Dum Aloo

Dronavalli Harika – Dinara Ramazanovna Saduakassova
5th Women’s World Chess Team Championship; 成都市 (Chéngdū), April 19, 2015
Catalan Opening E04

1. Nf3 e6 2. c4 Nf6 3. g3 d5 4. d4 dxc4 5. Bg2 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 a5 7. 0-0 0-0 8. Bg5 b5 9. Ne5 Ra7. The alternative is 9. ... Ra6 10. a4 c6 11. Nc3 h6 12. Bxf6 gxf6 13. Ng4 f5 14. Ne5 Bxc3 15. bxc3 Kg7 16. Qc1 Qc7 17. Qa3 f6 as in the game Vogel – Vocaturo, 52nd SchaakFestival; Groningen 2014. 10. Nc3. For 10. a4 Bb7 11. e4 c6 12. Nc3 Ba6 see Khotenashvili – Nakhbayeva, Women’s Grand Prix 2013–2014, third stage, Tashkent 2013. 10. ... Ba6 11. a3 Bxc3 12. bxc3 h6 13. Bxf6 Qxf6 14. f4 Rd8 15. Qc1

15. ... c5? A little too ambitious. 16. dxc5 Qe7 17. Qe3 Rc7 18. c6 f6 19. Ng6 Qf7? A very bad move, that exposes Black’s Royal Family to a deadly “skewer”. The lesser evil was 19. ... Qe8, although after 20. Rad1 Rdc8 21. f5 exf5 22. Qxe8+ Rxe8 23. Rxf5 Nxc6 24. Rc5 Bb7 25. Rd6 White has far the better game. 20. Rad1 Rdc8 21. f5! Nxc6 (21. ... exf5?? 22. Bd5+-) 22. Nf4 Ne5 23. fxe6 Qf8? From bad to worse, but even after 23. ... Qe7 24. Nd5 Qc5 25. Qxc5 Rxc5 26. Nb6 Black cannot survive in the long run. 24. Qb6 Qc5+ 25. Qxc5 Rxc5 26. Rd6 Nc6 27. Ng6 Bb7 28. Bxc6 R5xc6 29. Ne7+ Kf8 30. Nxc8 Rxc8 31. Rfd1 Bc6 32. Rd8+ Rxd8 33. Rxd8+ Ke7 34. Rc8 1 : 0. A superb display of crystal technique.

Kazakhstan vs. India: Humpy & Dronavalli sitting side by side. Photo: Anastasiya Karlovich.