Hard Reset

Marie Rachel Sebag – Anna Yuriyivna Ushenina

Women’s World Chess Championship Knockout Tournament; tie-break game 1 (25+10); Krasnaya Polyana, March 22, 2015

Marie Rachel Sebag happily waiting for her opponent. Photo: Europe Échecs.

Coup de théâtre in the first tie-break game between Marie Rachel Sebag and Anna Yuriyivna Ushenina. Ushenina’s phone reset and went back to Ukrainian time zone (which is one hour behind). She didn’t appear for the game and loses according to zero-tolerance rule. She appeared for the second tie-break game. 1 : 0.

Anna Yuriyivna Ushenina – Marie Rachel Sebag

Women’s World Chess Championship Knockout Tournament; tie-break game 2 (25+10); Krasnaya Polyana, March 22, 2015

Queen’s Gambit Declined D45

1. Nf3 d5 2. c4 c6 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. b3 Nbd7 6. Bb2 Bd6 7. Qc2 0-0 8. Be2 a6 9. d4 e5 10. Nxd5! An interesting sacrificial line first introduced by Anish Giri. 10. ... cxd5 11. dxe5 Bb4+. Departing from the “exemplary” game 11. ... Qa5+ 12. Bc3 Bb4 13. Bxb4 Qxb4+ 14. Qd2 Qxd2+ 15. Kxd2 exd4 16. Nxd4 cxd5 17. Rhc1 Nf6 18. Rc7 Rd8 19. Rac1 Ne8 20. R7c5 Kf8 21. g4 h6 22. f3 Ke7 23. h3 Kd6 24. f4 Bd7 25. Bf3 Nf6 26. Nf5+ Bxf5 27. gxf5 Rd7 28. Kd3 Re8 29. Rc8 Rxc8 30. Rxc8 Rc7 31. Rb8 Kc5 32. a3 a5 33. Rf8 Kd6 34. Ra8 Rc5 35. Rf8 Rc7 36. Ra8 ½ : ½ Giri – Mamedyarov, Grand Prix 2014–2015, 2nd stage, Tashkent 2014. 12. Kf1 Ng4 13. cxd5. Three Pawns are worth a Knight! 13. ... Ngxe5. Black decides to give back the piece, even though in the process she’ll remain a Pawn behind. 14. Nxe5 Nxe5 15. Bxe5 Qxd5 16. Qb2. Now White is a Pawn ahead and furthermore she enjoys a clar positional advantage. However, Marie Rachel successfully neutralized White’s pressure and defended the endgame. 16. ... Ba3 17. Qd4 Qxd4 18. Bxd4 Bd7 19. Bf3 Bb5+ 20. Kg1 Bc6 21. Bxc6 bxc6 22. Kf1 c5 23. Bc3 c4 24. Ke2 Rfc8 25. b4. This decision is not convincing, as the b4-Pawn will fall pretty soon. 25. ... Rab8 26. Rab1

26. ... Rb5 27. Rhd1 f6 28. Kd2 Rd8+ 29. Kc2 Rxd1 30. Rxd1 Bxb4 31. Rb1 Bd6 32. Rd1 Bb4. Sebag would justifiably be content with a draw by repetition. 33. a4 Rb8 34. Rd4 Bxc3 35. Kxc3 Rb3+ 36. Kxc4 Rb2 37. Rf4 Kf7 38. h4 Ke6 39. Kc3 Ra2 40. Kb4 g5 41. hxg5 fxg5 42. Rf3 h5 43. g3 Rd2 44. Ka5 Rd5+! 45. Kxa6 Rf5 46. Rxf5 Kxf5 47. e4+ Ke5 48. Kb6 h4 49. a5 h3 50. a6 h2 51. a7 h1=Q 52. a8=Q Qxe4 53. Qe8+ Kf5 54. Qd7+ Ke5 55. Qb5+ Qd5 56. f3 Qxb5+ 57. Kxb5 Kd4 58. Kc6 Ke3 59. f4 gxf4 60. gxf4 Kxf4 ½ : ½.

Anna Yuriyivna Ushenina (right) vs. Marie Rachel Sebag (left). Photo: Anastasiya Karlovich.