The Eighth Day of the Week

Natalia Andreevna Pogonina – Antoaneta Stefanova
Women’s Grand Prix Series 2015-2016; Monte Carlo, October 8, 2015
Queen’s Gambit Declined D46

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6 7. Bd3 0-0 8. 0-0 dxc4 9. Bxc4 e5 10. Bb3 h6 11. h3 Re8 12. Nh4!? Nf8 13. dxe5 Bxe5 14. Rd1. For 14. Nf3 Bc7 15. e4 Ng6 see Khuseinkhodzhaev – Smirnov, Grand Europe Cup, Golden Sands 2014. 14. ... Qe7 15. Nf5 Qc5 16. Nd4 Ne6 17. Nf3 Bc7 18. e4 Qh5

19. Nd5? A total hallucination. 19. ... cxd5 20. exd5 Bb6? But Stefanova misses the winning 20. ... Nf4! 21. Qxc7 Nxg2! 22. d6!? (22. Qg3 Bxh3 is no better) 22. ... Bd7!-+ (this move may have indeed been what Antoaneta overlooked). 21. Bxe6 Rxe6 22. Bf4. Now nothing is clear. 22. ... Rae8 24. Re1 Ne4 25. Be3 Bxe3 26. Rxe3 Ng5 27. Nxg5 Rxe3 28. fxe3 Qxg5 29. Re1 Rxe3 30. Qc8+ Kh7 31. Qc2+ g6 32. Rf1 Qe7 33. Qd2 Kg8 34. Rc1 a6 35. Rc8+ Kg7 36. Qd4+ Qe5 37. Qxe5+ Rxe5 38. Rc7 Rb5 39. b3 h5 40. h4 Kf6 41. Kf2 Rb4 42. g3 Ke6 43. Kf3 a5 44. Ke3 b6 45. Rb7 f6 46. Kf3 Kf5 47. Rb8 Rb5 48. Rb7 Ke5 49. Ke3 Rb4 50. Rb8 Kd5 51. Rf8 Re4+ 52. Kf3 Re6 53. Rg8 f5 54. Rc8 Re4 55. Rg8 Rg4 56. Rc8 a4 57. bxa4 Rxa4 58. Rg8 Rg4 59. a4 Ke5 60. Re8+ Kf6 61. Ra8 Kg7 62. Ra6 Rb4 63. a5 bxa5 64. Rxa5 Rg4. Many strange things happened meanwhile, but I was wandering downtown Florence searching for Sunday. Now, when I get back here, I know today is Thursday – idem to say it’s a dead draw. I wonder why they keep playing. 65. Ra7+ Kf6 66. Ra6+ Ke5 67. Ra5+ Kd6 68. Ra6+ Kc5 69. Rf6 Kd5 70. Ra6 Ke5 71. Ra5+ Kf6 72. Ra6+ Kg7 73. Ra7+ Kh6 74. Ra6 Re4 75. Ra7 Re6 76. Kf4 Re1 77. Kf3 Rf1+ 78. Kg2 Rd1 79. Kf3 Rd8 80. Kf4 Re8 81. Rb7 Re4+ 82. Kf3 Ra4 83. Rc7 Rg4 84. Rf7 Ra4 85. Rb7 Ra8 86. Kf4 Rg8 87. Ra7 Rg7 88. Ra4 Re7 89. Rb4 Re1 90. Rb7 Rf1+ 91. Ke3 f4+ 92. gxf4 Rh1 93. f5 Rh3+ 94. Kf4 Rxh4+ 95. Ke5 Ra4 96. f6 g5

97. f7?? Suddenly Pogonina literally throws her last Pawn into a fatal deadlock by trying too hard to win. 97. ... Rf4 98. Ke6 Kg7?? But once again, Antoaneta lacks accuracy and hastily plays by routine. Instead, the right way 98. ... Kg6 would have left Black without resource. 99. f8=Q+! The saving clause! 99. ... Kxf8 100. Rh7?? Just another crazy moment she (Pogonina) and she (Stefanova) would never forget! It was not too difficult to find the only way for White to draw: 100. Rb5! eliminating one of Black’s Pawns. 100. ... h4. Now the two connected passers must win. 101. Rh5 Rg4 102. Kf5 Rg3 103. Rh7 h3 104. Kf6 Ke8 105. Ke6 Kd8 106. Kd6 Kc8 107. Kc6 Kb8 108. Kb6 Rb3+ 109. Kc6 g4 110. Rh4 Rb1 111. Rh7 Rb2 112. Rh4 h2 113. Rh7 g3 0 : 1.

Natalia Andreevna Pogonina vs. Antoaneta Stefanova
Photo: FIDE Grand Prix 2015