than she started with while Humpy had used just three minutes. Harika shared about her choice of opening:

"I didn't prepare much because yesterday I was really upset after a long day and a good game. It was such hard luck, and I had a thousand ways to draw.... [For this game] I didn't expect too much. I just played something I know very well. And if it's a draw, it's a draw."

Also interviewed after the game, Humpy shared about sustaining her long career in chess and more:

Sabina was able to catch GM Koneru Humpy for a short interview #CairnsCup .
Please send in more questions you want @SabinaFoisor or the commentary team to ask the players on the live broadcast:https://t.co/dPfqtkoO17 pic.twitter.com/XzWPvpq0NH

— Saint Louis Chess Club (@STLChessClub) June 5, 2023

Results - Round 3

Standings - Round 3

Monday's winners, Khotenashvili and Krush, face each other in round four. Additionally, Zatonskih, who trails the leaders by just half a point, gets her chance to gain ground on Tuesday against Kosteniuk. 

Pairings - Round 4

All Games - Round 3

The Cairns Cup 2023 takes place June 3-13, 2023, at the Saint Louis Chess Club. The format is a 10-player round-robin. Fans can look forward to a chess tournament similar in style to the prestigious Sinquefield Cup with the 10 best female players from around the world competing in the World Chess Hall of Fame for a $180,000 prize fund.

Previous Coverage:

• Kosteniuk Doubles Down With Win Over Harika In Round-2 Bloodbath
• Decisive Start: Kosteniuk Defeats Defending Champion