Άβρα (Aura)

Marina Brunello – Marta Michna
43rd Greek Team Chess Championship 2015; Rio, October 9, 2015
French Defence C05

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. Bd3 c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. Ne2 a5 8. 0-0 cxd4 9. cxd4 Nb6 10. f4 f5? A bad “theoretical licence”. 10. ... g6 11. Nf3 h5 is here indicated. 11. exf6 Qxf6 12. Nf3 Nb4 13. Bb1 Bd7? Completely oblivious to the impending danger. Marta should have played 13. ... Bd6, although after 14. Ne5! 0-0 15. Rf3 White keeps a powerful grip on the position.

Now White breaks through with devastating effect: 14. f5! Bd6. On 14. ... exf5 15. Bg5 is overwhelming. 15. fxe6 Bxe6. Equally after 15. ... Qxe6 16. Ng5 Qg4 17. h3 Qh4 18. Nf7 Black is busted. 16. Ng5 Qh6 17. Ng3 Be7 18. Nf7 Qh4 19. Nxh8 Rc8 20. Bf5 Rc6 21. Bxe6 Rxe6 22. Rf4. Her Majesty is in big trouble. 22. ... Nc2. Both 22. ... Qg5 and 22. ... Qh6 are met by 23. Rf8+. 23. Qxc2 Re1+ 24. Rf1 Qxd4+ 25. Kh1 Rxf1+ 26. Nxf1 Nc4 27. Qe2 Kf8 28. Be3 Qe5 29. Qf2+ Bf6 30. Re1 Nxb2 31. Bc5+ 1 : 0.

Dimitra Vatkali – Marina Brunello
43rd Greek Team Chess Championship 2015; Rio, October 10, 2015
Queen’s Gambit Declined D10

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. cxd5 cxd5 4. Bf4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. e3 a6 7. Bd3 Bg4 8. Nge2 e6 9. Rc1 Be7 10. 0-0 0-0 11. h3 Bh5 12. Na4 Nd7 13. a3 Rc8 14. b4 b5 15. Nc5 Bxc5 16. dxc5 e5 17. Bh2 e4 18. Bb1 Nde5 19. Bxe5!? Theoretical novelty. Two years before Marina Brunello was born, International Master Anthony F. Saidy continued 19. Qe1 Qg5 20. Bg3 Nc4 21. Rc3 Bxe2 22. Qxe2 Rfe8 23. Rd1 Qf6 24. Rdc1 d4 25. exd4 Nxd4 26. Qg4 Nd2 27. Re3 Nf5 28. Re2 Nxg3 29. Rxd2 Nf5 30. Bxe4 Ne7 31. Rcd1 g6 32. Rd6 Qb2 33. Bb7 Rb8 34. Qf3 Qc2 35. Rd7 h5 36. Bd5 Nxd5 37. Qxf7+ 1 : 0 Saidy – Donaldson, American Open, Santa Monica 1992, but it’s indisputable that on several occasions Black could have played better. 19. ... Nxe5 20. Qc2

20. ... Bf3!? Not seeing a clear cut way to win, Marina tries to force matters with a speculative sacrifice! 21. Nd4? It worked the trick, all right – White refuses the gift! After 21. gxf3 Nxf3+ 22. Kg2 Qg5+ 23. Ng3 h5 Black has some compensation for the Bishop, but the situation is very unclear. 21. ... Qg5 22. Nxf3?? White panics and blunders into a terrific mating net! After 22. g3 Qh5 23. Nxf3 Nxf3+ 24. Kg2 Rc6 Black has good attacking chances, but not yet a forced win. 22. ... Nxf3+ 23. Kh1 Rc6! 24. Qc3. Or 24. gxf3 Rh6 25. Kh2 Qh4 and mate in two. And 24. Rg1 is equally met by 24. ... Rh6 followed by ... Qg5-g4. 24. ... Rh6 0 : 1. For if 25. Rg1 then 25. ... Qg4 finis.

Marina Brunello
Photo: Federazione Scacchistica Italiana