Absolutely Anything

Bela Khotenashvili – Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk
20th Women’s European Chess Club Cup; Skopje, October 19, 2015
English Opening A29

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. g3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Bg2 Nb6 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. 0-0 Be7 8. Rb1 a5 9. d3 0-0 10. Be3 Be6 11. d4 Bf5!? The personal touch. For 11. ... e4 12. Nxe4 Bxa2 13. Ra1 Bc4 14. b3 Bd5 15. Nc5 Nd7 see Agdestein – Romanishin, 12th Miguel Najdorf Memorial, Warsaw 2014, while for 11. ... exd4 12. Nxd4 Nxd4 13. Qxd4 Qxd4 14. Bxd4 Nc4 see 卜祥志 (Bǔ Xiángzhì) – 李超 (Lǐ Chāo), 1st Hǎinán Dānzhōu Super Grandmaster Chess Tournament, 儋州 (Dānzhōu) 2010. 12. Rc1 Nc4 13. d5 Nb4 14. a3 Na6 15. Nd2 Nxe3 16. fxe3 Qd7 17. Nc4 Bg5 18. h4 Bh6 19. Kh2 Rae8 20. d6. The phase which follows is quite interesting and, whatever may have been her actual merits, slowly but surely, Bela manages to gain ground. 20. ... Be6 21. Nd5 cxd6 22. Nxa5 e4 23. b4 f5 24. Nc4 Kh8 25. Qd4 Qd8 26. Rfd1 Bf7 27. Rc2 Nc7 28. Nxc7 Qxc7 29. Rdc1 Rd8 30. Na5 Qe7 31. Rc7 Rd7 32. Rxd7 Qxd7 33. Qb6 Bd5 34. Rd1 Bc6 35. Nc4 d5 36. Qc5 Qe8 37. Nd6 Qe7

38. Bh3? With only 40 seconds left to reach move 40, Khotenashvili commits a grave oversight which costs her a Pawn. Instead, after 38. b5! Bxb5 39. Rxd5 Bc6 (39. ... Bd7 40. Qc7 Qe6 41. Rxf5! is no better) 40. Nxf5 White comes out a Pawn ahead. 38. ... Bxe3! 39. Qxe3 Qxd6 40. Qf4? The exchange of Queens is offered too hastily. More stubborn was 40. Qb6 since after 40. ... f4!? 41. b5 Qxa3 42. gxf4 Qb3 43. Qc5 Rg8 44. Rc1 Qxb5 45. Qxb5 Bxb5 46. Be6 Bxe2 47. Bxg8 (or 47. Bxd5 Re8 48. Bxb7 g6) 47. ... Kxg8 although Black retains excellent winning chances, White can still hope for a draw with the very best play. 40. ... Qxf4 41. gxf4 g6 42. a4 Bxa4 43. Rxd5 Rc8. Now Alexandra Konstantinovna confidently concludes the game by her excellent technique. 44. h5 Kg7 45. hxg6 hxg6 46. b5 Rc2 47. Bf1 b6 48. Kg3 Rc3+ 49. Kf2 e3+ 50. Kg3 Rb3 51. Rd7+ Kh6 52. Rb7 Rxb5 53. Bg2 Rb2 54. Bd5 Rxe2 55. Rxb6 Re1 56. Bc4 Rc1 57. Be2 Bc6 58. Rb3 Rg1+ 59. Kh3 Re1 60. Rb2 g5 61. fxg5+ Kxg5 62. Bd3 f4 63. Rc2 Rh1+ 64. Rh2 Rd1 65. Be2 Rd2 0 : 1.

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk
Photo: Anastasiya Karlovich