Russia–Ukraine border

Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
41st Women’s Chess Olympiad; Tromsø, August 9, 2014
Queen’s Gambit Declined D38

Notes by International Master Malcolm Bernard Pein, The Telegraph, August 18, 2014.

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5 Nbd7 7. Qc2 c5 8. g3 h6 9. Bf4 0-0 10. Bg2 b6 11. 0-0 Bb7 12. Nb5! Bc6 (12. ... c4 13. a3 Be7 14. Bc7 Qc8 15. Nh4! g6? 16. Nxg6!) 13. Nc7 Rc8 14. a3 Ba5 15. b4! Ne4 16. dxc5 (16. Nd2!? g5 17. Bxe4) 16. ... bxc5 17. bxa5 Rxc7 18. Bxc7 Qxc7 19. Nd2 f5 20. Rac1 Kh8 21. f3?! (Anti positional as it blocks the Bishop. 21. Rfd1 Rb8 22. Nxe4 fxe4 23. f3!) 21. ... Nxd2 22. Qxd2 f4! 23. gxf4 Rxf4 24. e3 Ra4 25. f4 Qxa5 26. Rfd1 Nb6 27. Qb2 Rxa3 28. f5 (28. Qe5!! c4 29. Qd6 Qa4 30. Qf8+ Kh7 31. Be4+!! dxe4 32. Rd8 Ra1 33. Qf5+ g6 34. Qf7 mate) 28. ... Ra2 (28. ... Rxe3 29. f6) 29. Qe5 Qb4? Black misses a trick — she had to try 29. ... c4! [threatening] 30. ... Rxg2+ 31. Kxg2 d4+ winning the Queen. Black is OK after 29. ... c4 30. Qb8+ Kh7 31. Qd6 Qa3 32. Qxc6 Qxe3+ 33. Kh1 Rxg2 34. Kxg2 Qe2+ 35. Kg3 Qe3+=.

30. e4 Nc4 31. Qc3 Qb7 32. exd5 Rxg2+ 33. Kxg2 Bxd5+ 34. Kg1 Bf7 (34. ... Bh1 35. Rd8+ Kh7 36. Qg3) 35. f6 Qe4 36. fxg7+ Kh7 37. g8=Q+ Kxg8 38. Rd8+ Kh7 39. Rh8+ Kg6 40. Qg3+ 1 : 0. The Black King will be checked on the “f” file and then Rc1-e1 wins the Queen.

All along the line. Photo: Paul Truong.