Aloo gobi

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk – Dronavalli Harika

Women’s World Chess Championship; playoff game 2; Krasnaya Polyana, March 25, 2015

French Defence C06

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. Bd3 c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. Ne2 cxd4 8. cxd4 f6 9. exf6 Nxf6 10. Nf3 Bd6 11. 0-0 0-0 12. Bf4 Bxf4 13. Nxf4 Ne4 14. Qc1 Ng5 15. Nxg5 Qxg5 16. Ne2 Qf6 17. Qc5 Bd7 18. Rad1. If 18. Rac1 then 18. ... Rf7 19. f4 g6 20. a3 Rc8 21. Qc3 Qd8 22. Qb3 ½ : ½ Matulović – Vasiljević, Tivat 1995. 18. ... Rac8 19. Qd6 Be8 20. Rd2 Kh8 21. Bb5 Na5 22. Bd3 Bg6 23. Qb4 b6 24. Bxg6 Qxg6 25. Nc3 Qf6 26. Nb5 a6 27. Nc3 Nc4 28. Rdd1 Rf7 29. Rd3 Qe7 30. Qxe7 Rxe7 31. b3 Na3 32. h4 Kg8 33. Na4 Rc6 34. Re1 Rec7 35. Kh2 Nb5 36. h5 Rf7 37. Kg3 Rf5 38. h6 gxh6 39. f4 Kf7 40. Kf3 h5 41. Rh1 Ke7 42. Nb2 Rc2 43. Nd1 Rxa2 44. Ne3 Rf7 45. Rxh5 Nd6 46. Rc3 Ne4? Dronavalli goes astray. Best was 46. ... Kd8 and if 47. Re5 then 47. ... Rd2 keeping a solid edge. 47. Rc7+ Ke8 48. Rxf7 Kxf7 49. Rxh7+ Kg6 50. Rb7 Rf2+ 51. Kg4 Re2 52. f5+ exf5+ 53. Kf4 Rf2+ 54. Ke5 Nc3 55. Rxb6+ Kg5 56. Rf6 Re2 57. Rxf5+ Kg6 58. Rf3 Nd1 59. Kf4 Nxe3 60. Rxe3 Rxg2

61. Re6+? Alexandra Konstantinovna is going down the wrong track! With the straightforward 61. Ke5! Rg5+ 62. Ke6 White would have won. 61. ... Kf7 62. Rxa6 Re2! 63. Kf5 Re4 64. Ra7+ Ke8 65. Ra5 Rxd4 66. Ke6 Re4+ 67. Kxd5 Rb4 68. Ra3 Kd7 69. Kc5 Rh4 70. Kb6 Rb4+ 71. Kc5 Rh4 72. b4 Kc7 73. Ra7+ Kb8 74. Re7 Rh5+ 75. Kb6 Rh6+ 76. Ka5 Rg6 77. Rf7 Rh6 78. Rf8+ Kb7 79. Rf5 Ra6+ 80. Kb5 Rb6+ 81. Kc4 Rc6+ 82. Kb3 Rh6 83. Rc5 Rg6 84. Rf5 Rh6 85. Rf7+ Kb6 86. Ka4 Rg6 87. Rf8 Rh6 88. Rb8+ Ka7 89. Rb5 Rg6 90. Ra5+ Kb6 91. Re5 ½ : ½. Triumph of Philidor’s position (1777), also known as third rank defence.

Dronavalli Harika
Photos: Eteri Kublashvili