Penny Lane

Antoaneta Stefanova – Alina Anatolyevna Kashlinskaya
16th European Individual Women’s Chess Championship; Chakvi, May 21, 2015
King’s Indian Defence A05

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. 0-0 c5 5. d4 0-0 6. dxc5 Na6 7. Be3 Ne4 8. Bd4 Nexc5 9. Bxg7 Kxg7 10. Qd4+. For 10. Nc3 Ne6 11. e4 d6 12. Qe2 Nac7 13. Rfd1 see Benkovic – Vombek, Portoroz 2005. 10. ... Kg8 11. Nc3 d6 12. Rfd1 Bd7 13. e4 Bc6 14. a3 Rc8 15. Qe3 Qb6 16. Nd5 Bxd5 17. exd5 Qxb2 18. Qxe7. Antoaneta has been too hasty in regaining her Pawn. She ought to play 18. Nd4 (Δ Rd1-b1) first, and only after 18. ... Qb6 will the White Queen take the e7-Pawn. 18. ... Rfe8 19. Qxd6 Ne4. The position is now reversed, and Black will obtain a lasting initiative for the Pawn. 20. Qd7 Nac5 21. Qg4. “Something has gone wrong with the former Women’s World Champion’s opening and Stefanova now finds herself on the defensive. Probably she was now anticipating Black capturing the c-Pawn and after 22. Rd1-f1 try to get some counterplay based on her passed Pawn”, Grandmaster Kevin Spraggett said.

21. ... Nxf2! An intuitive sacrifice which forces the enemy King out into the open. 22. Kxf2 Ne4+ 23. Kg1 Rxc2 24. Qh3. 24. Bh1 is refuted by 24. ... Nf2! 25. Rdb1 (what else?) 25. ... Re1+!, e.g. 26. Rxe1 Nh3+! 27. Qxh3 Qb6+ and mate in three moves, while after 24. Bf1 is quite convincing 24. ... Qc3 (Δ ... Qc3-e3+) 25. Qf4 g5! (Spraggett’s analysis). 24. ... Qb6+ 25. Nd4. Obviously, 25. Rd4? Ng5! loses on the spot. 25. ... Rd2 26. Rxd2 Nxd2 27. Qg4 Re4!! Possibly the most difficult move in the game! “Black cleverly uses multiple tactical themes to created threats and make progress. If now 28. Bxe4 there would follow the forcing 28. ... Qxd4+ 29.Kg2 Qxa1 (threatening mate on f1) 30. Bd3!? Qe5 31. Qc8+ Kg7 32. Qxb7 Qd4! 33. Be2 Ne4! and the Queen and Knight duo are unstoppable”, Spraggett said. 28. Qc8+ Kg7 29. Qc3 Rxd4. “And now the simplest winning plan is to simplify with 29. ... Qxd4+ 30. Qxd4 Rxd4 31. Rd1 Kf6! when the ending offers no hope. (In the game Kashlinksaya played the less accurate 29. ... Rxd4, but won anyway in 64 moves”, Spraggett said. 30. Rd1 Kf8 31. Qc8+ Kg7 32. Qc3 f6 33. Kh1 Ne4 34. Qxd4 Nf2+ 35. Qxf2? The only chance was to defend the endgame a Pawn behind: 35. Kg1 Nxd1 36. Qxb6 axb6. 35. ... Qxf2 36. d6 Qe2 37. Ra1 Qd2 38. Bf3 Qxd6 39. Bxb7 Qb6 40. Bg2 Qb2 41. Rd1 Qxa3. Black’s preponderance of Pawns is decisive. The rest is a matter of technique, as they say. 42. Bd5 Qc3 43. Rg1 Qd3 44. Ba2 f5 45. Rg2 a5 46. Rf2 a4 47. Kg2 a3 48. h4 Qe3 49. Bb1 Qe1 50. Ba2 Qe4+ 51. Kg1 h6 52. Rf4 Qd3 53. Kg2 Kf6 54. Rf2 g5 55. hxg5+ Kxg5 56. Bf7 Qd6 57. Ba2 Kg4 58. Rf4+ Qxf4 59. gxf4 Kxf4 60. Kf2 h5 61. Bb1 h4 62. Ba2 Ke4 63. Bb1+ Kd4 64. Kg2 f4 0 : 1.

Alina Anatolyevna Kashlinskaya
Photo: Chess-News.ru