Elizabeth Spiegel's blog: Girls Nationals Games

So (first of all) hats off to a few students:

1. Jasmine Fermin (tied for first in the 14 and Under section), who managed two rook sacs in one tournament. Notice Angelica behind her, cracking up.

Jasmine Fermin - Nymisha Rao
1.Rxg7 [1.Qg6! is "better" according to computer-- black must defend with Qg8 and then Be4 wins the Nc6-- whatever]

1...Kxg7 [1...Rxg7 2.Qxh6+ Kg8 3.Qxe6+ Kh8 4.Qxc6]

2.Qg6+ Kf8

3.Qxe6 Qxd3

4.Qxh6+ Ke7

5.Qxc6 +-

Tara Lamberti - Jasmine Fermin

White unwisely took on d6 (20. Qxd6) , and Jasmine unleashed
20.... Rxb2+!

21.Ka1 [21.Kxb2 Qc2+ 22.Ka1 (22.Ka3 Nb5+ 23.Kb4 Nxd6) 22...Qxd1+]

21...Rxa2+! -+

2. Rochelle Ballantyne, winner of the 14 and Under Section, for this spectacular queen trapping:

27. Rec1! (although I should say that 27. Rf1 looks very good also-- if black ignores it white will double or triple on the f-file; if black takes on f1, white recaptures with the rook and threatens 29. Bxg6 hxg6 30. Qxg6 and 31. Rf7, winning. Thanks to Mr. Andrei Zaremba for that insight.)

27... Ng7 [I suggested 27...a6, but it doesn't help after 28.Bc2 Qb5 29.Bc5 Rf7 30.a4 Qc4 31.Bxg6-- point is that if black trades queens, white throws in the zwischenzug 32. Bxf7+]

28.Bc2 Qb5 [28...Qa6! is much better: 29.a4 Bd7]

29.Bc5 Rf7

30.a4 Qa6

31.b5 Qa5

32.bxc6 +-

3. And the big hero, Angelica Berrios, winner of the 16 and Under section (she's 14):

Robinson,Darrian - Berrios,Angelica [C02] Girls Nationals, 29.04.2008

1.e4 e6
2.d4 d5
3.e5 c5
4.c3 Nc6
5.Nf3 Qb6
6.Be2 Black's basic plan in this line is to take on d4, play Ng8-h6-f5, Be7, 0–0, f6 and get some attack going on the f file. Angelica's play is logical and thematic.

6...cxd4
7.cxd4 Nh6
8.b3 Nf5
9.Bb2 Bb4+
10.Kf1 Bd7 [10...Be7 maybe it's a more popular move-- the idea is that on g4 black can play Nh4]

11.Nc3 [11.g4 Nh6 12.Rg1]
11...Qd8 [11...Ncxd4 12.Nxd5 exd5 13.Nxd4 Nxd4 14.Bxd4 Bc5 Angelica saw this and thought (correctly) that it was equal. ]
12.a3 Be7
13. g3 f6

14.Kg2 a6
15.Qd2 fxe5
16.dxe5 0–0

17.Rad1 White is playing planlessly here. She needed either to attack with g4 and Rg1 earlier, or maybe now still she can play b4-b5.

17...Be8
18.h3 Bc5 stage one: hitting f2. She says to me at this point (at this point in analysis, obviously), "Here I thought she would play Bd3, but I had calculated it lost." My response-- "Huh? Seriously?"
19.Na4 Ba7
20.Bd3 Bh5
21.Be2 [21.g4 Nh4+ 22.Nxh4 Qxh4 23.Rdf1 Bxg4 24.hxg4 Qxg4+ 25.Kh2 Rf3]
21...Bxf3+
22.Bxf3 Nfd4
23.Bxd4 Nxd4

24.Bg4 Nxb3

25.Bxe6+ Kh8

26.Qe1 Rxf2+

27.Qxf2 Bxf2

28.Rxd5 Qe7 they played a few more moves but 0-1

Reuder,Emma - Berrios,Angelica [A84]
Girls Nationals, 29.04.2008
1.d4 e6

2.c4 f5

3.Nc3 Nf6

4.Nf3 d5 After the game Angelica said she thought she was supposed to play Bb4, but it seems like everyone else plays 4...d5 too.

5.Bg5 c6

6.e3 Bd6

7.cxd5 exd5

8.Bd3

8... 0–0
9.Qc2 h6
10.Bh4 Qe8
11.Bxf5 Bxf5
12.Qxf5

12... Ne4 In the game and afterwards, we both thought Angelica had somehow messed up in losing the pawn, (she suggested moving the queen somewhere instead of castling) but she's making Rybka's first choice each time. [in analysis we (ok, mostly Angelica) found the following hilarious line: 12...Nh5 13.Qg4 (better is 13.Qc2) 13...Rf4 14.Qh3 g5 15.Bg3 (15.g4!) 15...g4 16.Qh4 Be7]
13.Qh3 Nd7
14.Nxe4 dxe4
15.Nd2 Bb4
16.a3?

[16.0–0–0; 16.Rd1]
16...Bxd2+
17.Kxd2 Nb6 [17...c5 Angelica rejected this because of 18.d5 Ne5 19.Qe6+]
18.Ke2 [18.Rac1!]
18...c5
19.Rhd1 cxd4
20.Rxd4 Rc8

[20...Qb5+ 21.Ke1 Qxb2 22.Qe6+ Kh8 23.Rad1=]
21.Qg4 [probably white should run with her king: 21.Kf1 Rc2 22.Kg1 Qf7 23.Rf1 Nd5 24.Rxe4 Rxb2]
21...Qb5+
22.Ke1 Qxb2
23.Qe6+ Kh8
24.Qa2