Yip clinches US title

IM Malcolm Pein October 23, 2023

A DRAMATIC final round saw 2021 Champion IM Carissa Yip triumph at the US Women’s Championship.
20-year-old Yip led WGM Begim Tokhirjonova by half a point entering the last round, but found herself in trouble against FM Ruiyang Yan before fighting back, only to blunder in a double-edged, double-rook endgame.
That appeared to have opened a path towards at least a play-off for Tokhirjonova, but she squandered a large advantage and eventually even lost to defending champion WGM Jennifer Yu.
Yip finished on 8.5/11 and pocketed the $40,000 first prize, with Tokhirjonova taking home $30,000.
14-year-old FM Alice Lee had another impressive result, finishing third on 7.5/13, half a point ahead of WGM Tatev Abrahamyan, who leapfrogged GM Irina Krush
in the final standings to finish fourth after defeating her with a brutal attack in the final round. Abrahamyan opted for the modern 7.g4!? against the Sicilian Taimanov, a line also favoured by US Champion Fabiano Caruana.

T Abrahamyan – I Krush

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Be3 a6 7.g4!? Nxd4 8.Qxd4 b5 9.0-0-0 Bb7 10.g5!?
(The computer prefers the calm 10.f3 Rc8 11.Qd2 Bb4 12.Bd4, intending 12...e5? 13.Bxe5!)
10...Rc8?! (Slow and the unlikely looking 10...h6! 11.gxh6 Nxh6 12.f3 Ng8 is the critical line, or here if 11.g6 f5)
11.Rd2! (Like many good novelties, a fairly obvious move, calmly covering c2)
11...f6 12.Bh3?! (12.Rg1 or even 12.Bxb5!? axb5 13.Nxb5 was indicated)
12...Bc5! 13.Qd3 Bb4? (The decisive mistake, whereas 13...Bxe3 14.Qxe3 Qc5! is fine for Black)
14.Bf4!

14...Qc6 (14...Qxf4 15.Qxd7+ Kf8 16.Qxb7 is also a massacre)
15.Rhd1 Rd8 16.Qg3! (The arrival of the bishop on d6 or c7 will prove too strong)
16...Ne7 17.Bd6! (Cleaner than 17.Bc7 Rc8 18.Rxd7 Qxd7 19.Rxd7 Kxd7 20.Bf4)
17...Bxc3 18.bxc3 Ng6 19.gxf6 gxf6 20.Bc7 Rc8 21.Rxd7! (Now 21...Qxd7 22.Rxd7 Kxd7 23.Qd6+ finishes Black off)
21...0-0 22.R1d6 Qxe4 23.Rxe6 Qh1+ 24.Kb2 Rce8

White has many strong moves, but how did she sacrifice to win in style?

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