Entering the 7th round, I was even in the standings with Li Yunshan and Svitlana Demchenko, both very strong players and members of our National team, and half a point behind Ashley Qian. Ashley had already beaten me and drawn Yunshan, so she was paired with Svitlana. For my own matchup with Yunshan on the second board, both of us were due to have the black pieces, so I was lucky to play as White.
The opening moves of Round 7. I have just begun the game by advancing my king’s pawn; now Yunshan considers her reply. Derek Ma photo, Annex Chess Club.
The game is all but over, but I continue to record my moves, as required. After the game, both scoresheets will be signed by the players and the arbiter, and Yunshan and I will each keep a carbon copy of our own sheet as a memento to take home. The board we are playing on is also equipped with electronics that automatically relay each move to an online broadcast. Derek Ma photo, Annex Chess Club.
I could scarcely believe that I had won this game. Svitlana had beaten Ashley in the meanwhile, and a few hours later, she and I would meet on Board 1 in the tournament’s penultimate round.
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