offramp: In boxing people are matched up according to weight. That's fair. A lot of sports have divisions according to age, like all the U16s together. The ancient, justified & noble sport of Turkish wrestling, which goes back to the Byzantine Empire, competitors matched up by HEIGHT! In the Olympiads it's a free-for-all. In this game White was 10, Black was 84. I don't want to say much about this game. Mme Steck steered her boat through some rough seas and we got to this position.
27...g6-g5?!
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White could have slammed up the kingside with 28. h5. The black ♝ would have been very weak. The white ♘ would have been <good>. I think the position would have been level, with White having a long-term initiative. In the game, the ♝ kiboshes all White counterplay on the kingside. The ♘@c6 <LOOKS> great but it does nothing.
Black slowly gets her rooks in position via the f- and g-files.
36. Nxd6.
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Here Mrs Woodward could have played 36...Rg1+!
Mme Steck was on the ropes. She found a load of <only-moves>. Brava! However, in this position, a tragedy.
47...Rf3+.
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White could have replied with 48. Kg2.
White played 48. Kh2 which walked into a ♝ fork. Very sad. Both players had played well.
Please <don't> play over this game twice. It will tug your heartstrings. |