In our series, ‘The World Champion Born On This Day,’ we will explore Anna Ushenina’s life and triumph.
Anna Ushenina was born in Kharkiv on 30 August 1985 in a Ukrainian Jewish family. Her mother introduced her to Chess at the age of seven to develop her intellectual and creative talents. She also learned painting and music.
Though most of her Chess skills have been self-taught, Ushenina became the Ukrainian Girls-Under 20 champion at the tender age of 15 years. She became the Ukrainian Women’s Champion in 2005 and was endowed with the title of Honoured Master of Sports.
Anna Ushenina reigned only for a short period of 10 months but is considered a very formidable player even today. She has had many brilliant tournament victories and was part of the Gold Medal winning team in the 44th Chess Olympiad held at Mahabalipuram in 2022.
Learn from the Champion
Today we will see a very special game by Anna Ushenina, which played a very important role in enabling her to win the World Women’s Crown. The game was played in her knockout world championship match against Antoaneta Stefanova in the final round and it must be said that Ushenina rose to the occasion, making decisions completely different from her natural self. She went for a sharp tactical battle, unlike her usual positional strategic play. ‘Fortune favours the brave’, says an old proverb and the game is reminiscent of the same.
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 a6 5.c5 Nbd7 6.Bf4
The players must have been very well prepared as it was a game from the Knockout World Championship Final. We are seeing a theoretical battle here.
6…Nh5 7.Bd2 Nhf6 8.Rc1 g6 9.h3 Qc7 10.g3 Bg7 11.Bf4 Qd8 12.Bg2 0–0 13.0–0 Nh5 14.Bd2 f5 15.Qb3
Antoaneta Stefanova
Anna Ushenina
15…e5?
This principled move turns out to be a serious tactical mistake.
15…Kh8! has become the popular continuation now. Black is fine thereafter. As Ushenina prefers to play slow positional battles, Stefanova chose to initiate a tactical battle which needed alert and accurate play. However, Ushenina found all the correct moves, as we will see hereunder.
Antoaneta Stefanova
Anna Ushenina
16.Ng5!
16…exd4?
16…e4! 17.Ne6 Qe7 18.Nxf8 Nxf8 was the most logical follow up. White is better but Black is not without chances. The closed nature of the position is not suitable for White Rooks and Black’s space advantage could give her possibilities of threats against White King.
Antoaneta Stefanova
Anna Ushenina
17.Nxd5!
Black was hoping for 17.Ne6?? Qe7 18.Nxf8 dxc3 with an advantage to Black.
17…cxd5 18.Bxd5+
White has got a winning position from the opening but it is important to follow up energetically. Though Ushenina is basically a positional player, she showed great tactical accuracy and sense of initiative in this game.
18…Kh8 19.Ne6!
[19.Nf7+? Rxf7 20.Bxf7 Ne5]
19…Qf6 20.Nxf8 Qxf8 21.Bxb7!
[Only thus!]
21…Rb8
[21…Bxb7?! 22.Qxb7 Ne5 23.c6 leads to an easy win for White.]
22.c6 Nc5
Antoaneta Stefanova
Anna Ushenina
23.Qb6!
[Again the only move!]
23…Nxb7
[23…Bxb7 is refuted by 24.c7! Re8 25.Rxc5 Bc8 26.Rd5! Bf6 27.Rc1 Ng7
27…Rxe2 loses to 28.Re1! Rxe1+ (28…Rxd2 29.Rd8) 29.Bxe1 Kg7 30.Rd8 Qe7 31.Bb4 Qe6 32.Qxe6 Bxe6 33.c8Q etc.)
28.Rc6 Ne6 29.Bb4 Qg8 30.Rd8!! Rxd8 31.Rxe6! Bxe6 32.cxd8Q Bxd8 33.Qxd4+ winning immediately.]
24.Qa7!!+– Be5?
[24…Nd6 was the best chance but White won easily by systematically exchanging Queens. 25.Qxb8 Ne4 26.Bb4 Qe8 27.Be7 h6 28.Qc7 Nhf6 29.Qd8!]
25.c7! Ra8 26.Qxa8 Qe8 27.Qxa6 Nc5 28.Qa8 Ne4 29.Rc2 Nxd2 30.Rxd2 Kg7 31.Rc2 Kh6 32.b4 Bd6 33.Qd5 Nxg3
[Desperation. 33…Bxb4 was unplayable due to 34.Qxd4 Be7 35.Rd1 Nf6 36.Qd8 Kg7 37.Qxe8 Nxe8 38.Rd8 Nd6 39.Rc6 etc. ]
34.Qxd6 Nxf1
[34…Nxe2+ 35.Rxe2 Qxe2 36.Qf8+ Kh5 37.Qxc8 Kh4 38.Qd7]
35.Qxd4! g5 36.Qf6+ Kh5 37.Rc6!
[The best. 37.Qd8 was also winning but would have required more alertness. For example, 37…Qe5! 38.Kxf1 Qe4! 39.f3 !etc.]
After 37.Rc6! Black gave up the hopeless battle immediately. 1–0
