Two Bits

Veronika Exler – Anna Muzychuk
11th Women’s European Team Chess Championship; Reykjavík, November 20, 2015
Benkö Counter-Gambit A57

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. g3 c5 4. d5 b5 5. a4 b4 6. c4 bxc3 7. Nxc3 d6 8. e4 Ba6 9. Bb5+. 9. e5 Bxf1 10. Kxf1 also deserved consideration. 9. ... Bxb5 10. axb5 Nbd7 11. 0-0 Bg7 12. Ra6 0-0 13. Qa4. An artificial manoeuvre that wastes time and surrenders the initiative to Black. 13. ... Nb6 14. Qa2 Qd7 15. Kg2 Rfb8 16. Nd2 Ne8 17. Nb3. Maybe not deliberately, White sacrifices a Pawn. Luckily enough for her, that’s not the worst idea she has had. 17. ... Bxc3 18. bxc3 Qxb5. Threatening 19. ... Nxd5 20. exd5 Qxb3. 19. Nd2 Qe2

20. Rxa7? The decisive mistake! White hurries to win back her Pawn and gives her opponent time to launch the decisive assault. The best try was 20. c4! eventually followed by Ra6-a3-e3. 20. ... Nf6 21. Rxa8 Rxa8 22. Qb3 Nbd7 23. Qd1 Qd3 24. Qf3 Ne5 25. Qf4 Ra4 26. c4 Nxc4 27. Nxc4 Rxc4 28. f3 Nxd5 29. Qh6 Rc2+ 30. Rf2 Rxf2+ 31. Kxf2 Nc3 0 : 1.