Дама с камелиями (The Lady of the Camellias)

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk – Anastasia Sergeyevna Savina
65th Russian Women’s Chess Championship; Chita, August 16, 2015
Sicilian Defence B40

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nc3 Qb6 6. Be3. With Morphy on her side, who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf? 6. ... Nc6. Obvioulsly not 6. ... Qxb2?? on account of 7. Ndb5!+- P. C. Morphy – L. Paulsen, New York, November 8, 1857. 7. Ndb5 Bxe3 8. fxe3 Nf6. After 8. ... Qxe3+ 9. Be2 White has the better chances, “as numerous practical examples have shown”, says Grandmaster Valeri Beim in his book “Paul Morphy Una Prospettiva Moderna”, Roma, Prisma Editori, 2008, p. 58. For instance, let’s suppose 9. ... Qb6 10. Qd6 (Maróczy’s analysis). 9. Nd6+ Ke7 10. Qd2 Ne5. For 10. ... a6 11. 0-0-0 Rd8 see Santo-Roman – Hauchard, French Team Chess Championship, Bordeaux 2001. 11. 0-0-0 Ne8 12. Nf5+ Kd8 13. Nd4 a6 14. Nf3 Qc7 15. Qf2 Ke7 16. Qh4+ Nf6 17. Qg3 d6 18. Nxe5 dxe5 19. Qxg7 Rg8 20. Qh6 b5 21. Be2 b4 22. Rhf1 Rg6 23. Qh4 Qb6. After 23. ... bxc3 24. Rxf6! Rxf6 25. Rf1 White wins back her Rook with interest. 24. Nb1 Qxe3+ 25. Nd2 Bb7. Not 25. ... Qxe2? 26. Rxf6! Rxf6 27. Rf1 and wins. 26. Bh5 Qg5 27. Qf2! Kosteniuk exhibits great skill in the conduct of her attack. 27. ... Qxh5 28. Qb6 Kf8 29. Qxb7 Rd8 30. Nc4? A hasty move after which Black’s attack soon vanishes into air. A relatively sharp continuation seems to be 30. g4!, e.g. 30. ... Qg5 31. h4! Qxh4 32. Qc7 Rd4 33. Nf3 Rxd1+ 34. Rxd1 Qh6+ 35. Kb1 Nxg4 36. Nxe5 Nxe5 37. Qb8+ Kg7 38. Qxe5+ Kf8 39. c4! and White’s attack continues. 30. ... Rxd1+ 31. Rxd1 Rxg2 32. Nd6 a5 33. Rf1 Qg5+ 34. Kb1 Qg6 35. a3 Kg7 36. axb4 axb4 37. Ka2 Rxc2 38. Qe7

38. ... b3+?? A blunder due to time trouble. Black’s only chance was 38. ... Rxb2+! 39. Kxb2 Qg2+ 40. Kb3 Qxf1 41. Qxf7+ Kh8 42. Qxe6 Qf3+! 43. Kxb4 Qf4 with rough equality. 39. Ka3 Rc6 40. Rxf6! The move which appears to have been overlooked by Anastasia Sergeyevna. 40. ... Ra6+. On 40. ... Qxf6 41. Ne8+ White wins the Queen. 41. Kxb3 Rb6+ 42. Ka4 1 : 0. Thus Alexandra Konstantinovna leads the Russian Women’s Chess Championship after her fourth win in a row.

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk
Photo: ruchess.ru