Twenty-five Minutes from Broadway

Elena Sedina – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

Women’s World Chess Championship Knockout Tournament; tie-break game 1; time control: 25 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Nalchik, September 6, 2008

Sicilian Defence B53

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Qxd4 a6 5. c4 Nc6 6. Qd1 Bg4 7. Be3!? A novelty instead of 7. Be2 g6 8. 0-0 Bg7 9. h3 Bxf3 10. Bxf3 Nf6 11. Nc3 0-0 12. Be3 Rc8 13. Rc1 Qa5 14. Qb3 Nd7 15. a3 Nc5 16. Qd1 Ne6 17. Be2 Ned4 18. Bd3 e6 19. Bb1 b5 20. cxb5 axb5 21. Nd5 exd5 22. exd5 Ne5 23. Rxc8 Ndf3+ 24. gxf3 Rxc8 25. Qe2 Qa8 26. Ba2 b4 27. f4 Nd7 28. Qb5 Nc5 29. axb4 Qxa2 30. bxc5 dxc5 31. Bxc5 Rd8 32. Qb7 Qc4 33. Be7 Qxd5 34. Qxd5 Rxd5 35. b4 Bf8 36. Bxf8 Kxf8 37. Rb1 Ke7 38. Kg2 Kd6 39. b5 Kc7 40. Re1 Rxb5 41. Re7+ Kd6 42. Rxf7 Rh5 43. Kg3 Ke6 44. Ra7 Kf6 45. Kg4 h6 ½–½ Vasiukov – Rashkovsky, 48th USSR Chess Championship, Vilnius 1980. In her notes for Torre & Cavallo Scacco!, No. 11, November 2008, pp. 15-16, Sedina attached an exclamation mark to her last move, as “White tries to exploit the weakness of the squares b6 and b7 after Black’s premature light-square Bishop”.
7. ... g6 8. Nc3 Nf6 9. Nd5 Nxd5 10. cxd5 Ne5 11. Qb3 Bxf3 12. gxf3 Bg7. “This is probably a right decision, for Black cannot afford to waste another tempi; for instance: 12. ... Nxf3+ 13. Ke2 Ne5 14. f4 Nd7 (after 14. ... Ng4 15. Bb6 Qd7 16. Rc1 Rc8 17. Rxc8+ Qxc8 18. Qa4+ Qd7 19. Qxd7+ Kxd7 20. Bh3 f5 21. Rc1 White’s advantage is decisive) 15. Bh3 Bg7 16. Qxb7 Nc5 17. Qc6+ Kf8 18. e5! and White stands much better”. (Sedina).
13. f4. “I didn’t like the alternative 13. Bb6 on account of 13. ... Qd7 14. f4 Qg4! 15. fxe5 Qxe4+ 16. Kd2 Bh6+ 17. Be3 Bxe3+ 18. fxe3 dxe5 with an unclear position”. (Sedina).
13. ... Nd7. “On 13. ... Nf3+ there would follow 14. Ke2 Nh4 15. Bh3 and the h4-Knight is completely out of play”. (Sedina).
14. Bh3 0-0 15. Qxb7 Nf6 16. Bg2 Ng4 17. 0-0 e5

18. h3? “Apparently, I did not remember the en passant rule! After 18. dxe6! fxe6 (there is nothing to fear from 18. ... Qh4; for example: 19. exf7+ Kh8 20. h3 Nxe3 21. fxe3 Rab8 22. Qxa6 Rxb2 23. Rab1 Rc2 24. Qa4 Re2 25. Rf3 and White’s material advantage should guarantee her a win, even though the conversion is far from simple) 19. Rad1 Rb8 20. Qxa6 Rxb2 21. Bc1! and White should win (bad is 21. Qxd6?? due to 21. ... Qh4 22. h3 Nxe3 23. fxe3 Qg3 and it is Black who wins)”. (Sedina).
18. ... Nxe3 19. fxe3 exf4 20. exf4 a5! “Black equalised — and eventually even managed to win the game”. (Sedina).
21. Rab1 Rb8 22. Qc6 Bxb2 23. Kh2?! 23. Kh1 seems to be a better square for the King, but then Black would probably continue 23. ... Rb4 with an edge.
23. ... Qe7 24. Qc2 Bd4 25. Rxb8 Rxb8 26. Qa4 Bc3 27. Qc4 Bf6 28. Rc1 g5

29. e5? After this mistake — probably due to Sedina’s time shortage — it’s all over. 29. Qe2! still offered hope.
29. ... dxe5 30. f5 Kg7 31. Rd1 Qd6 32. Qc6 Be7 33. Rc1 e4+ 34. Kh1 Qe5 35. f6+ Bxf6 36. d6 e3 37. d7 e2 38. Re1 Rb1! 39. Qxf6+ Qxf6 40. Rxb1 Qd6 41. Re1 Qxd7 42. Kg1 Qd4+ 43. Kh2 Qd2 0–1.