Evgenij Miroshnichenko (born 28th of December 1978), or "Miro", as he likes to be called, is international Grandmaster since 2002, two times Ukrainian Champion (2003 and 2008) and a winner of numerous international tournaments. Growing expert of women chess, as you can remember his reports and comments during the World Women Team Championship, 2012 European Womens Individual. Also 2012 Chess Olympiad and many others. Evgenij is going to provide us with analysis of the most interesting moments happened in the games during the WJCC as well.

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Dear readers, before we actually get started with first round analyses I’d like to make an announcement explaining the structure of my future work, so everyone would know what to expect. Apart from those daily reports, where I’ll most likely stick to the top boards as that’s what we’re all looking at, I’m planning to come up with “more in detail” reviews after each stage of the tournament (I’d say opening, middlegame and endgame, or after rounds 3, 7, 11 as well as after the final round) where we’ll discuss the specifics of such events as well as examine some examples of nice play which might be out of my scope during daily reports. So, after all the above being said, finally Round 1.

On such a special occasion as start of the tournament definitely is I’d like to start with the ladies. While world’s highest rated woman U20 is a bit busy with some other tournament (or the match, to be preciseJ), the field in girls tournament is still quite representative and strong. Today favorites scored perfectly on the top boards, but no one should be fouled with pure math as the tension was really high and nothing was clear till the very end. There are some examples:

Miladinovic, Lena - Kashlinskaya, Alina

1.d4 c5 2.d5 Nf6 3.Nf3 g6 4.Nc3 Bg7 5.e4 d6 6.Bc4 0–0 7.0–0 Bg4 8.h3 Bxf3 9.Qxf3 Nbd7 10.Be2 a6 11.a4 e6 12.Bg5 h6 13.Bh4
 


 
13...Kh7?! [Black could have tried 13...Ne5 14.Qe3 Nxd5!? 15.exd5 Qxh4 16.dxe6 fxe6 17.f4 d5! 18.fxe5 d4 19.Qe4 Qg3 with absolutely messy position, as move in the game could've lead to a bit of a trouble if White would continue correctly.] 14.Rad1?! [After 14.dxe6 fxe6 15.Rad1 Black seems to have some difficulties with his somewhat loose pawn structure, for instance 15...Ne5 16.Qe3 Qc7 17.Bg3 Rad8 18.f4 Nc6 19.f5 , getting dangerous initiative in the center.] 14...e5!? White should still be better in this closed position, but starting from this moment she starts to act with "I don't know what I'm doing" attitude. 15.Rb1 [I have to point out 15.Nb1 as the move which comes into my mind in this structure - knight is heading to c4.] 15...Qa5 16.Qd3 Rfc8 17.b3 Rab8 18.Kh1 Kg8 19.Ra1




19...c4! Typical break, after which Black's initiative is hardly stoppable in a practical game. 20.bxc4 Nb6 21.Bxf6 Bxf6 22.Qf3 Kg7 23.Nd1 Nxc4 24.Bxc4 Rxc4 Black's advantage is obvious, but the game is still on, especially taking into account the fact ladies are playing! :) 25.Ne3 Rxa4 26.Ng4 Bg5 27.Rxa4 Qxa4 28.Qc3
 


28...Rd8? [There was nothing wrong with "greedy" 28...Qxe4 where Black is just winning.] 29.f4 h5 30.fxg5? Wrong capture! [After the correct 30.fxe5 the following sequence of moves is practically forced - 30...hxg4 31.e6+ Kh6 32.Rxf7 Qxe4 33.hxg4 Qxg4 34.Qg7+ Kh5 35.Qh7+ Bh6 36.Rf3 Qe4 37.Rh3+ Kg4 38.Qxh6 Qe1+ with perpetual. In the game Black didn't gave her opponent a second chance to escape.] 30...hxg4 31.Qc7 Rd7 32.Qc8 gxh3 33.Rf3 hxg2+ 34.Kxg2 Re7 35.c3 Qxe4 36.c4 b5 37.Qh3 bxc4 38.Qh6+ Kg8 39.Qh3 Qxd5 40.Kh2 Qd2+ 41.Kh1 Qd5 42.Kg1 Rb7 43.Qc8+ Kg7 44.Rf1 Qd4+ 45.Kh1 Qh4+ 0–1
 
Cori, T. Deysi - Derakhshani, Dorsa

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 c5 4.Bd3 b6 5.0–0 Bb7 6.c4 d5 7.Nc3 Be7 8.cxd5 exd5 9.dxc5 bxc5 10.Bb5+ Bc6 11.Qa4 Bxb5 12.Qxb5+ Qd7

 


 

13.Rd1?! White should have taken on d7 first before actually plaing this move. Perhaps Deysi Cori got disappointed by the following line [13.Ne5 Qxb5 14.Nxb5 0–0 15.Nc7 Bd6 16.Nxa8 Bxe5 eventually trapping the knight on a8 with huge advantage for Black] 13...Nc6 14.e4 d4 15.e5?! Rb8 16.Qc4 Ng4 17.Qe2 Qe6 18.Nb5 0–0 19.a4



19...Rb7? [Naughty pawn on e5 deserved to be taken - 19...Ngxe5 20.Nxe5 Nxe5 21.Bf4 f6 22.b4 Rfd8 with clear advantage - after all, Black is a pawn up!] 20.Bf4? [White wouldn't be that bad after 20.Re1 , at least keeping material balance. Move in the text could lead to disaster.] 20...f6 21.Re1 fxe5 22.Bg3 Bf6? [It wasn't that easy to find 22...Qg6! keeping e5 indirectly protected, with huge advantage for Black. 23.Nxe5?? Ncxe5 24.Bxe5 d3! 25.Qe4 Qxe4 26.Rxe4 Nxf2–+] 23.Rac1 a6 24.Na3 Qd5 25.Qe4 Nb4 26.Qxd5+ Nxd5 27.h3 Nh6 28.Bxe5 Bxe5 29.Rxe5 Nf4 30.Rc2 Nxh3+ 31.gxh3 Rxf3 32.Kg2 Rfb3 33.Nc4 Rc7 34.Re8+ Kf7




35.Nd6+ Kg6? Black's advantage has disappeared already, but with the last move she makes it even worse, as White is starting unexpected mating attack. [Essential was 35...Kf6 where Black is still in the game after 36.Rce2 g6! 37.R8e6+ Kg5] 36.Rce2! Nf7 37.R8e6+ Kh5 38.Ne8 Rcb7 39.Nxg7+ Kg5 40.R2e4 White threatens mate in two different ways (I guess our readers are mastered enough to find them both:)), so Black resigned. 1–0

Imeeva, Aisa - Goryachkina, Aleksandra



 
White has played an opening stage in quite ambitious way (to put it mildly), not paying enough attention to development. Alexandra Goryachkina finds spectacular way to prove that basic rules are still up to date: 18...c4! 19.Nxc4 Bb4+ 20.Kf2 axb5 21.Nxe5 Qa7+ 22.Kg3 0–0
 


 
With one of the most developed White pieces being his majesty on g3 and Black's pair of bishops terrorizing the board this game couldn't last for long... 23.f4 Bd6 [There was even more radical way to undermine shaky sanctuary of White's monarch - 23...g5! 24.fxg5 f6! 25.gxf6 Rxf6 and White is just helpless.] 24.Qe4 f5 25.Qe1 Rf6 [Once again 25...g5! was serious alternative to the text.] 26.h4 Qb6 27.a3 Re8 28.Rd1 Bf7 29.Bd3 Bxe5 30.fxe5 Qb8 31.Bb1 Rfe6 Black played in quite relaxed manner, wasting a couple of good opportunities to finish the game at once, so White managed to organize her forces and things seem to be not that bad for her...

 


 
32.Qd2? Rxe5?! [Much stronger would've been 32...Qxe5+ 33.Kf2 Qc5+ and White has to suffer huge material loss in order to avoid getting mated.] 33.Qd6 Qb7 34.Rhf1?? White's position is not exactly a dream, but she still could have fight with [34.Rd2 defending g2 and hoping to save half a point.] 34...R5e6! Finally finding decisive strike! 35.Qf4 Rg6+ 36.Qg5 Rxg5+ 37.hxg5 Qc7+ 0–1

 
Switching to the boys, or like we call it «Open» section (well, it is in theory, but no girls have joined it this year), I have to admit much tougher resistance from lower rated guys, as Elo-favorites had certain difficulties already in the first round, and there were few disappointing results for them. Tension is building up, and I won’t be much surprised if someone from the second dozen going to become a winner. Let’s take a short look on the games:

 
Gaehwiler, Gabriel - Yu, Yangyi
 
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.g3 Bb4 7.Nde2 Nf6 8.Bg2 Be7 9.0–0 Nc6

 

 
12 different move's been tried in this position, but White come's up with 13th possibility: 10.Na4!? Intending to play c4 (at least it seems so) and inviting Black for a "tactical tango" which actually has happened in the game. While I'm not sure about the objective value of this novelty, an effort to find 13th (!) possible move in theoretical position (and to play it on Friday 13th:)) definitely deserves appreciation. 10...b5 The most principle. 11.e5! Ng4 [Bad is 11...Qxe5 12.Bf4 followed by Nb6] 12.Nd4 Ngxe5 [Computer claims 12...Nxh2 13.Kxh2 bxa4 to be an option, but it's far from being clear for a human being, as after 14.Nxc6 dxc6 15.Qg4 White may hope to use sudden absence of his h pawn at his benefit by playing the rook to h-file in case of Black's short castle.] 13.Bf4 Bb7 14.Re1!? A bit of a gambling, which pays off (well, not really, as eventually White has lost the game, but he's got quite a promising position) [14.Nxc6 Bxc6 15.Bxc6 Qxc6 (Nobody but an engine would be happy with extra pawn after 15...dxc6 16.Qe2 f6 17.Nc3 0–0 18.Bxe5 fxe5 19.Ne4 where White's compensation looks obvious.) 16.Bxe5 f6 leads nowhere.] 14...d6? Rewarding White for his brave play. [14...f6 15.Nxc6 Bxc6 16.Bxc6 Qxc6 17.Bxe5 fxe5 (By the way 17...bxa4 leads to the position from the previous note.) 18.Qh5+ g6 19.Qxe5 0–0 and eventually White has to retreat with the knight, and this just can't be good - 20.Nc3 Bc5 21.Ne4 Rf5 22.Qc3 b4 23.Qd2 Raf8 24.Re2 Bb6 and White has hard times defending f2.] 15.Nc5! That's the difference - instead of retreating the brave knight jumps forward, bringing White some material gains. 15...Nxd4 16.Nxb7 Ndc6 17.Bxe5 dxe5 18.Na5 Nxa5 19.Bxa8 0–0 20.Bg2 Nc4



 

Black's future is not that cloudy with a pawn for exchange and nice coordination of remaining forces. After few inaccuracies from White's side Black eventually won the game. 21.b3 Na3 22.c4 Bb4 23.Re2 Rd8 24.Qf1 bxc4 25.bxc4 Bc3 26.Rc1 Bd2 27.Rd1 Nxc4 28.Re4 Nb2 29.Rb1 Nd3 30.Re2 Nc5 31.Rd1 Bc3 32.Rxd8+ Qxd8 33.Qc1 Bd4 34.Rc2 Qb6 35.Kh1 g6 36.Qf1 Kg7 37.Rd2 Qb4 38.Rc2 a5 39.Qd1 a4 40.Bc6 Qb6 41.Bg2 a3 42.f4 Nd7 43.Rc6 Qb2 44.Rc2 Qb4

 


 
45.Rc7? Nf6 46.Rb7 Qc4 47.Qd2?? Ne4 0–1

 Ipatov, Alexander - Kulkarni, Rakesh

Defending U20 World Champion didn't had a trouble to score a first win as his opponent was a bit too naive in the opening stage. 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.d4 Bb4 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 d6 Perhaps already not the most solid option, however I can't be sure about Black's intentions - there's a fair chance he was playing for win right from the start. 6.e3 Nbd7 7.Bd3 b6 8.Ne2 Bb7 9.f3 c5 10.e4 e5
 


11.Ng3 White's position already looks much better, but Black still doesn't feel the danger. 11...Qc7 12.0–0 h5?! [Black's position after 12...0–0 13.Nf5 doesn't promise an easy life either, but I'd say it was more natural way to continue.] 13.Nf5 g6 14.Ne3 h4 15.Rb1!? Semi-waiting move, which turns to be the easiest way to victory, as being given a tempo, Black commits another serious mistake.
 


 
15...Nh5? But that is just too much. Despite previous artificial play, Black could still fight to get counterchances [15...h3 16.g3 cxd4 17.cxd4 exd4 18.Nd5 Nxd5 19.cxd5 0–0 , albeit White's position is clearly preferable.] 16.Nd5 Bxd5 17.cxd5 f6 18.Bb5 Ke7 19.dxe5 Nxe5 20.f4 Nf7 21.Qg4 Now Black is absolutely helpless. 21...Rag8 22.Qxh4 Quite a practical decision, as Black being given a couple of tempi still can't change character of the game, so why not to take the pawn. [Much more brutal would’ve been 22.e5! where all the captures lead to Black's elimination with the most spectacular line being the following one: 22...dxe5 23.fxe5 Qxe5 24.Bh6!! Nxh6 25.Qd7+ Kf8 26.Rbe1 Nf7 27.Rxe5 Nxe5 28.Qc7+- and Black still can't move!] 22...Kf8 23.Bd2 White continues to develop comfortably as Black hasn't got any counterplay whatsoever.

 

 
23...f5 The only good thing about such a breaks is that you don't have to play lost position for a long time. 24.Rbe1 c4 25.Be3 g5 26.fxg5 Nf6 27.Qf2 Ng4 28.Qxf5 Nxe3 29.Rxe3 Rh5 30.Bd7 Rg7 31.Qe6 Qd8 32.Ref3 1–0

 
I have to mention one of the biggest surprises of today were losses of Armenian GM Ter-Sahakyan and IM Vladislav Kovalev from Belarus (even after such a result everything is still possible as the distance of 13 rounds allows some slow start), but the games were so much complicated that I’ll better postpone analyses of those till better times (Be patient enough to wait for review after round 3). Interested to see some more? Then welcome tomorrow!