Chess Life Online: Chess Buzz

This week, Peter J. Kurzdorfer of the US Chess Federation office provides us with an obituary to mark the passing of Mona May Karff.

Born on October 20, 1914, in Europe, she moved to the United States in the 30's. She played in 18 US Women's Championships, winning seven of them and finishing 2nd four times and 3rd seven times. In 1974, she won her 7th US Women's Championship without losing a game, scoring 6 wins and 4 draws. In 1937, Ms. Karff placed 6th/7th in a field of 26 at the Ladies' World Championship in Stockholm, and in 1939 she placed 5th at the Ladies' World Championship in Buenos Aires. She also played in the 1949-1950 Ladies' World Championship, the 1952 and 1955 Ladies' Candidates' tournaments, and the 1971 Ladies' Interzonal. Ms. Karff was named an International Female Master in 1950, when FIDE made many retroactive rewards. She died of heart failure on January 10, 1998, at her home in Riverside, California.

Adele Rivero - Mona Karff [A90]
US Women's Championship, 1938
1.d4 f5 2.g3 e6 3.Bg2 Nf6 4.c4 c6 5.Nc3 d5 6.Nf3 Bd6 7.Ne5 0–0 8.0–0 Nbd7 9.f4 Ne4 10.Nxe4 fxe4 11.Qb3 Qe8 12.cxd5 cxd5 13.Bd2 Bxe5 14.fxe5 a5 15.Rxf8+ Qxf8 16.Rf1 Qe7 17.Qb5 b6 18.Qc6 Rb8 19.Qc7 Ba6 20.Rf2 Rc8 21.Qa7 Bb5 22.Qb7 Qe8 23.Bh3 Rc6 24.b3 Qb8 25.Qxb8+ Nxb8 26.Bg5 h6 27.Be7 Kh7 28.Bd6 Rc1+ 29.Kg2 e3! 30.Rf1 Rc2! 31.Bxe6 Rxe2+ 32.Kf3 Nc6 33.Bf5+ g6 34.Bc8 Nxd4+ 35.Kg4 Rf2 36.Rc1 h5+ 37.Kh3 Bf1+ 38.Kh4 Nf3# 0–1

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• the Buzz for January 2nd: What's Luck Got to Do With It?
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