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Irina Krush Wins Challenge Match Print E-mail
By J.Shahade/B.Dynako   
April 4, 2008
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IM Irina Krush, Photo Betsy Dynako
IM Irina Krush defeated IM Lilit Mrktchian in the first North American Challenge Match (Chicago, March 31-April 3). The two-time U.S. Women's Champ and four-time Armenian Women's champ are a good match, and the score was 1.5-1.5 last night, but Irina stepped it up in round 4, showing off the advantage of two bishops. Irina is known to be good with the two bishops, so it's not surprising that she won easily. Mrktchian probably should have kept the position closed on move 25, preferring b4 over the text move bxa4, after which Irina seamlessly manages to overextend Lilit's defenses.



Betsy Dynako attended the match to take photographs, a selection of which you can find in the first CLO report on the match. Here are some more:


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Lilit Mkrtchian


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Krush and Mrktchian

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Organizer Sevan Muradian shows Lilit how to use Monroi




 
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