Воскресение (Resurrection)

Dronavalli Harika – Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk
Women’s World Chess Championship; Krasnaya Polyana, March 24, 2015
Black Knights’ Tango A50

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4 Nc6 4. a3 d6 5. Nc3 g6 6. g3 Bg7 7. Bg2 0-0 8. 0-0 Re8 9. e4 e5 10. dxe5. “She wanted to play solid chess, it transpired from her 10. dxe5 instead of the more logical 10. d5. With the text move Harika accepted a slightly worse position in my opinion”, then Kosteniuk said. However, after 10. d5 Nd4 I guess Black needn’t worry. 10. ... Nxe5 11. Nxe5 Rxe5 12. Be3. Another way is 12. Bf4 Re8 13. Qc2 Be6 14. Nd5 Nd7 as in the game Zherebtsova – Vasilevich, Moscow 2015. 12. ... a5 13. Bd4. After 13. c5 Black can reply 13. ... Ra6. 13. ... Re8 14. h3 Be6 15. Nd5 a4! 16. Nxf6+. Irresolute. With 16. Ne3 Rb8 17. Re1 White can still hope for a symbolic plus. 16. ... Bxf6 17. Rc1 Ra5! 18. f4 b6 19. Rf2 h5! Alexandra Konstantinovna carries out her strategy at a high level of inspiration! 20. Rc3 Bxd4 21. Qxd4 Rc5 22. Kh2 Qd7 23. Bf1 Qe7 24. Rcf3 Bc8 25. Bd3 Ba6 26. f5 g5

27. f6 Qe5 28. Qe3 Bb7 29. h4. Obviously, after 29. Rf5? Qxf5! 30. Rxf5 Rxf5 the two Rooks are worth much more than the Queen. 29. ... Re6. The pointe. 30. hxg5. “I expected 30. Rf5 in reply and wasn’t sure about the resulting endgame”, then Kosteniuk said, and indeed after 30. Rf5 Qxf5 31. Rxf5 Rxf5 32. hxg5 Ree5 Black stands better, but probably nothing more. 30. ... Bxe4 31. Rf4 Bxd3 32. Qxd3 Qxg5 33. Qf3 Rce5 34. Qg2 Re1 35. Rf5 Qg4 36. R5f4 Qg6 37. Rf5 Re8 38. Qh3 R8e2 39. Qg2 Rxb2! 40. Rxb2 Qxf5 41. Re2 Rf1 42. Qa8+ Kh7 43. Qxa4 Qxf6 44. Qc2+ Kg7 45. Qd2 h4 46. Rg2 Kf8! 47. Qd5 hxg3+ 48. Rxg3 Qh4+ 49. Rh3 Qf4+ 50. Rg3 Rf2+ 51. Kh3 Qh6+ 0 : 1. Just one move before checkmate: 52. Kg4 Rf4 mate. A superb game by Lady Kosteniuk.

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk
Photo: Eteri Kublashvili