<p>On International Women’s day, the best way to salute Judit Polgar, the longest reigning top woman player in the world is to feature one of her games.<br /><br /></p>.<p>It was way back in 1989 that a 12-year-old Judit became the highest rated player in the world with a rating of 2555 and also created history by becoming the youngest player to break into the top 100. Judit remained as the highest rated woman player for a staggering 26 years and only in this month’s rating list, reigning women’s world champion Yifan Hou overtook her as the highest rated woman player.<br /><br />Featured below is one of Judit’s games with former World Championship finalist Alexei Shirov where most of the annotations are done by Judit herself.<br />White: Alexei Shirov (2715) – Black: Judit Polgar (2630)<br /><br />Madrid, 1994 King’s Indian Defence<br /><br />1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 0–0 6.Nf3 e5 7.d5 a5 8.Bg5. Interestingly Shirov had never before played this line, which is a favoured line by Kramnik<br />8...h6 9.Bh4 Na6 10.0–0 Qe8 11.Nd2 Nh7<br />Here Black could have thought of developing the bishop with 11. ..Bd7<br />12.a3. Here 12.Nb3 or even 12.Nb5 appears more appealing<br />12. ..Bd7 13.Kh1<br />If 13.b3 f5 14.exf5 gxf5 15.Bh5 Qc8 16.Be7 Re8 17.Bxe8 Qxe8 18.Bh4 e4 was played in a previous game<br /><br />13...h5 14.f3 Bh6 15.b3 Qb8N. Judit played a novelty here. The Queen suddenly swings onto the queenside with the idea of playing Qa7. If 15...Be3 16.Qc2 c6 17.Bf2 Bxf2 18.Rxf2<br />16.Qc2 Be3 17.Bf2 Qa7 18.Bxe3 Qxe3 19.f4. If 19.Rae1 Qg5 20.Qb2 Nc5 21.b4 axb4 22.axb4 Na4 23.Nxa4 Rxa4 24.c5<br />19...exf4 20.Rae1 Qc5. Black hardly has any choice in the movement of the queen<br />21.Qc1. If 21.Qb2 Qd4 22.Rxf4 Rae8 and the pawn structure is better for Black<br />21...Qd4 22.Rxf4 Rae8<br />If 22...f5 23.Nf3 Qg7 24.exf5<br />23.Rff1. If 23.Ref1 Qg7 (23...g5 24.R4f2 g4 )<br />23...Qg7 24.Qc2 h4. Very aggressive. The idea is to play h4–h3 first before playing f7–f5.If 24...Re7<br />25.Nf3 h3. A interesting and intrusive advance 26.gxh3 Black misses, that opening the g-file does not expose the White king, but might well expose the Black king<br />26...Bxh3. If 26...f5 27.Rg1<br />27.Rg1 Qh6<br />Black could have thought of 27. ..Nf6. If 27...f5 28.exf5 Bxf5 29.Bd3 Bxd3 30.Qxd3 Rxe1 31.Nxe1<br />28.Rg3 Kg7. If 28...Kh8 29.Reg1 Rg8<br />29.Qb2. Weakens the e-pawn. The diagonal a1–g7 is not so dangerous. If 29.Nd1 Nc5? 30.Nf2<br />29...Nf6 30.b4. White shifts focus onto the queenside and lands in a disadvantageous position. He could have doubled his rooks with 30.Reg1<br />30. ..axb4 31.axb4 Bg4. If 31...Rh8 32.Reg1. 32.Nd1. Retreating the knight. White can consider 32.Nd4 Bc8 And if 32.Reg1 Rh8<br />32...Bxf3+. If 32...Rxe4 33.Nf2 Bxf3+ 34.Rxf3 Rf4 35.Rf1 (35.Ng4 Rxg4 36.Rxf6 Qxh2+ 37.Kxh2 Rh8#)<br />33.Bxf3 Rh8<br /><br />Doubling forces!<br /><br />34.Ne3 Kf8. A good move in un-pinning the King<br />35.Ng4. If 35.Qxf6 Qxh2 checkmate And if 35.Rf1 Nxe4 36.Bxe4 Rxe4 37.Ng4<br />35...Nxg4 36.Bxg4 Qg7 37.Qf2<br />If 37.Qxg7+ Kxg7 38.Rb3 Rh4 39.Bf3 f5 And if 37.Qd2 Qe5<br />37...Nxb4. 38.Rb1. A mistake! If 38.Rf3 Rh7 39.Rf1 Kg8 40.Bd7 Re7 41.Be6 Na6<br />38...Na6<br />Diagram 1<br />39.Rxb7. A blunder! <br />39. ..Nc5 40.Rxc7 Nxe4<br />0–1<br />Diagram 2<br />White to play and checkmate in two moves. 1.Rxf7+ Kxf7 2.Qg7 checkmate.<br /><br /></p>
<p>On International Women’s day, the best way to salute Judit Polgar, the longest reigning top woman player in the world is to feature one of her games.<br /><br /></p>.<p>It was way back in 1989 that a 12-year-old Judit became the highest rated player in the world with a rating of 2555 and also created history by becoming the youngest player to break into the top 100. Judit remained as the highest rated woman player for a staggering 26 years and only in this month’s rating list, reigning women’s world champion Yifan Hou overtook her as the highest rated woman player.<br /><br />Featured below is one of Judit’s games with former World Championship finalist Alexei Shirov where most of the annotations are done by Judit herself.<br />White: Alexei Shirov (2715) – Black: Judit Polgar (2630)<br /><br />Madrid, 1994 King’s Indian Defence<br /><br />1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 0–0 6.Nf3 e5 7.d5 a5 8.Bg5. Interestingly Shirov had never before played this line, which is a favoured line by Kramnik<br />8...h6 9.Bh4 Na6 10.0–0 Qe8 11.Nd2 Nh7<br />Here Black could have thought of developing the bishop with 11. ..Bd7<br />12.a3. Here 12.Nb3 or even 12.Nb5 appears more appealing<br />12. ..Bd7 13.Kh1<br />If 13.b3 f5 14.exf5 gxf5 15.Bh5 Qc8 16.Be7 Re8 17.Bxe8 Qxe8 18.Bh4 e4 was played in a previous game<br /><br />13...h5 14.f3 Bh6 15.b3 Qb8N. Judit played a novelty here. The Queen suddenly swings onto the queenside with the idea of playing Qa7. If 15...Be3 16.Qc2 c6 17.Bf2 Bxf2 18.Rxf2<br />16.Qc2 Be3 17.Bf2 Qa7 18.Bxe3 Qxe3 19.f4. If 19.Rae1 Qg5 20.Qb2 Nc5 21.b4 axb4 22.axb4 Na4 23.Nxa4 Rxa4 24.c5<br />19...exf4 20.Rae1 Qc5. Black hardly has any choice in the movement of the queen<br />21.Qc1. If 21.Qb2 Qd4 22.Rxf4 Rae8 and the pawn structure is better for Black<br />21...Qd4 22.Rxf4 Rae8<br />If 22...f5 23.Nf3 Qg7 24.exf5<br />23.Rff1. If 23.Ref1 Qg7 (23...g5 24.R4f2 g4 )<br />23...Qg7 24.Qc2 h4. Very aggressive. The idea is to play h4–h3 first before playing f7–f5.If 24...Re7<br />25.Nf3 h3. A interesting and intrusive advance 26.gxh3 Black misses, that opening the g-file does not expose the White king, but might well expose the Black king<br />26...Bxh3. If 26...f5 27.Rg1<br />27.Rg1 Qh6<br />Black could have thought of 27. ..Nf6. If 27...f5 28.exf5 Bxf5 29.Bd3 Bxd3 30.Qxd3 Rxe1 31.Nxe1<br />28.Rg3 Kg7. If 28...Kh8 29.Reg1 Rg8<br />29.Qb2. Weakens the e-pawn. The diagonal a1–g7 is not so dangerous. If 29.Nd1 Nc5? 30.Nf2<br />29...Nf6 30.b4. White shifts focus onto the queenside and lands in a disadvantageous position. He could have doubled his rooks with 30.Reg1<br />30. ..axb4 31.axb4 Bg4. If 31...Rh8 32.Reg1. 32.Nd1. Retreating the knight. White can consider 32.Nd4 Bc8 And if 32.Reg1 Rh8<br />32...Bxf3+. If 32...Rxe4 33.Nf2 Bxf3+ 34.Rxf3 Rf4 35.Rf1 (35.Ng4 Rxg4 36.Rxf6 Qxh2+ 37.Kxh2 Rh8#)<br />33.Bxf3 Rh8<br /><br />Doubling forces!<br /><br />34.Ne3 Kf8. A good move in un-pinning the King<br />35.Ng4. If 35.Qxf6 Qxh2 checkmate And if 35.Rf1 Nxe4 36.Bxe4 Rxe4 37.Ng4<br />35...Nxg4 36.Bxg4 Qg7 37.Qf2<br />If 37.Qxg7+ Kxg7 38.Rb3 Rh4 39.Bf3 f5 And if 37.Qd2 Qe5<br />37...Nxb4. 38.Rb1. A mistake! If 38.Rf3 Rh7 39.Rf1 Kg8 40.Bd7 Re7 41.Be6 Na6<br />38...Na6<br />Diagram 1<br />39.Rxb7. A blunder! <br />39. ..Nc5 40.Rxc7 Nxe4<br />0–1<br />Diagram 2<br />White to play and checkmate in two moves. 1.Rxf7+ Kxf7 2.Qg7 checkmate.<br /><br /></p>
