This article was published originally on The Chess Improver blog on 2017-04-18
I have reposted it here for reference.
WGM Sabina-Francesca Foisor
https://ratings.fide.com/profile/1212915
is the 2017 US Women's Champion and GM Alex Yermolinsky
https://ratings.fide.com/profile/2005492
has written a very nice piece about it HERE
http://en.chessbase.com/post/sabina-foisor-is-2017-us-women-s-champion
Her result is remarkable, a true tribute in the memory of her mom IM Cristina Adela Foisor who passed away in January, right before the Women’s World Championship 2017 in Tehran she qualified for. I remember playing in tournaments where Cristina and her husband IM Ovidiu Foisor
https://ratings.fide.com/profile/1200143
were also playing while we were juniors. Ovidiu was a rising talent at the time, a regular member of the junior national team. Later on he moved into coaching and he is a well respected and successful chess coach. Cristina was even more successful, winning the Romanian Chess Championship five times (1989, 1998, 2011, 2012 and 2013), plus the title of EU women's champion in 2007. It is no wonder their family also includes two strong players in Sabina and her sister WIM Mihaela-Veronica Foisor.
https://ratings.fide.com/card.phtml?event=2270757
I have been following Sabina's participation in US tournaments and as a member of the USA Olympic team for a few years now. Knowing her parents ties her to a time when we had no other worries than school, chess and fun. Her play this time around was very exciting. I followed closely the first 3 rounds and was impressed by the high quality of the games played and combativeness shown in general. Sabina did not back down and took no prisoners. The game I liked the most was from the third round and it gave me an opportunity to reflect again upon differences between human and engine play. Here is the game:
[Event "2017 U.S. Women's Championship"][Site "St. Louis"][Date "2017.03.31"][Round "3"][White "Foisor, Sabina-Francesca"][Black "Sharevich, Anna"][Result "1-0"][WhiteElo "2272"][BlackElo "2257"][ECO "D37"]1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bf4 {A preference of GM Suba} 5... O-O 6. Rc1 c5 7. dxc5 Na6 8. e3 Nxc5 9. Qc2 ({Another option is to leave black with an IQP (Isolated Queen Pawn)} 9. cxd5 Nxd5 10. Nxd5 exd5 {This position requires more of a technical approach: block the IQP, exchange pieces and attack it in the endgame}) 9... dxc4 10. Bxc4 {White can play a lively game, having the first shot at an attack while black tries to solve its blocked Bc8} 10... a6 11. b4 Ncd7 12. b5 {The simplest way to stop b7-b5 and Bc8-b7} 12... Qa5 13. O-O Nc5 14. Ne5 Nfd7 15. Nxd7 {An interesting decision} ({A number of players would have probably chosen} 15. Rfd1) 15... Nxd7?! ({The engines definitely like 15... Bxd7 {Black has good play on the Queen side, Bd7 is in the game and Nc5 is very active}) 16. Bd3 h6 17. bxa6 e5 18. Bg3 bxa6 {Personally I think black is worst here compared with the possible position after 15... Bxd7} 19. Nd5 Ba3 20. Rb1 Ra7 {It is ironic to see Bc8 still being a problem after the c8-h3 diagonal has opened up} 21. Bc4 Bb7 22. Rfd1 Bc6 23. Bb3 Ba8 {Finally Ba8 is not blocking anyone; however black has lost a lot of time and now Ba3, Qa5, Ra7 and Nd7 do very little. Please observe Bb3 is back on its strong diagonal a2-g8 and he is the anchor for the attack coming up} 24. Qf5 g6? {With so many black pieces away from the castle, this must be a losing move. This is an important junction in the game between the human and the engine approach. In a tactical position like this one, the engine will leave black no chance} 25. Qg4 {A true human move! White wants to keep attacking both Nd7 and g6 in the same time} (25. Ne7+ {After this unexpected sacrifice white is crushing black} 25... Kh8 (25... Bxe7 {Of course white must be very strong tactically to calculate this over the board} 26. Qxg6+ Kh8 27. Qxh6+ Kg8 28. Qg6+ Kh8 29. Qh5+ Kg7 30. Rxd7! {This is what white must see ahead of time} 30... Rxd7 31. Bxe5+) 26. Qh3 Kh7 (26... Nf6 27. Qxh6+ Nh7 28. Nxg6+ fxg6 29. Rd5 Qb6 30. Bxe5+ Rf6 31. Rc1 {A true computer move leading to mate in 6}) (26... Bxe7 27. Qxh6+ Kg8 28. Qxg6+ {leads to the line above})) 25... Kg7 26. h4 h5 27. Bxe5+ Nxe5 28. Qd4 Re7 29. Nxe7 Bxe7 30. f4 Bf6 31. fxe5 Bxe5 32. Qa7 {White has material advantage but work is still needed to bring home the win} 32... Bb8 33. Qe7 Bc6 34. Rf1 Be8? {Another mistake. Black did not show her light squares Bishop much love in this game. Now it is easier to see the sac on f7 with Bb8 hanging} 35. Bc2 {This extends the game a bit more} (35. Bxf7 Bxf7 (35... Rxf7 36. Qxe8) 36. Rxb8) 35... Be5 36. Bxg6 Qc3 37. Rb3 Qc7 38. Qxc7 Bxc7 39. Bxh5 {The game is over. Black can resign here} 39... Bb5 40. Rf5 f6 41. a4 Bd7 42. Rc5 Be5 43. Rb7 Kh6 44. Rxd7 Kxh5 45. g3 Kg4 46. Kg2
What do you think about this game? In my opinion this is high level, showing how far chess has advanced at the top in North America! What would your choice be as white at move 25 if you could be faced with this decision over the board and with no help but your knowledge? My choice would probably be for 24. h4 ... first. I think you should not put much weight into not seeing the sacrifice 25. Ne7+ ...; very few would see it if any. Noticing the fact black's castle is not protected and should be attacked is a definite plus; if you did see that, give yourself a pat on the back. How you take advantage of it is what makes each one of us different. Sabina's choice was the best since it brought her the win; my sincere congratulations!
I have reposted it here for reference.
WGM Sabina-Francesca Foisor
https://ratings.fide.com/profile/1212915
is the 2017 US Women's Champion and GM Alex Yermolinsky
https://ratings.fide.com/profile/2005492
has written a very nice piece about it HERE
http://en.chessbase.com/post/sabina-foisor-is-2017-us-women-s-champion
Her result is remarkable, a true tribute in the memory of her mom IM Cristina Adela Foisor who passed away in January, right before the Women’s World Championship 2017 in Tehran she qualified for. I remember playing in tournaments where Cristina and her husband IM Ovidiu Foisor
https://ratings.fide.com/profile/1200143
were also playing while we were juniors. Ovidiu was a rising talent at the time, a regular member of the junior national team. Later on he moved into coaching and he is a well respected and successful chess coach. Cristina was even more successful, winning the Romanian Chess Championship five times (1989, 1998, 2011, 2012 and 2013), plus the title of EU women's champion in 2007. It is no wonder their family also includes two strong players in Sabina and her sister WIM Mihaela-Veronica Foisor.
https://ratings.fide.com/card.phtml?event=2270757
I have been following Sabina's participation in US tournaments and as a member of the USA Olympic team for a few years now. Knowing her parents ties her to a time when we had no other worries than school, chess and fun. Her play this time around was very exciting. I followed closely the first 3 rounds and was impressed by the high quality of the games played and combativeness shown in general. Sabina did not back down and took no prisoners. The game I liked the most was from the third round and it gave me an opportunity to reflect again upon differences between human and engine play. Here is the game:
[Event "2017 U.S. Women's Championship"][Site "St. Louis"][Date "2017.03.31"][Round "3"][White "Foisor, Sabina-Francesca"][Black "Sharevich, Anna"][Result "1-0"][WhiteElo "2272"][BlackElo "2257"][ECO "D37"]1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bf4 {A preference of GM Suba} 5... O-O 6. Rc1 c5 7. dxc5 Na6 8. e3 Nxc5 9. Qc2 ({Another option is to leave black with an IQP (Isolated Queen Pawn)} 9. cxd5 Nxd5 10. Nxd5 exd5 {This position requires more of a technical approach: block the IQP, exchange pieces and attack it in the endgame}) 9... dxc4 10. Bxc4 {White can play a lively game, having the first shot at an attack while black tries to solve its blocked Bc8} 10... a6 11. b4 Ncd7 12. b5 {The simplest way to stop b7-b5 and Bc8-b7} 12... Qa5 13. O-O Nc5 14. Ne5 Nfd7 15. Nxd7 {An interesting decision} ({A number of players would have probably chosen} 15. Rfd1) 15... Nxd7?! ({The engines definitely like 15... Bxd7 {Black has good play on the Queen side, Bd7 is in the game and Nc5 is very active}) 16. Bd3 h6 17. bxa6 e5 18. Bg3 bxa6 {Personally I think black is worst here compared with the possible position after 15... Bxd7} 19. Nd5 Ba3 20. Rb1 Ra7 {It is ironic to see Bc8 still being a problem after the c8-h3 diagonal has opened up} 21. Bc4 Bb7 22. Rfd1 Bc6 23. Bb3 Ba8 {Finally Ba8 is not blocking anyone; however black has lost a lot of time and now Ba3, Qa5, Ra7 and Nd7 do very little. Please observe Bb3 is back on its strong diagonal a2-g8 and he is the anchor for the attack coming up} 24. Qf5 g6? {With so many black pieces away from the castle, this must be a losing move. This is an important junction in the game between the human and the engine approach. In a tactical position like this one, the engine will leave black no chance} 25. Qg4 {A true human move! White wants to keep attacking both Nd7 and g6 in the same time} (25. Ne7+ {After this unexpected sacrifice white is crushing black} 25... Kh8 (25... Bxe7 {Of course white must be very strong tactically to calculate this over the board} 26. Qxg6+ Kh8 27. Qxh6+ Kg8 28. Qg6+ Kh8 29. Qh5+ Kg7 30. Rxd7! {This is what white must see ahead of time} 30... Rxd7 31. Bxe5+) 26. Qh3 Kh7 (26... Nf6 27. Qxh6+ Nh7 28. Nxg6+ fxg6 29. Rd5 Qb6 30. Bxe5+ Rf6 31. Rc1 {A true computer move leading to mate in 6}) (26... Bxe7 27. Qxh6+ Kg8 28. Qxg6+ {leads to the line above})) 25... Kg7 26. h4 h5 27. Bxe5+ Nxe5 28. Qd4 Re7 29. Nxe7 Bxe7 30. f4 Bf6 31. fxe5 Bxe5 32. Qa7 {White has material advantage but work is still needed to bring home the win} 32... Bb8 33. Qe7 Bc6 34. Rf1 Be8? {Another mistake. Black did not show her light squares Bishop much love in this game. Now it is easier to see the sac on f7 with Bb8 hanging} 35. Bc2 {This extends the game a bit more} (35. Bxf7 Bxf7 (35... Rxf7 36. Qxe8) 36. Rxb8) 35... Be5 36. Bxg6 Qc3 37. Rb3 Qc7 38. Qxc7 Bxc7 39. Bxh5 {The game is over. Black can resign here} 39... Bb5 40. Rf5 f6 41. a4 Bd7 42. Rc5 Be5 43. Rb7 Kh6 44. Rxd7 Kxh5 45. g3 Kg4 46. Kg2
What do you think about this game? In my opinion this is high level, showing how far chess has advanced at the top in North America! What would your choice be as white at move 25 if you could be faced with this decision over the board and with no help but your knowledge? My choice would probably be for 24. h4 ... first. I think you should not put much weight into not seeing the sacrifice 25. Ne7+ ...; very few would see it if any. Noticing the fact black's castle is not protected and should be attacked is a definite plus; if you did see that, give yourself a pat on the back. How you take advantage of it is what makes each one of us different. Sabina's choice was the best since it brought her the win; my sincere congratulations!