The Rest Of The World Wins The Women Chess Match

By WIM Anna Kantane

The 9th Memorial of Krystyna Hołuj Radzikowska, Women Chess Match Poland vs Rest of the World has finished. The tournament is known for many years to be one of the strongest all-female chess events in the world, but it is not the average rating of the participants that makes it so special. 

It is the unique atmosphere that is the reason the players want to come back to Poland, time after time again.

Pioneer of Polish Women Chess

Krystyna Holuj-Radzikowska is a legend of Polish chess, women chess especially. She was a 9 time Polish National Champion, winning 17 medals in national championships in total! She represented Poland in five Chess Olympiads, four times on board 1, winning individual gold on board one in 1957 in Emmen. Her biggest success was sharing 7-8 place in Orhid 1971 Candidates Tournament.

"She was inspiring, inspiring due to her proffessional approach, her behaviour(...) She was really elegant, classy, inside and out." - shared first Polish WGM Hanna Ereńska-Barlo, former team-mate and a friend of Krystyna Hołuj-Radzikowska.

Polish women chess has been strong ever since Radzikowska's success. It is important to remember people who helped build our world, even if it is only a chess world. In 2011, five years after her passing, first tournament in her memory was held. This year a 9th edition was organised, gathering top female players from all over the world, from USA to Georgia.

Exciting system

The Match was played between 6 players from Polish National Team and 6 players from Rest of the World team. The system was very exciting for the participants and spectators, because there were a few different competitions held: Fischer random, rapid chess and classical chess. 

Beginning with...no openings!

Event began with a lovely opening ceremony, where every participant was introduced to all the guests. Among them were organizers, sponsors, but also top Polish athletes - basketball player Aleksander Dziewa and trice Olympic medalist in shooting Renata Mauer-Różańska. The latter one is a long-time supporter of the Memorial and one of the greatest examples of women in sports.

Ladies started with a Fischer random, used as a tie-break in case of a draw in the rapid and classical competition. It was quite interesting to hear that for most of the players it was their first (or one of the first) times playing Fischer's chess!

At first it seemed it will be a close fight, but The World team were the first ones to catch the rhythm and proved that they do not need openings to win. They won Fischer random 9:3.

Santa seemed to be supporting Poles

As previously mentioned, the Festival is so appreciated thanks to the amazing atmosphere, which we could feel every minute of the event. On the second day the first round of classical chess was played, but it was also...a Santa Claus Day! 

That, of course, was not forgotten! Players received chocolates and also a gift from artist Zygmunt Nasiółkowski, who prepared a beautiful piece of work specially for the tournament, connecting the most well-known building of Wroclaw (city hall, in polish: Ratusz) and the chess elements into one.

A great morning continued for the Polish ladies, who grabbed the lead in the Match and won the first classical round 3.5 : 2.5! First point was scored by Karina Cyfka, who faced talented Olga Badelka, and showed exactly how to make use of the weak squares in your opponent's camp.

The decisive game that day, without a doubt, was the last game of the round, where the score was 2.5 to 2.5 and Alicja Śliwicka was playing Anastasia Bodnaruk. The game was very tense and the stakes very very high, but current European Champion under 18, remained calm and defeated experienced opponent after a long endgame.

Tell me in chess you do not need to be physically fit

In the evening the blitz (open for all women players) was held and almost all of the participants of the Match took part in it, despite having a packed schedule. That meant that except 18 games played in the Match, ladies played extra 11 games, making it a marathon of 29 games in 8 days, in total! But true passion and love for the game knows no limits

Even Alina Kashlinskaya, the current European Women Champion, arrived for the weekend, to play in side events.

Fast controls seemed to be fitting the Rest of the World team, as they won the rapid tournament quite easily (8:4) as well. However, it was clear that the classical chess will decide the outcome of the Match, as the points from classical tournament counted double. 

So all of the chess fans held their breath and awaited remaining 5 classical games.

Another surprise

Second classical round brought another unexpected result. But before that there was another surprise...guess what? Players got beautiful gifts, as at this event, every day is a Santa Claus Day!

It was a great round for Polish Team, they did not lose a single game! Important wins were scored by WIM Julia Antolak and WGM Jolanta Zawadzka. 

Jolanta faced Irina Bulmaga and won in a beautiful manner, with a double rook lift. Try to spot a winning blow by White:

26. Rxh7!! +-

Interestingly enough, these two players, Jola and Irina, ended up fighting till the last minute of the event for the best individual performance in classical chess!

Poles won second round 4:2. With two wins in classical chess it seemed like they are likely to defy the unfavorable odds.

Drawish...but not drawn

...Is a dramatic scenario every chess player knows and experienced. You have a drawish endgame, you know it, but it still has to be defended. And practical chess is much more cruel than the theoretical evaluation

It was similar with the round 3 of the Match. It was a very drawish round, we had 5 out of 6 games finishing in a draw!

Only one game was decisive - Monika Socko played Irina Bulmaga with Black pieces. After the 15th move it seemed that the leader of the Polish team achieved a really comfortable position from the opening. However, White had a very good attacking opportunities on the king-side and it turned out, at the end it was much more practical chance.

And Irina didn't let her chance slip away! She developed her attack in a very aggressive way starting with:

27. g5! hxg5 28. Nf3! 

And finishing it with...Try to find yourself!

GOT IT?

31. Qg6!!+- (with a deadly threat of Ng5)

Nice, huh?

Breaking point of the Match

From this round nothing was really falling Polish Team's way. They were fighting tooth and nail for every point and the World Team had to struggle indeed, but it was not enough to save the Match.

Despite a draw in a 5th classical game the guests secured a win with 1 round to go, due to their win in Fischer random, tie-break of the event.

Individual results

Fight for the individual results was far from over though. In fact, the first place in classical chess was not decided till the very last game ended. Irina Bulmaga was in a must win situation against Alicja Śliwicka to overtake Jolanta Zawadzka. After a long, almost 5h, game players reached a 'drawish endgame'. Sounds familiar, right?

Bulmaga was pushing in a different-colored bishop ending, but it was far from obvious. After many hours of playing, and many days of competing, mistakes are eager to occur.

64. Bc3?? was a losing mistake and after 64...Bg6! White is in zugzwang.

Instead 64. Be3!! would held a draw. 'Why?' you might ask. Exactly, as mentioned - it truly was far from obvious. It's a good training position, so you can explore it

Irina Bulmaga won the game and achieved the best individual performance in the classical chess, with 4.5/6.

Despite unstable performance in classical chess, the best player overall was Anastasia Bodnaruk. She is 2018 European vice Champion in rapid, so it was not a surprise that she played great in both Fischer and rapid chess, gathering 11.5 points in total (+5!). 

Joy and shared moments

The competition was important, but this Match is about more than that. It is about celebrating the game we all love, remembering a champion, supporting women in chess and about bringing people together. 

It was also a chance to meet and get to know each other and our traditions.

Anna Zatonskih thanked organizers on behalf of the World Team for an amazing organisation and lovely atmosphere. As she pointed out, the Rest of the World team was especially touched by the Christmas dinner, which was organised for participants. It was a chance for them to get familiar with Polish traditions and to taste typical (and delicious) Polish Christmas dishes.

It was also a great opportunity to speak with participants about their other endeavors.

Above all - it was a chance to share many beautiful, joyful moments together.

It truly was a special tournament in a heart of one of the most charming cities of Europe, Wroclaw. Next edition will be already the 10th one...Prepare yourself for something even more special! 

Perhaps we will even see you in Wroclaw?