As Simple as That

Sarasadat Khademalsharieh – Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk
Women’s Grand Prix 2015–2016; 1st stage Monte Carlo, October 6, 2015
Queen’s Gambit Declined D41

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 c5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. e4 Nxc3 7. bxc3 cxd4 8. cxd4 Bb4+ 9. Bd2 Bxd2+ 10. Qxd2 0-0 11. Bc4 Nd7 12. 0-0 b6 13. Rfe1 Bb7 14. Rad1 Rc8 15. Bd3 h6 16. Bb1 Qc7 17. d5 Rfd8 18. dxe6 fxe6 19. Nd4 Nf8 20. f4 Qc5 21. Qf2 Rd7 22. Nb3 Qxf2+ 23. Kxf2 a5 24. Rd4 Rc3 25. Rxd7 Nxd7 26. Rc1 Rxc1 27. Nxc1 Nf6. The position is grossly equal, even if a little bit easier for Black. 28. Kf3 Kf7 29. h3 Nd7 30. Ke3 e5! 31. g3 Ke6 32. Nd3 Kd6

33. fxe5+? A very serious mistake, which fatally weakens the e-Pawn. 33. ... Nxe5 34. Kd4 Nc6+ 35. Ke3 Bc8 36. h4 Be6 37. Kf4 a4 38. Ke3 b5 39. Kd2 b4 40. Bc2 a3! Kosteniuk quickly exploited her advantage and White now is in a vale of tears. 41. e5+. Neither 41. Nc1 Nd4 nor 41. Bb1 Bc4! 42. Nc1 Nd4 are of no avail. 41. ... Ke7 42. Kc1. This is tantamount to resignation, but 42. Bb1 b3 43. axb3 Bxb3 44. Nc1 Bd5 also loses. 42. ... Bxa2 43. Ba4 Bc4 0 : 1.

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk. Photo: Anastasiya Karlovich.