Late Night Wednesday Workout: The Junior Girls

Up late? Yeah. Me too.

So why not put your time to good use with these seven tactical tests from the 2020 U.S. Junior Girls Championship?

Test #1

Test #2

Test #3

Test #4

Test #5

Test #6

Test #7

Answers:

Test #1

[pgn][Event "ch-USA Junior Girls 2020"] [Site "lichess.org INT"] [Date "2020.10.09"] [Round "1.1"] [White "Yu, Jennifer"] [Black "Wang, Annie"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B51"] [WhiteElo "2315"] [BlackElo "2384"] [Annotator "Hartmann,John"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "b1rq1r1k/4b1pp/Q4n2/pN6/P1P5/8/1BB2PPP/1R3RK1 b - - 0 24"] [PlyCount "9"] [EventDate "2020.10.09"] [EventType "tourn (rapid)"] [EventRounds "9"] [SourceTitle "The Week in Chess 1353"] [Source "Mark Crowther"] [SourceDate "2020.10.12"] [SourceVersion "2"] [SourceVersionDate "2020.10.13"] [SourceQuality "2"] {[#]} 24... Qd2 (24... Rc6 $1 25. Qa7 Bc5 {traps the queen}) 25. Nd4 Bc5 26. Rbd1 $2 (26. Bf5 {is the only move, when play gets very sharp after} Ne4 $1 27. Bxe4 (27. Bxc8 $4 Rxf2 $19) 27... Bxe4 28. Nf3 {and Black's initiative continues.}) 26... Qg5 $1 27. f3 Rc6 $1 {A similar motif to the queen trap above.} 28. h4 (28. Qb5 {fails to} Rb6) 28... Qe3+ 0-1 [/pgn]

Test #2

[pgn][Event "ch-USA Junior Girls 2020"] [Site "lichess.org INT"] [Date "2020.10.09"] [Round "1.5"] [White "Morris-Suzuki, Sophie"] [Black "Yan, Ruiyang"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A45"] [WhiteElo "2043"] [BlackElo "2093"] [Annotator "Hartmann,John"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "r1b1nrk1/6pp/1q2pb2/2Np4/p1Pn4/3B1NB1/PP2QPPP/2R2RK1 w - - 0 20"] [PlyCount "21"] [EventDate "2020.10.09"] [EventType "tourn (rapid)"] [EventRounds "9"] [SourceTitle "The Week in Chess 1353"] [Source "Mark Crowther"] [SourceDate "2020.10.12"] [SourceVersion "2"] [SourceVersionDate "2020.10.13"] [SourceQuality "2"] {[#]} 20. Nxd4 $1 Bxd4 21. Bxh7+ Kxh7 22. Qd3+ Kg8 23. Qxd4 {White picks up material and leaves the Black king a bit disheveled.} Nf6 24. Rfe1 Ra5 25. Nxe6 Qxd4 26. Nxd4 dxc4 27. Rxc4 Bd7 28. h3 Rd5 29. Re5 Rb8 30. Rxd5 1-0 [/pgn]

Test #3

[pgn][Event "ch-USA Junior Girls 2020"] [Site "lichess.org INT"] [Date "2020.10.10"] [Round "5.1"] [White "Wu, Rochelle"] [Black "Wang, Annie"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "E04"] [WhiteElo "2029"] [BlackElo "2384"] [Annotator "Hartmann,John"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "1r3rk1/2p2pp1/5b1p/1p6/4q3/4PNP1/P4PKP/1RQR4 b - - 0 21"] [PlyCount "81"] [EventDate "2020.10.09"] [EventType "tourn (rapid)"] [EventRounds "9"] [SourceTitle "The Week in Chess 1353"] [Source "Mark Crowther"] [SourceDate "2020.10.12"] [SourceVersion "2"] [SourceVersionDate "2020.10.13"] [SourceQuality "2"] {[#]} 21... g5 $1 {The problem is that White has no good way to defend the pinned knight.} 22. h3 h5 $1 23. Qxc7 g4 24. hxg4 hxg4 25. Qf4 Qxf3+ 26. Qxf3 gxf3+ 27. Kxf3 {Black has a decent advantage, but it's not easy.} b4 28. Rb3 Be7 29. Rd7 Rfe8 $2 (29... Rbe8 {will eventually free the bishop, and after ... Kg7 the f8-rook can move about the board.}) 30. a3 $1 Kg7 31. axb4 Bxb4 { Now White should draw.} 32. Rbd3 Rb6 33. R3d4 Rf6+ 34. Rf4 Ree6 35. Rdd4 Rxf4+ 36. Rxf4 Rf6 37. Rxf6 Kxf6 38. Kg4 Bc5 39. Kf4 Bd6+ 40. Kg4 Ke5 41. f3 Bc5 42. e4 Bf2 43. Kh4 Be1 44. Kg4 Bd2 45. Kh4 Bh6 46. Kh5 Bf8 47. Kg5 Bg7 48. Kg4 Bf6 49. Kh5 Kd4 50. Kg4 Be5 51. f4 Bg7 52. Kf5 Kc5 53. g4 Kd6 54. g5 Ke7 55. e5 Bf8 56. g6 fxg6+ 57. Kxg6 Ke6 58. f5+ Kxe5 59. f6 Bc5 60. f7 Ke6 61. f8=Q Bxf8 1/2-1/2 [/pgn]

Test #4

[pgn][Event "ch-USA Junior Girls 2020"] [Site "lichess.org INT"] [Date "2020.10.10"] [Round "5.3"] [White "Morris-Suzuki, Sophie"] [Black "Yu, Jennifer"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C29"] [WhiteElo "2043"] [BlackElo "2315"] [Annotator "Hartmann,John"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "4r1k1/pp5p/4P1p1/2p2p2/r2q1Q2/2pPR1KP/2P3P1/4R3 w - - 0 28"] [PlyCount "19"] [EventDate "2020.10.09"] [EventType "tourn (rapid)"] [EventRounds "9"] [SourceTitle "The Week in Chess 1353"] [Source "Mark Crowther"] [SourceDate "2020.10.12"] [SourceVersion "2"] [SourceVersionDate "2020.10.13"] [SourceQuality "2"] {[#]} 28. Re4 $3 {A brilliant shot!} fxe4 {The only try, keeping material even for now, but White gets a crushing attack.} ({Moving the queen with} 28... Qf6 {loses a rook after} 29. Rxa4) 29. Qf7+ Kh8 30. Qxe8+ Kg7 31. Qe7+ Kh6 32. Rxe4 Qg1 33. Qf8+ Kh5 34. Re5+ g5 35. Qf3+ Kg6 36. Qf7+ Kh6 37. Qf6+ 1-0 [/pgn]

Test #5

[pgn][Event "ch-USA Junior Girls 2020"] [Site "lichess.org INT"] [Date "2020.10.10"] [Round "5.5"] [White "Yip, Carissa"] [Black "Cervantes Landeiro, Thalia"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B96"] [WhiteElo "2421"] [BlackElo "2311"] [Annotator "Hartmann,John"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "2r1kbr1/3b1p1Q/3p1P2/p2qp1p1/1p2N1P1/1P6/2P2B2/2R1K2R w K - 0 32"] [PlyCount "109"] [EventDate "2020.10.09"] [EventType "tourn (rapid)"] [EventRounds "9"] [SourceTitle "The Week in Chess 1353"] [Source "Mark Crowther"] [SourceDate "2020.10.12"] [SourceVersion "2"] [SourceVersionDate "2020.10.13"] [SourceQuality "2"] {[#]} 32. Rd1 $1 {Piling up on the d6 pawn.} ({White can't grab the rook because of the hanging knight on e4.} 32. Qxg8 Qxe4+) 32... Qc6 33. Nxd6+ $1 Kd8 34. Nxc8 (34. Nxf7+ Kc7 35. Nxe5 $18) 34... Kxc8 35. Rh2 Bxg4 36. Rd2 (36. Qxg8 $1) 36... Rg6 37. Qh8 Qe8 38. Bc5 Rxf6 39. Qxf8 Qxf8 40. Bxf8 Rc6 41. Rhg2 f5 42. Bd6 e4 43. Be7 Rg6 44. Rd6 Rg7 45. Bf6 Rg6 46. Be5 Rg8 47. Kd2 Bf3 48. Rg1 Re8 49. Bd4 g4 50. Rf6 Rd8 51. Ke3 Rd5 52. Rf7 Kd8 53. Bf6+ Ke8 54. Re7+ Kf8 55. Re5 Rd7 56. Rxf5 Rf7 57. Rf4 Ke8 58. Bd4 Rc7 59. Kd2 Rh7 60. Bf2 Rd7+ 61. Ke3 Rc7 62. Rc1 a4 63. bxa4 b3 64. Kd2 b2 65. Rb1 Rd7+ 66. Ke3 Rb7 67. a5 Kd7 68. Rf5 Ke6 69. Kf4 e3 70. Re5+ Kf6 71. Rxe3 Rb4+ 72. Kg3 Be4 73. Rxe4 Rxe4 74. Rxb2 Ra4 75. Bb6 Kf5 76. Rb5+ Kg6 77. Rc5 Kf6 78. c4 Ke6 79. Kxg4 Kd6 80. Rc8 Kd7 81. Rc7+ Kd6 82. Kf5 Ra1 83. c5+ Kd5 84. Rd7+ Kc6 85. Rd6+ Kb7 86. c6+ 1-0 [/pgn]

Test #6

[pgn][Event "ch-USA Junior Girls 2020"] [Site "lichess.org INT"] [Date "2020.10.10"] [Round "6.5"] [White "Wu, Rochelle"] [Black "Lee, Alice"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D31"] [WhiteElo "2029"] [BlackElo "1967"] [Annotator "Hartmann,John"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "4r1k1/pp1r1ppp/1qp2nn1/5N2/3PP3/5QN1/PP4PP/4RR1K w - - 0 23"] [PlyCount "31"] [EventDate "2020.10.09"] [EventType "tourn (rapid)"] [EventRounds "9"] [SourceTitle "The Week in Chess 1353"] [Source "Mark Crowther"] [SourceDate "2020.10.12"] [SourceVersion "2"] [SourceVersionDate "2020.10.13"] [SourceQuality "2"] {[#]} 23. Nxg7 $1 {Removing the guard.} Kxg7 24. Qxf6+ Kf8 25. Nf5 {Bringing in another piece to threaten mate.} Ree7 26. Qg7+ Ke8 27. Qg8+ Nf8 28. Ng7+ Kd8 29. Qxf8+ Kc7 30. Ne8+ Rxe8 31. Qxe8 Qxd4 32. Rxf7 Rxf7 33. Qxf7+ {Up a rook, it's easy from here.} Kb6 34. Qb3+ Ka6 35. e5 Qd2 36. Qa3+ Kb5 37. Qc3 Qxc3 38. bxc3 1-0 [/pgn]

Test #7

[pgn][Event "ch-USA Junior Girls 2020"] [Site "lichess.org INT"] [Date "2020.10.11"] [Round "8.2"] [White "Yu, Jennifer"] [Black "Cervantes Landeiro, Thalia"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A20"] [WhiteElo "2315"] [BlackElo "2311"] [Annotator "Hartmann,John"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "r2qk2r/bpp1n1p1/p1np4/6B1/2PP2bp/2N5/PPQ1NPB1/R3K2R w KQkq - 0 14"] [PlyCount "35"] [EventDate "2020.10.09"] [EventType "tourn (rapid)"] [EventRounds "9"] [SourceTitle "The Week in Chess 1353"] [Source "Mark Crowther"] [SourceDate "2020.10.12"] [SourceVersion "2"] [SourceVersionDate "2020.10.13"] [SourceQuality "2"] {[#]} {Yu finds a forcing variation that wins material. The key, as readers of the November issue of Chess Life will soon learn, is to scan the board for undefended or not well defended pieces. The g4-bishop certainly fits that bill. } 14. Bxc6+ $1 ({Move order is important:} 14. Bxe7 Nxe7 {and the shot no longer exists.}) 14... bxc6 15. Bxe7 Qxe7 16. Qg6+ Qf7 17. Qxg4 {And that's a clean piece.} Qxc4 18. Rxh4 Rxh4 19. Qxh4 Rb8 20. O-O-O Qb4 21. b3 c5 22. Qh8+ Kf7 23. Qh5+ Kg8 24. Qd5+ Kf8 25. Qf5+ Ke8 26. Qe6+ Kd8 27. Rh1 c6 28. Qxd6+ Ke8 29. Rh8+ Kf7 30. Qd7+ Kg6 31. Qe6+ 1-0 [/pgn]