Enfant prodige

Llambi Qendro – Marina Brunello
26th Isle of Elba International Chess Festival; Lacona, May 10, 2008
Queen’s Gambit Declined D36

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. cxd5 exd5 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. Bg5 Be7 6. e3 c6 7. Qc2 Nbd7 8. Bd3 0-0 9. Nf3 Re8 10. 0-0 Nf8 11. Rab1 a5 12. a3 Ne4 13. Bxe7 Qxe7 14. Bxe4 dxe4 15. Nd2 f5 16. Ne2 Ng6 17. Rbc1 Be6 18. Qc3 Qf7 19. Nc4 Bxc4 20. Qxc4 Re6 21. d5 cxd5 22. Qxd5 Re5 23. Qxf7+ Kxf7 24. Rc7+ Re7 25. Rfc1 Rae8 26. Ng3 Kf6 27. R7c5 Re5 28. Nh5+ Kf7 29. Nf4 b6 30. Rc7+ R8e7. Not 30. ... R5e7? on account of 31. Nd5! winning a Pawn. 31. Nxg6 hxg6 32. g4. Perhaps hoping to intimidate his young opponent, Qendro goes to stress a more or less equal position. 32. ... Rb5 33. Rxe7+ Kxe7 34. Rc2 Kf6 35. Kg2 fxg4 36. Kg3 Kf5 37. Rd2 Kg5 38. b4 axb4

39. Rb2?? Qendro makes a tragic blunder maybe due to time pressure. After 39. axb4 Rxb4 40. Rd5+ Kf6 41. Kxg4 Rb2 42. Kf4! Rxf2+ 43. Kxe4 Rb2 a draw is inevitable. 39. ... b3−+ 40. Kg2 Kf5 41. Kf1 Ke5 42. Ke2 Kd5 43. Rb1 b2 44. Kd2 Kc4 45. Kc2 Rf5 46. Rf1 b1=Q+ 47. Kxb1 Kb3 48. a4 Kxa4 49. Kc2 Kb4 50. Kd2 b5 51. Ke2 Kc3 52. Rc1+ Kb2 53. Rg1 b4 54. Rxg4 b3 55. Rxe4 Kc3 56. Re8 b2 57. Rb8 Rc5 58. Kd1 Rd5+ 59. Ke1 Ra5 0 : 1. This win allowed Marina Brunello, 13, to earn her first Woman International Master norm.

Marina Brunello. Photo: Gabriele Grasso.