Into the Night

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk – Irina Krush
FIDE Women’s World Rapid Championship; Khanty-Mansiysk, April 23, 2014
French Defence C15

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. a3 Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 dxe4 6. Qg4 Nf6 7. Qxg7 Rg8 8. Qh6 c5 9. Ne2 Bd7 10. Bb2 Ba4. The vintage alternative was 10. ... Bc6 11. 0-0-0 Nbd7 12. c4 Qe7 13. h3 0-0-0 14. Rg1 Nb6 15. d5 Rg6 16. Qh4 Nfxd5 17. Qxe4 Nc3 18. Rxd8+ Qxd8 19. Qd3 Qxd3 20. cxd3 Nxe2+ 21. Bxe2 Rxg2 22. Rxg2 Bxg2 23. h4 Nd7 24. Bh5 f6 25. Bg4 f5 26. Bh5 Kd8 27. Kd2 Ke7 28. Ke3 e5 29. f4 Ke6 30. fxe5 Nxe5 31. Be2 Bh3 32. Kf4 Bg4 33. Bf1 Nf3 34. Bg2 Nxh4 35. Bxb7 Ng6+ 36. Kg5 Ne5 37. Bd5+ Kd6 38. d4 Nd3 39. dxc5+ Kxc5 40. Bf6 h5 41. Be7+ Kd4 42. Bd6 f4 43. Bb8 f3 44. Bxa7+ Nc5 45. a4 f2 46. Bg2 Kxc4 47. Bf1+ Kb4 ½ : ½ Radulov – Sigurjónsson, Zonal Tournament, Raach 1969. 11. 0-0-0 Nbd7 12. dxc5 Ng4 13. Qf4 Qg5 14. Rd2 Nxf2 15. Rg1 Qxf4 16. Nxf4 Ng4 17. h3 Nge5 18. Rd1 Nxc5 19. c4 Ncd7 20. g4 Rc8 21. Nh5 Ke7 22. Bc3 b6 23. Bb4+ Nc5 24. Be2 a5 25. Be1 Ng6 26. Rf1 Nd7 27. Bg3 e5 28. g5 Rgd8 29. Ng7 Nc5 30. Nf5+ Kf8 31. Nd6 Rc7 32. Rd5 Bc6

33. Nxf7! We cannot but admire the elegance of Alexandra’s tactical play. 33. ... Rxd5? Going from bad to worse. Relatively best was 33. ... Bxd5 although after 34. Nxd8+ Bf7 35. Bh5 White dominates the position. 34. Nxe5+ Kg7 35. cxd5 Bxd5 36. Nxg6 Rc6 37. Ne7 1 : 0.

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk
Photo: FIDE Women’s World Rapid & Blitz Championships 2014