And it’s a wrap! FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament is officially closed in Kazan.

Congratulations to Aleksandra Goryachkina for her convincing victory!

⚪️#241 (Strategy-White to Move)
🔸Ahmadzada,Ahmad (2343)
🔸Guliev,L (2312)
🔸Baku Open 2018

16...Bh6!? [16...d5! Black Should have reinforced the center and set up his pawn chain on the light squares. Then he could have prepared for launching a successful attack. 17.Rac1 Bg4 18.Rfe1 b6 19.Nf4 Bh6 20.Qb4 Rac8 21.Qa4 (21.Qd6 Qf5µ) 21...Kg7 22.Nce2

a) 22.Qxa7 Bxf4 23.exf4 Ra8 24.Qxb6 Rxa3–+;

b) 22.Nfe2 g5 23.Qxa7 (23.hxg5 Bxg5 24.Qb4 Bf3 25.Nf4 Bxf4 26.exf4 h4 27.Nd1 Bxg2 28.Kxg2 Qg4 29.Re3 Ne6–+) 23...Ra8 24.Qxb6 Rxa3–+;

22...Nxb5–+; 16...Ne6 17.Nd5 Nc7 18.Nxc7 Qxc7 19.Nf4 Qd7 20.Rac1 Rac8 21.Nd5=]

17.Qb4 Rad8 18.Qa4 Ncd5 19.Nxd5 Nxd5-/+

⚫️#241 (Endgame-Black to Move)
🔸Tikkanen,H (2519)
🔸Semcesen,D (2464)
🔸Bistro Stella 2018

45...fxg4! [45...f4 46.Bxg6+ Kxg6 47.exf4 Bxf4 48.Rd1 Kf6 49.Ng2 Bc7 50.Rd2 Rh3 51.Kf2 Bb6; 45...Kf6 46.gxf5 Bxf5 47.Bc2 Re8 48.Ng2 Bh3 49.Re1 Rh8 50.Bxa4 Bxg2 51.Kxg2 Rh2+ 52.Kf1 b5 53.Bd1 Rxb2 54.Re2 Rb1 55.Rd2 Ra1 56.Ke2 Ke6 57.Rc2 Kd7 58.e4 Rxa3-/+]

46.fxg4 Rh4 47.Bxg6+ Kxg6 48.Nf3 Rxg4+ 49.Kf2 Re4–+

0–1

🔸ch-RUS Rapid GP Final 2018
🔸Round 5
⚪️Chigaev,M (2606)
⚫️Sjugirov,S (2663)
🔸1-0

19.b3! [White wants to remove one critical defender of the d6–pawn.]

19...e5 20.Bg5 Na3 21.Kb2! [Chigaev calculates well and wins the d6–pawn by force.]

21...Nb5 [21...Qc5 22.Bxf6 gxf6]

22.Bxf6! [a4]

[22.a4!? Nd4 23.c3 Ne6 24.Bxf6! gxf6 25.Qxd6 Qxd6 26.Rxd6+–]

22...gxf6 23.a4 Nd4 24.c3‚ Ne6 25.Qxd6 Qxd6 26.Rxd6 Kf7 27.Bf5+– [¹27.Rf1! Rc8 28.a5 h5 29.Rf5 Kg6 30.Rf3 Kf7 31.Rfd3 Rb8 32.b4+–]

⚪️#242 (Strategy-White to Move)
🔸Sanikidze,T (2512)
🔸Gasimov,Parviz (2303)
🔸Baku Open 2018

Unity Chess Strategy Multiple Choice 242
public poll

C) Nc4 – 6
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 55%
@wwg2323, jamal, Masoud, Majid, اوین, Sahil

B) a5 – 5
👍👍👍👍👍👍 45%
Nikhil, @Steve1234567890qwerty, Alexander, @Qwerty123Tseries, @Kingbosskasyap

A) h3
▫️ 0%

👥 11 people voted so far.

⚪️#242 (Endgame-White to Move)
🔸Semcesen,D (2464)
🔸Brynell,S (2409)
🔸Bistro Stella 2018

Unity Chess Endgame Multiple Choice 242
public poll

B) Rb6 – 15
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 88%
@wwg2323, jamal, Nikhil, @BehroudR, Majid, @Steve1234567890qwerty, @raienr, رامتین, Sahil, Srikar, majeed, @Qwerty123Tseries, Pravin, @Kingbosskasyap, @Anandaraj

C) h4 – 2
👍 12%
عباس, @soheillgh1378

A) Rh7
▫️ 0%

👥 17 people voted so far.

At the Interzonal tournament in Portorož Yugoslavia, August-September 1958. Bobby Fischer, ?, Pál Benkő, Friðrik Ólafsson.

@UnityChess

"I’d rather have a pawn than a finger."

🔸 Reuben Fine

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