De rouille et d’os

Antoaneta Stefanova – Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk
Women’s Grand Prix 2015–2016; 1st stage; Monte Carlo, October 4, 2015
Réti Opening A07

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 Bf5 4. 0-0 c6 5. d3 e6 6. Nh4 Bg4 7. h3 Bh5 8. Qe1 Be7 9. f4 h6. Departing from 9. ... Bg6 10. Nd2 Qb6+ 11. Kh1 Nfd7 as played by Kosteniuk in their previous game Stefanova – Kosteniuk, ACP European Women’s Rapid Chess Championship, Kutaisi 2015. 10. Kh1 Nbd7 11. e4 dxe4 12. dxe4 g5!? Kosteniuk immediately shows her aggressive intentions with a very interesting Pawn sacrifice! 13. fxg5 hxg5 14. Bxg5 Qc7 15. Nd2 0-0-0. The consistent follow up to her previous play. 16. Nc4 Nxe4? A mirage, though it looks like a petite combinaison. Grandmaster Kevin Spraggett suggests 16. ... Ne5 17. Bf4 (or 17. Nxe5 Qxe5 18. Bf4 Qxb2∞) 17. ... Nfd7 with an unclear game. 17. Bf4. Stefanova does not lose her head. Decidedly bad was 17. Qxe4? Bxg5, whilst if 17. Bxe7(?) then 17. ... Nxg3+ 18. Kg1 Ne2+ 19. Kh1 (not 19. Kf2?? Qg3 mate) 19. ... Ng3+ with perpetual check. 17. ... Nd6. All according to plan. If, instead, 17. ... e5 then 18. Qxe4 Bxh4 19. Nxe5! with a crushing position.

18. Nf5! This pretty refutation was evidently overlooked by Kosteniuk, who perhaps expected 18. Qf2 to which she could have replied 18. ... Nb6. 18. ... exf5. Black has nothing better than to give up her Queen for two Knights. It’s more than enough for Antoaneta to convert to a win. 19. Qxe7 Nxc4 20. Bxc7 Kxc7 21. Rae1 f6 22. Rxf5 Rde8 23. Qb4 Nce5 24. Rf4 Bf7 25. Rd1 Be6 26. Rh4 Rhg8 27. Kh2 Rg7 28. Rf4 Kc8 29. Qd4 Reg8 30. g4 Rh7 31. Kg1 Ng6 32. Re4 Bd5 33. Qxa7 Bxe4 34. Bxe4 Kc7 35. Qa5+ Kc8 36. Qa8+ Nb8 37. Bf5+ 1 : 0. For if 37. ... Kc7 then 38. Qa5+ b6 39. Qa7 mate.

Antoaneta Stefanova (right) vs. Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk (left). Photo: Anastasiya Karlovich