Sasha Christina Shariff, playing in the Girls-Under 20 section of the 2020 FIDE Online Chess Olympiad, stuck to the general principles of chess and outplayed her Bahamian opponent with elan. Shariff, playing the black pieces, countered e4 with the Ruy Lopez (also called the Spanish game as it is named after a Spanish priest who lived in the 16th century). To this day, after some 500 years, the Ruy Lopez is considerably popular and difficult to beat.
I suppose Shariff’s defence to e4 was no accident and was craftily contrived. She captured a fat rook when her Bahamian colleague misplayed a position and eventually executed checkmate in 31 moves. The victory by Guyana over the Bahamas of 6-0, and of Shariff, must have brought gratification to the ultra-serious Loris Nathoo, the team captain for the online Olympiad.
Here are two victories from Wendell Meusa and Sasha Shariff
Event: FIDE 2020 Online Chess Olympiad
Date: August 1, 2020
White: Wendell Meusa Elo 1987, Guyana
Black: Malik Curriah Elo 1886, Jamaica
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ Bd7 4. Bxd7+ Qxd7 5. O-O Nf6 6. Re1 Nc6 7. c3 e6 8.
d4 cxd4 9. cxd4 d5 10. e5 Ne4 11. Nbd2 Bb4 12. Nxe4 dxe4 13. Rxe4 O-O 14. Bd2
Be7 15. h4 Rac8 16. h5 Rfd8 17. Qe2 Qd5 18. Rg4 f5 19. exf6 Bxf6 20. Bc3 b5 21.
a3 a5 22. Rd1 e5 23. Rd2 e4 24. Qxe4 b4 25. axb4 axb4 26. h6 bxc3 27. bxc3 Qxe4
28. Rxe4 Na5 29. Ra2 Nb7 30. hxg7 Rxc3 31. Ra7 Nd6 32. Re6 Ne8 33. Ne5 Bxg7 34.
Nf7 Rdc8 35. Ree7 Bf8 36. Red7 R3c7 37. Ng5 Rxa7 38. Rxa7 Rc7 39. Ra8 Nd6 40.
Rxf8+ Kxf8 41. Ne6+ Ke7 42. Nxc7 Nf5 43. Nb5 Ke6 44. g4 Nh4 45. Kh2 Kd5 46. Kg3
Ng6 47. f4 Kc4 48. f5 Nf8 49. Nc7 Nd7 50. Ne6 Kd5 51. Kf4 h6 52. Ke3 Nf6 53.
Nf4+ Kc4 54. Nh5 Nxg4+ 55. Kf3 Nh2+ 56. Ke4 Ng4 57. f6 Nxf6+ 58. Nxf6 Kb5 59.
Ke5 Kc6 60. Ke6 Kc7 61. Ke7 h5 62. Nxh5 Kc6 63. Nf6 Kc7 64. d5 Kb6 65. d6 Kc5
66. d7 Kc6 67. d8=Q Kb7 68. Qd6 Kc8 69. Qc6+ Kb8 70. Nd5 Ka7 71. Qb5 Ka8 72.
Kd7 Ka7 73. Kc7 Ka8 74. Qb7# 1-0.
Date: August 2, 2020
White: Mikayla Horton, the Bahamas
Black: Sasha Christina Shariff, 1195, Guyana
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5 5.c3 Qf6 6.Bc4 Nxd4 7.cxd4 Bxd4 8.e5 Qxe5+ 9.Be3 Bxb2 10.Qd5 Qxd5 11.Bxd5 Bxa1 12.O-O Nf6 13.Re1 Nxd5 14.Bd4+ Ne7 15.Bc5 Bf6 16.Nc3 d6 17.Ne4 dxc5 18.Nxf6+ gxf6 19.Rd1 Nf5 20.Re1+ Kf8 21.Rd1 Be6 22.Rf1 Bxa2 23.Ra1 Bd5 24.Ra5 b6 25.Ra4 Kg7 26.Rg4+ Kh6 27.h3 Rae8 28.h4 Re1+ 29.Kh2 b5 30.Ra4 bxa4 31.g3 Rh1# 0-1.
