A fragrant cherry blossom bouquet shared at Virginia chess tournament

There was an international flavor at the top of the leaderboard at last month’s 12th Cherry Blossom Classic in Sterling, Virginia, with Lithuanian GM Titas Stremavicius and Serbian GM Luka Budisavlijevic sharing top honors at 7-2, while foreign-based players claimed seven of the top 10 spots in the strong 50-player event.

One reason tournament chess is so challenging and stressful is that a single moment of inattention can undermine hours of concentrated mental effort.

Virginia CM Tyson Brady posted a strong result in the event, with only one loss on his way to a 5½-3½ score, including a draw against Budisavlijevic. That one loss, to the co-winner Stremavicius, came like a sudden violent summer squall in what looked to be a relatively placid landscape.

It’s a Reti Opening with an amusing early dance over whether and how the two players will trade queens. Brady as Black finally acquiesces on 10. Qxc4 Bg6 11. a3 Qxc4, as he is likely slightly worse after 11…Qd6 12. Nxg6 hxg6 13. b4 a6 14. 0-0.

After 15. Rc1 N7b6 16. Na5 0-0-0, Black has survived the opening phase in decent shape against his much higher-rated opponent, though the two active bishops and the half-open c-file give White something to work with. The retreat 18. Rc2 Nc7?! (bolstering the targeted c6-square with 18…Ne7 was recommended here) offers up fresh combinational possibilities, and when the Black knight hops to the wrong square, Stremavicius pounces.

Thus: 19. Ke2 Nb5? (see diagram — taking the eye off the tactical ball for just a split second; White is better but it’s still a fight after 19…Rd6 20. b4 g5) 20. Nxb7! Kxb7 (Black is also down two pawns without compensation after 20…Nc3+ 21. Bxc3 Kxb7 22. Bxf6 gxf6 23. Rxc6) 21. Bxc6+ Ka6 (trying to salvage the piece, but White has a second surprise in store) 22. Rc5!, and Black resigned facing 22…Nd5 (Nc7?? 23. Ra5 mate is the primary point here) 23. Rxb5 Rc8 24. Ra5+ Kb6 25. Bxd5 Rc2 (exd5 26. Rxd5 Rc2 27. Rd7 Bxb2 28. Rxf7 Bc3 29. Rd1 Rxh2 30. d4 and wins) 26. Bxe6 Rxd2+ 27. Kxd2 Kxa5 28. b4+ Ka4 29. Bxf7, with White enjoying four extra pawns.

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High-quality, precision chess is typically on the program on the very top boards at your classic Swiss tournament, but some of the most rollicking and entertaining dramas are being produced on the lower boards. I particularly enjoyed the Cherry Blossom Round 5 clash between expert Sophie Li and Class A player Sivavishnu Srinivasan: The play may be far from perfect, but there are plot twists galore and both players are in fighting mode from the very start.

For starters, both players in this Caro-Kann press for mating attacks on the same side of the board, something you don’t see every day: 9. Ne2 h5!? (the first sign Black’s seeking a fighting game, as 9…h6 was perfectly adequate) 10. 0-0 h4 11. Nf4 Qc7 12. g3 Nd7 13. Qd1! (already eyeing a transfer to the h-file) Nf8 14. Qh5 g5!?, igniting a fierce struggle by both players to claim the initiative.

Srinivasan’s pieces buzz around the White king with 16. Ne3 Qh3 17. Qf3 Bf4!, taking advantage of the unusual sideways pin of Li’s g-pawn, but White does not back down: 18. Bc4 Be6 19. d5!? (much more fun than the equality to be had after 19. Bxe6 Rxe6 20. Qg2 Qxg2+ 21. Kxg2 Bxe3 22. fxe3 hxg3 23. hxg3 Kg7) cxd5 20. Nxd5 Be5 21. Bb3 Rad8 22. Be3 Kg7 23. Bxa7 — grabbing a pawn as Black presses for a breakthrough.

The battle only intensifies on 23…g4 24. Qh1 (a sad retreat, but 24. Qe4?, keeping an eye on the attacked knight on d5, is met by 24…hxg3 25. hxg3 Bxd5 26. Bxd5 Bb8! 27. Qg2 Qxg2+ 28. Kxg2 Bxa7) hxg3 25. fxg3 — Li’s position hangs by a thread but Black is still searching for the knockout blow.

In a chaotic position with the clocks ticking, both players are challenged seeking the best way forward: 26. Bb6 Rd7 27. Bd4? (the engines like 27. Nf4! Bxf4 28. gxf4 [and not 28. Rxf4? Rd2 29. Be3 Re2 30. Bxe6 Rxe6 31. Bf2 Ng5] Bxb3 29. axb3 Re2 30. Rf2 Rdd2 31. Qxb7, defending) Bxd4+ 28. cxd4 Bxd5 29. Bxd5 Re2!? (even stronger was 29…Ng5!; e.g. 30. Qg2 Rxd5! 31. Qxd5 Re2 32. Rf2 Nf3+ 33. Kh1 Qxh2+! 34. Rxh2 Rxh2 mate) 30. Bg2 Ng5 31. Rf4, and now just 31…Qh6! 32. Raf1 Rxd4! 33. Rxd4 Nh3+ 34. Bxh3 Qe3+ leads to mate.

But White can’t quite grab the lifesaver tossed her way after 31…Nf3+?, when there’s a draw by perpetual check at the end of 32. Rxf3! Qh6! [Rxg2 33. Qxg2 Qxg2+ 34. Kxg2 gxf3+ 35. Kxf3 Rxd4 36. Ke3, with a much better ending for White] 33. Rf4 Rxd4! 34. h4 Rxf4 35. gxf4 Qxf4 36. Qh2 Qe3+ 37. Kh1 Re1+ 38. Rxe1 Qxe1+ 39. Qg1 Qxh4+ 40. Qh2 Qe1+. Instead, Li’s king grabs a poisoned rook in its desperate bid to evacuate the danger zone.

Black is back on top after 32. Kf1? Qh5?! (right idea, wrong square; Black seals the win with 32…Kh7! 33. Kxe2 Re7+ 34. Kf1 [Kd1 Qd3+ 35. Kc1 Rc7 mate] Qd3+ 35. Kf2 Qe2 mate) 33. Kxe2? (understandable, but the last chance to turn the tables was 33. Rxg4+!, knocking out the Black knight’s support system; after 33… Qxg4 34. Bxf3 Rxh2 35. Qxh2 Qxf3+ 36. Kg1 Rxd4 37. Rf1, an honorable draw would have been in sight) Qb5+!, and now the White king is caught in a withering crossfire.

The players duke it out to the very end on 34. Ke3 (no better were 34. Kd1 Qd3+ 35. Kc1 Rc7 mate, and 34. Kf2 Qxb2+ 35. Ke3 Qd2+ 36. Ke4 Qe2+ 37. Kf5 Qe6 mate) Re7+ 35. Re4 (Kf2 Qe2 mate) Qg5+ 36. Kf2 Qd2+ 37. Kf1 Qd3+ 38. Kf2 Qd2+ 39. Kf1 Qd3+ 40. Kf2 Qc2+!, deviating to nail down the win. After 41. Kf1 Qxe4 42. Bxf3 gxf3 43. h3, Black delivered the long-sought KO with 43…Qe2+ 44. Kg1 f2+ 45. Kg2 f1=Q mate.

(Click on the image above for a larger view of the chessboard.)

Stremavicius-Brady, 12th Cherry Blossom Classic, Sterling, Virginia, May 2025

1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 Bf5 4. c4 c6 5. Qb3 Qb6 6. d3 e6 7. Be3 Qb4+ 8. Nbd2 Nbd7 9. Nh4 dxc4 10. Qxc4 Bg6 11. a3 Qxc4 12. Nxc4 Nd5 13. Bd2 Be7 14. Nxg6 hxg6 15. Rc1 N7b6 16. Na5 O-O-O 17. e3 Bf6 18. Rc2 Nc7 19. Ke2 Nb5 20. Nxb7 Kxb7 21. Bxc6+ Ka6 22. Rc5 Black resigns.

Li-Srinivasan, 12th Cherry Blossom Classic, Sterling, Virginia, May 2025

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ exf6 6. c3 Bd6 7. Bd3 O-O 8. Qc2 Re8+ 9. Ne2 h5 10. O-O h4 11. Nf4 Qc7 12. g3 Nd7 13. Qd1 Nf8 14. Qh5 g5 15. Ng2 Qd7 16. Ne3 Qh3 17. Qf3 Bf4 18. Bc4 Be6 19. d5 cxd5 20. Nxd5 Be5 21. Bb3 Rad8 22. Be3 Kg7 23. Bxa7 g4 24. Qh1 hxg3 25. fxg3 Nh7 26. Bb6 Rd7 27. Bd4 Bxd4+ 28. cxd4 Bxd5 29. Bxd5 Re2 30. Bg2 Ng5 31. Rf4 Nf3+ 32. Kf1 Qh5 33. Kxe2 Qb5+ 34. Ke3 Re7+ 35. Re4 Qg5+ 36. Kf2 Qd2+ 37. Kf1 Qd3+ 38. Kf2 Qd2+ 39. Kf1 Qd3+ 40. Kf2 Qc2+ 41. Kf1 Qxe4 42. Bxf3 gxf3 43. h3 Qe2+ 44. Kg1 f2+ 45. Kg2 f1=Q mate.

• Got a game or a chess tidbit to share? David R. Sands can be reached at davidrsands18@gmail.com.