World Youth 2016: Joy and Sorrow for Team India
The final round of the World Youth Chess Championship 2016 at Khanty-Mansiysk concluded a couple of weeks back with Pune girl Aakanksha grabbing gold in the Under 16 Girls category. The 2015 edition bronze medallist Vantika Agarwal of Delhi suffered a heartbreak towards the end and returned without a medal. Lakshmi Priyaa TT brings us a gripping tale of joy and sorrow. There are numerous lessons to learn...
World Youth 2016: Joy and Sorrow for Team India
A report from Khanty-Mansysk by Lakshmi Priyaa TT
The eleventh and the final round began with two of our team members — Aakanksha Hagwane in Under-16 and Vantika Agarwal in Under-14 — requiring a win in the last round to grab their medals. India had many talented players playing in Under-14, Under-16, and Under-18 categories. None of them were playing for anything concrete — only nation's pride and points. None except the two girls, who were within reach of the medals.
Though the colour of the medal depended on a few other results for Vantika due to the tiebreak norms, both the girls were assured of winning one each if they tasted victory. The question on everybody's lips was — will both of them pull it off?
Akanksha gained an edge against her Polish opponent Alicja Sliwicka with the white pieces within the first time control. She subsequently converted the tangible edge to a winning advantage in a long (nail-biting for us) endgame.
With this win, Akanksha became the World U16 Girls' Champion. She performed at 2362 and added 97 points to her current rating of 2183.
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.10.03"]
[Round "11.6"]
[White "Aakanksha Hagawane"]
[Black "Sliwicka, Alicja"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C90"]
[WhiteElo "2183"]
[BlackElo "2092"]
[PlyCount "179"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[TimeControl "5400+30"]
[WhiteClock "0:04:39"]
[BlackClock "0:11:37"]
{0} b5 {9} 6. Bb3 {0} Be7 {7} 7. O-O {12} d6 {6} 8. c3 {9} O-O {10} 9. Re1 {17}
Na5 {24} 10. Bc2 {9} c5 {11} 11. Nbd2 {18} Nc6 {42} 12. Nf1 {21} Re8 {10} 13.
Ng3 {102} Bf8 {20} 14. h3 {158} h6 {40} 15. a4 {205} b4 {178} 16. d4 {152} Rb8
{375} 17. d5 {225} Na5 {200} 18. cxb4 {79} cxb4 {352} 19. b3 {41} Nb7 {161} 20.
Be3 {915} a5 {224} 21. Bd3 {332} Nc5 {136} 22. Rc1 {88} Nxd3 {340} 23. Qxd3 {3}
Nd7 {117} 24. Nd2 {436} g6 {325} 25. Ne2 {366} Ra8 {679} 26. Nc4 {156} Kh7 {349
} 27. f4 {384} exf4 {59} 28. Nxf4 {9} Qh4 {463} 29. Bd2 {134} Ba6 {202} 30. Qe3
{450} Nc5 {259} 31. Qf3 {38} Qf6 {188} 32. Re3 {558} Bxc4 {316} 33. Rxc4 {24}
Bg7 {36} 34. Be1 {703} Qa1 {109} 35. Kh2 {35} Ra7 {166} 36. Bf2 {144} Rae7 {269
} 37. Re1 {96} Qe5 {30} 38. Bd4 {321} Qg5 {67} 39. Bxc5 {37} dxc5 {37} 40. Rxc5
{0} Bc3 {0} 41. Re2 {0} Qe5 {0} 42. g3 {0} Qd4 {0} 43. Rc4 {0} Qd1 {0} 44. Qd3
{0} Qxb3 {0} 45. d6 {0} Rd7 {0} 46. e5 {0} Red8 {0} 47. Nd5 {0} Kg7 {0} 48. Nf6
{0} Rb7 {0} 49. Ne4 {0} Qa3 {0} 50. Nc5 {0} Rb6 {0} 51. Ne6+ {0} Kg8 {0} 52.
Nxd8 {0} Bxe5 {0} 53. Qxa3 {0} bxa3 {0} 54. Ra2 {0} Bxd6 {0} 55. Rc3 {0} Bb4 {
211} 56. Rcc2 {102} Bd6 {70} 57. Nc6 {49} Rb3 {12} 58. Rg2 {7} h5 {124} 59. h4
{59} g5 {22} 60. Nd4 {184} Rd3 {81} 61. Nf5 {25} Be5 {42} 62. hxg5 {6} Kh7 {55}
63. Rge2 {26} Bb2 {19} 64. Rexb2 {157} axb2 {7} 65. Rxb2 {1} Ra3 {39} 66. Rb6 {
55} Rxa4 {11} 67. Kg2 {112} Rb4 {139} 68. Rh6+ {60} Kg8 {4} 69. Rxh5 {7} a4 {33
} 70. Rh4 {103} Rb2+ {13} 71. Kf3 {2} a3 {23} 72. Ra4 {5} a2 {11} 73. Ne3 {2}
Kh7 {28} 74. Ra6 {11} Kg7 {51} 75. Kf4 {148} Rb4+ {32} 76. Kf5 {61} Rb5+ {60}
77. Kg4 {9} Rb2 {35} 78. Nd5 {20} Rc2 {39} 79. Kh5 {103} Rh2+ {6} 80. Kg4 {4}
Rc2 {5} 81. Kf5 {15} Rf2+ {50} 82. Nf4 {48} Rb2 {19} 83. Ra7 {9} Kf8 {57} 84.
g6 {41} fxg6+ {30} 85. Nxg6+ {3} Kg8 {63} 86. g4 {36} Rf2+ {59} 87. Nf4 {6} Rb2
{12} 88. Nh5 {27} Kf8 {68} 89. Nf6 {32} Rb5+ {27} 90. Kg6 {9} 1-0
Things were different for Vantika. One, it was a ‘must win’ situation for her to look at the medal options; two, it was dependent on a few other results as well. The Delhi girl, confronted Chinese star Zu Jiner on the top board.
The opening progressed smoothly; however, in the middle game, following some passive moves by Vantika with the white pieces, black gradually started gaining an advantage. After the first time control, Black’s play became stronger.
Vantika surrendered in a minor piece ending when her Chinese opponent's victory was inevitable. She had a start rating of 2012, but performed at 2190, increasing 103 points.
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.10.03"]
[Round "11.1"]
[White "Vantika Agrawal"]
[Black "Zhu, Jiner"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A46"]
[WhiteElo "2012"]
[BlackElo "2024"]
[PlyCount "138"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[TimeControl "5400+30"]
[WhiteClock "0:00:59"]
[BlackClock "1:16:50"]
{5} Be7 {0} 6. Bg2 {3} O-O {3} 7. O-O {3} c6 {4} 8. Qc2 {24} Nbd7 {9} 9. Bf4 {
116} b6 {21} 10. Nc3 {867} Ba6 {470} 11. cxd5 {1007} cxd5 {2} 12. Qa4 {172} Bb7
{5} 13. Rac1 {303} a6 {90} 14. Ne5 {576} Nxe5 {421} 15. Bxe5 {25} Nd7 {50} 16.
Bc7 {136} Qe8 {270} 17. Qb3 {262} b5 {132} 18. Nb1 {561} Rc8 {31} 19. Ba5 {199}
Nb8 {25} 20. Nd2 {116} Qd7 {47} 21. Nf3 {45} Bd6 {122} 22. a3 {242} Rc4 {159}
23. Bc3 {195} Rfc8 {263} 24. Nd2 {338} R4c7 {7} 25. Rcd1 {106} Qe7 {239} 26.
Rfe1 {61} f5 {86} 27. e3 {290} Nc6 {76} 28. Bf1 {118} Rb8 {88} 29. Rc1 {75}
Rbc8 {88} 30. Ra1 {70} g5 {15} 31. Qd1 {53} Qf7 {45} 32. Nb3 {59} h5 {67} 33.
Nc5 {139} Rf8 {91} 34. f4 {55} h4 {41} 35. Bd3 {39} g4 {44} 36. gxh4 {81} Bxc5
{114} 37. dxc5 {4} Qh5 {7} 38. Re2 {66} Qxh4 {87} 39. Qe1 {29} Qh6 {111} 40.
Qg3 {0} Kf7 {0} 41. b4 {0} d4 {0} 42. exd4 {0} Rd8 {0} 43. Rae1 {0} Bc8 {0} 44.
Qe3 {0} Ne7 {0} 45. d5 {0} Nxd5 {0} 46. Qe5 {0} Re7 {0} 47. Bd2 {55} Qh3 {0}
48. Be3 {133} g3 {0} 49. hxg3 {72} Rg8 {0} 50. Rg2 {100} Rxg3 {0} 51. Bf1 {12}
Rxe3 {0} 52. Rg7+ {50} Kf8 {0} 53. Bxh3 {95} Rxe5 {0} 54. fxe5 {31} Rxg7+ {0}
55. Kf2 {11} Nf4 {0} 56. Bf1 {9} Rd7 {0} 57. c6 {37} Rc7 {0} 58. Rc1 {10} Ke7 {
0} 59. Ke3 {28} Nd5+ {0} 60. Kd4 {17} Bd7 {0} 61. Bg2 {56} Rxc6 {0} 62. Rc5 {67
} Rxc5 {0} 63. Kxc5 {21} f4 {0} 64. Kd4 {36} Be8 {0} 65. Kd3 {37} Bh5 {0} 66.
Ke4 {23} Be2 {0} 67. Bh1 {37} f3 {0} 68. Bxf3 {31} Bxf3+ {0} 69. Kxf3 {2} Nb6 {
0} 0-1
The Dark Side of the Moon has flash – the true flash that comes from the excellence of a superb performance. — Alex Parson. The performance can only get better with time.
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