Back to Black

Valentina Evgenyevna Gunina – Anna Yurievna Ushenina
20th Women’s European Chess Club Cup; Skopje, October 20, 2015
Réti Opening A06

1. Nf3 d5 2. e3 c5 3. b3 a6 4. Bb2 Nc6 5. Be2 Nf6 6. 0-0 g6!? Most usual is 6. ... Bg4 7. d4 e6. 7. c4? Strategically wrong since it concedes too much central space to Black. Both 7. Ne5 and 7. d4 would seem to ensure a small edge for White. 7. ... d4! 8. exd4 cxd4 9. Re1 Bg7 10. Bf1. It prevents ... d4-d3, but, as a matter of fact, loses a tempo. A smoother – even though at the same time passive – continuation would be 10. d3 0-0 11. Nbd2 e5 with approximate equality. 10. ... 0-0 11. a3 e5 12. d3 Re8 13. Nbd2 b6 14. b4 Qc7 15. g3 Bb7 16. Bg2 h6 17. Rc1 Rad8 18. Qb3 Bf8 19. Re2 a5 20. c5 axb4 21. cxb6 Qxb6 22. Nc4 Na5 23. Nxa5 Qxa5

24. Nxe5? A serious error which leads to disastrous consequences. Correct was 24. axb4 and if 24. ... Qd5 then 25. Qxd5 Nxd5 26. Rxe5 Nxb4 27. Rxe8 Rxe8 28. Bxd4 Nxd3 with equality. 24. ... Rxe5 25. axb4. After which White will remain a piece behind with no compensation. But, in any case, 25. Rxe5 Qxe5 26. Bxb7 Rb8 27. Bc6 bxa3 28. Bxd4 Rxb3 29. Bxe5 Ng4 30. Ba1 a2 31. Kg2 Rb1 32. Rf1 Bc5 was equally hopeless. 25. ... Rb5 26. bxa5 Rxb3 27. Bxb7 Rxb7 28. a6 Ra7 29. Rc6 Bg7 30. Re5 Nd5 31. Bxd4 Ne7 32. Rc4. The last mistake, but 32. Bxa7 Nxc6 33. Bb6 Rb8! also loses. 32. ... Rxd4 0 : 1.

Anna Yurievna Ushenina
Photo: Anastasiya Karlovich