Nothing Special

赵雪 (Zhào Xuě) – Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno
Women’s Grand Prix 2013–2014; fourth stage; Khanty-Mansiysk, April 9, 2014
Grünfeld Defence D94

1. Nf3 g6 2. c4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c5 4. e3 Nf6 5. d4 0-0 6. Be2 cxd4 7. Nxd4. If 7. exd4 then 7. ... d5 with approximate equality. 7. ... d5 8. 0-0. An old analysis by Ed Gufeld runs 8. cxd5 Nxd5 9. Nxd5 Qxd5 10. 0-0 with a slight advantage for White. But I don’t know if it’s true! 8. ... dxc4 9. Bxc4 a6 10. a4 Qc7 11. Ba2. After 11. Qe2 Rd8 the game is even, Barcza – Kortschnoi, Stockholm Interzonal, 1962. Of course it’s also good for equality 11. ... e5 as in Golombek – Smyslov, Bucharest 1953. 11. ... Rd8 12. Bd2

12. ... e5. Alina l’Ami prefers 12. ... Nc6! immediately, with the idea 13. Nxc6 bxc6 followed by ... a6-a5 and ... Bc8-a6 or ... Nf6-g4 with excellent prospects. 13. Nf3 Nc6? Too late! I would have preferred 13. ... Bg4. 14. Ng5 Rf8 15. Rc1 e4? In the press conference Lagno said: “There is nothing to comment. 15. ... e4 was terrible, I missed the only idea White had in this position, 14. Ng5, and after that everything falls apart. White can win in so many different way. For me the game stopped here. Perhaps the 4 months break after the European Team Championship from Warsaw was the reason for me to simply blunder this simple Knight jump of Xuě”. 16. Ngxe4 Nxe4 17. Nxe4 Bxb2. A poisoned Pawn, but also in the computer-line 17. ... Bf5 18. Ng5 Bxb2 19. Rc5! White keeps a powerful initiative. 18. Qc2! Very brilliant! 18. ... Bg7. Of course 18. ... Bxc1 is refuted by 19. Nf6+ (or 19. Bc3) 19. ... Kg7 20. Bc3! with an overwhelming attack. 19. Ab4! Very elegant! 19. ... Rd8 20. Ng5 Bf5 21. e4 Qf4. Despair! 22. Nxf7 Rd4 23. Bd6 Bxe4 24. Qb3 Qf6. Or 24. ... Bd5 25. Qxb7 Rb8 26. Nh6+! Bxh6 27. Qxc6! wins. 25. Qxb7 Re8 26. Ng5+ Kh8 27. Nxe4 Rdxe4 28. Qxc6. Threatening Qc6xe4. 28. ... h5 29. a5 Qg5 30. Bf7 1 : 0. In the press conference Zhào said: “I was lucky, I did nothing special...”. We strongly appreciate – and recommend! – such a modesty!

赵雪 (Zhào Xuě) vs. Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno. Photo: Kirill Merkuriev.