A Passage to India

Dronavalli Harika – Irina Krush

Women’s World Chess Championship; playoff game 1; Krasnaya Polyana, March 22, 2015

English Opening A14

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. 0-0 0-0 6. b3 c5 7. Bb2 d4 8. b4 a5 9. bxc5 Nc6 10. d3 e5 11. Nbd2 Bxc5 12. Ng5. Departing from 12. Qa4 Bd7 13. Rfb1 Qe7 as in the game A. J. Miles – E. Geller, Wijk aan Zee 1977. 12. ... Be7 13. Qc2 Nd7 14. Ngf3 Nc5 15. Nb3 Na6 16. Qc1 Be6 17. Ba3 h6 18. Bxe7 Qxe7 19. Rb1 Rfc8 20. Qb2 Rab8 21. Nbd2 b6 22. Nb3? A bad move, after which White will be compelled to give away a Pawn. Both 22. a3 and 22. Rfc1 would have been answered by 22. ... Nc5 with a symbolic advantage to Black. 22. ... b5! “After the opening, I think both of us started playing on the board. It looked like both of us did not have any idea what to do, and no preparation plan in the pocket. We both slowly started to think. And to my mind the position became easier for me to play further. I continued pressing and pressing and in the end I managed to finally win”, then Dronavalli Harika said. 23. Qd2. White hopes to defend the endgame a Pawn behind, since after 23. cxb5 Rxb5 24. Qa1 a4 25. Nbd2 Ncb4 Black’s advantage would be huge. 23. ... bxc4 24. dxc4 Bxc4 25. Rfc1 Bxb3 26. Rxb3 Ncb4 27. a3 Nc5 28. Rbb1 Ne4 29. Qb2 Rxc1+ 30. Rxc1 Nc6. Dronavalli has to hang on a little bit longer before bringing home the point. 31. Qc2 Nc3 32. Ra1 e4 33. Nd2 e3 34. Bxc6 exd2 35. Qxd2 Qxe2 36. Qf4 Rd8 37. Bf3 Qb2 38. Re1 Qb8 39. Qf5 Qc7 40. Be4 Nxe4 41. Qxe4 d3 42. Rd1 Qd6 43. a4 d2 44. Qf5 Qb4 45. Qc2 g6 46. h3 h5 47. h4 Rd4 48. Kg2 Kg7 49. Kg1 Kh7 50. Kg2 Qd6 51. Kg1 Qd7 52. Kg2 Kg7 53. Qc3 Qd5+ 54. Kg1 Kh7 55. Qc2 Rd3 56. Kh2 Qd4 57. Kg2 Qe4+ 58. Kf1 Qh1+ 59. Ke2 Qf3+ 60. Kf1 Rd4. More direct was 60. ... Re3! forcing checkmate. 61. Kg1 Qe2 62. Kg2 Rd7 63. Kg1 Rd3 64. Kg2 Rf3 65. Rf1 Rf5 66. Qb3 Qe4+ 67. Kg1 Qe2 68. Qc2 Qe1 69. Kg2 Rd5 70. Qb3 Qxf1+ 0 : 1. “I made up my mind that today somehow I am going to win. I came with this idea. And I hoped that it would be ended by rapid generally. I don’t know why I was sure like that.”, Dronavalli said.

Dronavalli Harika vs. Irina Krush
Photo: Anastasiya Karlovich