ODT121002

=**Close contest in Women's Olympiad**=




 * Problem:** White to play and mate in 4.

The Women's Olympiad was held alongside the open event in Istanbul, Turkey in August and September. As with the open event, the top seeds were beaten to the gold medals on tie-break. The formidable top-ranked Chinese team lead by world champion Hou Yifan looked to have the event sewn up. But they conceded a 2-2 draw to the vastly outrated Kazakhstan team in round 10, allowing second-seeded Russia to draw level on match points. The final round saw Russia down Kazakhstan 4-0 while China only beat Bulgaria 2½-1½ giving the Russians the better tie break score.

The New Zealand Women's team finished in the bottom half of the table, slightly below their seeding. Board two Judy Gao, whose 6/9 earned her the WFM title, performed well, as did reserve Marany Meyer, who was called in at the last minute when top board Sue Maroroa was prevented from travelling to Istanbul.

Today's game is from the sixth round at Istanbul, in the match between Yemen and New Zealand. Playing with the Black pieces on second board, WFM Nicole Tsoi scored a good win against Gameel Amal. media type="custom" key="25262272" The exchange is a relatively unambitious way to play the French for White, but seemed quite popular in the Women's event for players wishing to avoid deep theoretical lines. Remarkably, a new move. Developing a piece in this quiet position can't be bad, but more usually this knight goes to d7 (after ... Bg4) to support the pinned knight on f6 and allow the c-pawn to advance. This exchange of bishop for knight seems motivated to give more point to the previous move by clearing b4, but this was better achieved by 8...Be7. White also seems to have little regard for the two bishops and forces an exchange that she could have avoided for the past few moves by Be2 or Bf1 leaving the knight misplaced on b4. Routinely looking to double rooks on the open file, White misses a tactical riposte. 14 Bg3 was sensible now that the knight on f6 is no longer pinned. Black is alert and puts the rook in trouble with a pin of her own against h2. White finds the best reply, leading to a forced sequence winning a pawn for Black. Active defence, that is nevertheless not the best. Here 18 Nd1! Nc4 19 Bf4 Bf5 20 c3 was the way to keep her weakened queenside pawns safe from the marauding knight and bishop. White hopes her own rook will win a few back. Better was collecting all the queenside pawns by 20...Nxa3 21 Rxb7 Nxc2 and Nxd4. Again 21...Nxa3 etc. was clearly better than consigning the powerful knight to the rim. White now misses that c2 is indirectly defended after say 22 f3 Bxc2 23 Nxd5! retaining some drawing chances. If 23 Nxd5? cxd5 24 Rxc2 Nc4 loses the a-pawn as 25 Bb4? a5 26 Be7? Re8 27 Re2 f6 28 Kf1 Kf7 loses the bishop instead. After the text, Black decides to get her knight back into the game and wins with surprising ease. White resigns as the passed d-pawn will cost her a rook.
 * 1.e4 e6**
 * 2.d4 d5**
 * 3.exd5 ---**
 * 3.--- exd5**
 * 4.Bd3 Nf6**
 * 5.Nc3 Bb4**
 * 6.Ne2 O-O**
 * 7.Bg5 Nc6**
 * 8.O-O Bxc3?!**
 * 9.Nxc3 Nb4**
 * 10.Re1 h6**
 * 11.Bh4 c6**
 * 12.a3 ---**
 * 12.--- Nxd3**
 * 13.Qxd3 Qd6**
 * 14.Re5? ---**
 * 14.--- Ng4!**
 * 15.Be7! Nxe5**
 * 16.Bxf8 Nxd3**
 * 17.Bxd6 Nxb2**
 * 18.Re1 ---**
 * 18.--- Bf5**
 * 19.Bg3 Nc4**
 * 20.Re7 b6**
 * 21.Rc7 Na5?!**
 * 22.Bd6?! Bxc2**
 * 23.Bb4 ---**
 * 23.--- Nb3!**
 * 24.Rxc6 Nxd4**
 * 25.Rc7 Ne6**
 * 26.Rd7 d4**
 * 27.Ne2 d3**
 * 28.Nc1 a5**
 * 29.Be7? Re8**
 * 30.Bh4 Nc5**


 * 0-1**


 * Solution:** 1 Rxg6+! Qg7 (1 ... hxg6 2 Qh8#; 1... Rg7 2 Rxg7+ Qxg7 3 Qxg7#) 2 Rxg7+ Kf8 (2... Rxg7 3 Qxg7#) 3 Rxf7+ and 4 Qg7#.