Monday, February 11, 2008

Thunder from the Sea

Evgenija Viktorovna Ovod – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
8th Russian Women’s Team Chess Championship; Dagomys, May 7, 2007
Nimzo-Indian Defence E58

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 0-0 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 c5 7. 0-0 Nc6 8. a3 Bxc3 9. bxc3 Qc7 10. Bb2 Na5 11. cxd5 exd5 12. Ne5 c4 13. Bc2 Ne4 14. f3 Nd6 15. h3 (15. e4 f6!) 15. ... Re8 (15. ... Bf5 16. a4 f6 17. Ng4 Rfe8 18. Ba3 Bxg4 19. hxg4 Rxe3 20. Qd2 Rae8 21. Rae1 Rxe1 22. Rxe1 g6 23. Kf2 Rxe1 24. Qxe1 Kf7 25. Qe3 Nc6 26. Qh6 Ke6 27. Qe3+ Kf7 28. Qh6 Ke6 29. f4 Qf7 30. f5+ gxf5 31. Qf4 Qc7 32. Bxf5+ Ke7 33. g5 fxg5 34. Qxg5+ Kf7 35. Qh5+ Kf6 36. Bxh7 Qf7 37. Qf3+ Kg7 38. Bxd6 Qxf3+ 39. Kxf3 Kxh7 40. Kf4 Kg6 41. g4 a6 42. g5 ½ : ½ Piket – Aleksandrov, 34th Chess Olympiad, Istanbul 2000) 16. Qe1 (16. Re1 f6 17. Ng4 Bf5 ½ : ½ del Río de Angelis – Arizmendi Martínez, 49th Spanish Team Chess Championship, Sant Lluís 2005) 16. ... f6 17. Ng4 Bf5


18. Rc1? This loses a Pawn without any return. Instead 18. e4! may well illustrate the difference between two ways of giving up a Pawn, as after 18. ... dxe4 19. Qg3 White can at least claim compensation. 18. ... Bxc2 19. Rxc2 Nf5 20. Bc1 Nb3 21. Rff2 h5 22. Nh2 Nxc1 23. Qxc1 Rxe3 24. Nf1 Re7. Black has gained a Pawn and dominates the e-file.


25. g4? White could do little to prevent her opponent consolidating her advantage (by ... Ra8-e8 followed by ... h5-h4), but certainly the text just makes things even worse. 25. ... Nh4−+ 26. gxh5 Rae8 27. f4 Re1 28. Qb2 (28. Qd2 Qd7−+) 28. ... Qd7 29. Kh2 (29. Rce2 Qxh3−+)


29. ... R8e3! 30. Nxe3 Rxe3 31. Rce2 Qxh3+ 32. Kg1 Rg3+ 33. Rg2 Nf3+ 34. Kf1 Qh1+ 35. Kf2 Qxg2+ 0 : 1. Because of 36. Ke3 Ng1+ 37. Kd2 Qxe2+ 38. Kc1 Qe1+ 39. Kc2 Rg2 mate.