Queen of the board

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                         1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 

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Zsuzsa Polgar (Hungary)  0 = = 1 1 = 1 1 = = 1 0 1  8 1/2

Xie Jun       (China)    1 = = 0 0 = 0 0 = = 0 1 0  4 1/2

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There is a new queen of the chessboard, and her name is Zsuzsa Polgar. Last month, 26-year-old Polgar toppled Xie Jun in an embarassing one-sided match for the women's world chess championship crown which was played in the Spanish town of Jaen.

The match was scheduled for a maximum 16 games but the Hungarian required only 13 games to gain the 8 1/2 points needed for wresting the title from the Chinese player.

The match had begun on a positive footing for Xie who won the first game quite easily but after two short draws, everything went downhill for the Chinese grandmaster.

Xie could only score half a point from the next five games. In this crucial stage of the match, Polgar equalised by winning the fourth game, then took over the lead when she also won the fifth game. From then on, there was little that Xie could do to stop Polgar. There were two more wins for the Hungarian grandmaster in the seventh and eighth games. Then, after two more draws, Polgar won again.

For the demoralised Xie, winning the 12th game was perhaps her last-gasp attempt to claw her way back into the match but the 13th game, played immediately after the Chinese New Year break, went horribly wrong for her.

Seeing that she had lost a piece without compensation, Xie promptly resigned the game and with it, relinquished her title.

Zsuzsa Polgar is the eldest of the three Polgar sisters, the other two being Sofia and Judit. In the late 80s, she was already making a name for herself when she began competing exclusively and successfully in open competitions against male chess players.

The Polgar sisters hardly bothered to play against other women players in tournaments, and were not keen on the women's world championship cycles. The only exception was in 1988 when they led the Hungarian women's team to the gold medals at the biennial Chess Olympiad in Thessaloniki.

During the 90s, however, Zsuzsa Polgar seemed to have a change of heart and she turned her attention to the women's world championship title. In her first attempt at the title in the 1991-93 cycle, she advanced to the Candidate finals but she failed to qualify as the challenger when she lost to Nana Ioseliani.

But in the 1993-95 cycle, Polgar confidently swept aside all her rivals, including Maya Chiburdanidze last year, to become the challenger to Xie.

Xie won the title in 1991 when she dethroned Chiburdanidze from the champion's pedestal. Her first defence of the title was in 1993 against Ioseliani in Monaco and this match against Polgar in Jaen was only her second defence.

The site of the match was the Parador de Turismo de Santa Catalina which is next to the fortress of Fernando III near the summit of the Santa Catalina mountain in the Andalucian province of Jaen. Linares, a town well-known to chess players, is some 50km away.

For this match, Spanish businessman Luis Rentero had been appointed as its technical director on the basis of his past contributions to the annual Linares super-grandmaster tournaments.

Rentero, unfortunately, has his own ideas on how a tournament or match should be played. After Xie and Polgar had quickly drawn the third game of the match, Rentero sent a letter to the players in which he reminded them that Andalucia had made great sacrifices to hold the match.

Stating that the games until that point in the match had been a disappointment, he then accused the players of giving the impression that they had come to visit Jaen as tourists rather than chess players.

As the technical director of the event and regardless of any match regulation, he would not stand for this, he said. He threatened a US$25,000 fine on each player if they continued playing quick and short draws.

Both players were reported to be extremely upset with this letter and they both spoke to Rentero personally about it.

Before the fourth game was played, Polgar issued a public rebuke in which she said she was extremely insulted at the accusation that she had come to Jaen merely as a tourist.

She reminded Rentero that this was an official Fide world championship match and not a private tournament, such as the Linares, where he could impose extra regulations according to his whims and fancy.

Her objective at Jaen, she said, was to win the world chess championship title.

GAMES OF THE WEEK

Xie Jun - Zsuzsa Polgar, Game 6

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Ndb5 Bb4 7. a3 Bxc3+ 8. Nxc3 d5 9. exd5 exd5 10. Bd3 O-O 11. O-O d4 12. Ne4 Bf5 13. Bg5 Bxe4 14. Bxe4 h6 15. Bxf6 Qxf6 16. Qf3 Qxf3 17. Bxf3 Rac8 18. Rfe1 Rfd8 19. Rad1 Kf8 20. Kf1 Na5 21. Re2 Nc4 22. Re4 d3 23. cxd3 Nxb2 24. Rb1 Nxd3 25. Ra4 Nc5 26. Rxa7 Ra8 27. Rxa8 Rxa8 28. Bxb7 1/2-1/2

Zsuzsa Polgar - Xie Jun, Game 7

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nxc6 Qf6 6. Qd2 dxc6 7. Nc3 Be6 8. Na4 Bd6 9. Qe3 Nh6 10. h3 O-O 11. Be2 Rfe8 12. Nc3 Qe5 13. f4 Qa5 14. Bd2 Bb4 15. a3 Nf5 16. exf5 Bc4 17. Qd4 Bxc3 18. Bxc3 Rxe2+ 19. Kf1 Qxc3 20. bxc3 Re4+ 21. Kf2 Rxd4 22. cxd4 Rd8 23. Rhe1 Kf8 24. Re4 g6 25. f6 Rd6 26. Re7 Rxf6 27. Rxc7 Rxf4+ 28. Ke3 Rf6 29. Rxb7 a6 30. Re1 Bf1 31. g4 g5 32. Rb6 Bg2 33. Rg1 Bd5 34. Rg3 Bc4 35. d5 Bxd5 36. Rxa6 Kg7 37. Ra7 Rf4 38. a4 Kf6 39. Kd2 Rf2+ 40. Kc1 Ke5 41. a5 Kd4 42. Kb2 Kc4 43. Rb7 c5 44. Rb6 1-0

Xie Jun - Zsuzsa Polgar, Game 8

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Ndb5 Bb4 7. a3 Bxc3+ 8. Nxc3 d5 9. exd5 exd5 10. Bd3 O-O 11. O-O d4 12. Ne2 Qd5 13. Nf4 Qd6 14. Nh5 Nxh5 15. Qxh5 h6 16. Bd2 Bd7 17. Rae1 Rfe8 18. f4 Ne7 19. Re5 Bc6 20. Bb4 Qf6 21. Bc4 Bd7 22. Rg5 Be6 23. Bd3 Nc6 24. Bd2 hxg5 25. Qh7+ Kf8 26. fxg5 Qe5 27. Bf4 Qd5 28. Be4 Bf5 29. Bxf5 Re2 30. Bh3 d3 31. c3 Ne7 32. Qh8+ Ng8 33. g6 f6 34. b4 Qd8 35. Bg4 Re4 36. Qh5 Qe7 37. Bd2 Rd8 38. Bf3 Re5 39. Qg4 Qd7 40. Qc4 b5 41. Qb3 Qe6 42. Qxe6 Rxe6 43. h4 Ne7 44. h5 Nd5 45. Bg4 Re4 46. Bf3 Re5 47. h6 gxh6 48. Bxh6+ Ke7 49. Rc1 Ne3 50. Re1 Nc4 51. Rd1 Nb2 52. Rb1 Na4 53. Kf1 d2 54. Rd1 Rg5 55. Bxg5 fxg5 56. g7 Kf7 57. Kg1 Nxc3 58. Rf1 Kxg7 59. Bd1 Re8 60. Kf2 Rf8+ 0-1

Zsuzsa Polgar - Xie Jun, Game 9

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Bb4 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. Bd3 d5 8. exd5 cxd5 9. O-O O-O 10. Bg5 c6 11. Na4 Bd6 12. c4 h6 13. Bh4 Bg4 14. Qc2 Be6 15. Kh1 Rb8 16. Rad1 Re8 17. b3 Qe7 18. Rfe1 Rbd8 19. cxd5 cxd5 20. Qb2 g5 21. Bg3 Bb4 22. Re2 Ne4 23. Be5 Bg4 24. f3 Qxe5 25. Qxe5 Rxe5 26. fxg4 Rde8 27. Kg1 Nf6 28. Rxe5 Rxe5 29. h3 Be1 30. Kf1 Bh4 31. Nc3 d4 32. Ne2 Nd5 33. Rc1 Re3 34. Rd1 Kf8 35. Bc4 Rxe2 36. Kxe2 Nc3+ 37. Kd2 Nxd1 1/2-1/2

Xie Jun - Zsuzsa Polgar, Game 10

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9. Nbd2 Nc5 10. c3 Be7 11. Bc2 d4 12. Ne4 d3 13. Nxc5 dxc2 14. Qxd8+ Rxd8 15. Nxe6 fxe6 16. Be3 Rd5 17. Rac1 Nxe5 18. Nxe5 Rxe5 19. Rxc2 Kf7 20. c4 b4 21. Rd1 Rd8 22. Rxd8 Bxd8 23. Kf1 Bg5 24. Ba7 Rf5 25. Ke2 Ke8 26. Kd3 Kd7 27. f3 c5 28. Re2 Be7 29. Bb8 a5 30. Ke4 Kc6 31. Be5 g6 32. g4 Rf8 33. Rd2 a4 34. Bg3 h5 35. Rd3 hxg4 36. fxg4 Rf1 37. b3 a3 38. Rd2 g5 39. Rd3 Ra1 40. Rd2 Rb1 41. Ke5 Rb2 42. Be1 Bd8 43. Rd6+ Kc7 44. Rd2 Kc6 45. Rd6+ Kc7 46. Rd2 1/2-1/2

Zsuzsa Polgar - Xie Jun, Game 11

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. O-O Nb6 8. Nc3 Nc6 9. d5 Na5 10. Bf4 c6 11. dxc6 Nxc6 12. Qc1 Bg4 13. Rd1 Qc8 14. Bh6 Qf5 15. Bxg7 Kxg7 16. Nd4 Nxd4 17. Rxd4 e5 18. Rd1 Qc8 19. b3 Bh3 20. Bxh3 Qxh3 21. Qe3 Nd7 22. Ne4 b6 23. Rd6 Rac8 24. Rad1 Nb8 25. Qg5 Qf5 26. Qxf5 gxf5 27. Nf6 Nc6 28. Nh5+ Kg8 29. R1d5 Kh8 30. Rf6 Rc7 31. e3 Rg8 32. h4 a6 33. Kg2 Ne7 34. Rd2 Ng6 35. Kh2 f4 36. Rxb6 fxe3 37. fxe3 e4 38. Nf6 Ne5 39. Nxg8 Nf3+ 40. Kh3 Nxd2 41. Nf6 Rc3 42. Kg4 Kg7 43. Kf4 Rc1 44. Rxa6 Rf1+ 45. Ke5 Rf3 46. Nh5+ Kf8 47. Kd6 1-0

Xie Jun - Zsuzsa Polgar, Game 12

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. c3 Bd7 7. O-O g6 8. Nbd2 Bg7 9. Re1 O-O 10. Nf1 b5 11. Bc2 h6 12. Ne3 Re8 13. a4 Rb8 14. axb5 axb5 15. h3 Be6 16. d4 exd4 17. cxd4 Bc8 18. Nf1 Nb4 19. Bb1 c5 20. Bd2 Nc6 21. dxc5 dxc5 22. Qc1 Nd4 23. Nxd4 Qxd4 24. e5 Nh7 25. Be3 Qc4 26. f4 Qxc1 27. Rxc1 c4 28. Ba7 Rb7 29. Be4 Rbe7 30. Bc5 Re6 31. Bd5 Ra6 32. Rxa6 Bxa6 33. Ra1 Bxe5 34. Rxa6 Bxb2 35. Rxg6+ Kh8 36. Bxf7 Rc8 37. Be6 Ra8 38. Ne3 Bg7 39. Nf5 Nf8 40. Bxf8 Bxf8 41. Nxh6 Ra6 42. Nf7+ Kh7 43. Rg3 Bg7 44. Ng5+ Kh8 45. Rg4 1-0

Zsuzsa Polgar - Xie Jun, Game 13

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. O-O Nc6 8. e4 Nb6 9. d5 Na5 10. Qe1 Nac4 11. Nc3 e6 12. b3 Qf6 13. bxc4 Qxc3 14. Qxc3 Bxc3 15. Rb1 Bg7 16. Bf4 c6 17. dxc6 bxc6 18. Bd6 Re8 19. c5 Nc4 20. e5 Ba6 21. Rfc1 Rec8 22. Bf1 Nxe5 23. Nxe5 Bxf1 24. Kxf1 1-0