Starfish

Nataliya Buksa – Liza Soloviova
75th Ukrainian Women’s Chess Championship; Lviv, December 7, 2015
King’s Indian Attack A08

1. e4 e6 2. d3 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. g3 g6 5. Bg2 Bg7 6. Ngf3 Nc6 7. 0-0 Nge7 8. Qe2 0-0 9. c3 b6 10. e5 Ba6 11. Re1 Nf5. For 11. ... Rb8 12. Nf1 d4 13. c4 b5 see Zichichi – Giffard, 1st EEC Team Chess Championship, Ostend 1975. 12. Nf1 h6 13. h4 b5. For 13. ... Rb8 14. Bf4 Qe7 15. Ne3 Nxe3 16. Qxe3 Kh7 17. Nh2 see Vescovi – Maia, 4th Copa Itaú, São Paulo 2000. 14. Ne3 Re8 15. Nc2 b4 16. c4 Rc8 17. b3 Bb7 18. Bf4 Rc7 19. Rad1 Rd7 20. Kh2 a5 21. Kh3 dxc4 22. dxc4 Ree7 23. Kh2 Rxd1 24. Rxd1 Rd7 25. Rxd7 Qxd7 26. Qd2 Qc7 27. Kg1 Nce7 28. Qe2 Bxf3 29. Bxf3 Nc6 30. Bxc6 Qxc6 31. Qd3 Kh7 32. Kh2 a4 33. Kg1 axb3 34. axb3 Qc7 35. Qe4 Qd7 36. Kg2 Qd1

37. Be3? Nataliya plays with fire. The immediate 37. h5 was called for, since after 37. ... Qb1 38. hxg6+ fxg6 39. Qd3 Nd4 40. Nxb4 Qa1 (40. ... Qxb3 looks also playable) chances are roughly equal. 37. ... Nxe3+ 38. Nxe3 Qxb3. Now White is likely to get into serious trouble. 39. h5 Qc3 40. hxg6+ fxg6 41. Ng4 h5 42. Nf6+ Bxf6 43. exf6 Qxf6 44. Qb7+ Kh6 45. Qc8 b3 46. Qxc5 b2 47. Qb4 Qd4. 47. ... g5 eventually followed by ... h5-h4 looks like a much better way towards victory. 48. Qf8+ Kg5 49. Qe7+ Qf6 50. Qb4. Quite incredibly, 50. ... Qc5+ appears to draw in all variations; for instance: 50. ... Qf5 51. Qd4! b1=Q 52. Qd8+ Qf6 (52. ... Kg4?? 53. Qh4 mate) 53. Qd2+ Kg4 (53. ... Kf5?? 54. Qf4 mate) 54. Qe2+ with a pyrotechnic perpetual check. 50. ... Qd4 51. Qe7+ Kf5 52. Qf7+ Qf6 53. Qb7 Qd4. After 53. ... Qc3 would seem Black should win, e.g. 54. Qf7+ Ke4 55. Qxg6+ Kd4 and Black’s King easily penetrates enemy territory. 54. Qf7+ ½ : ½.

Nataliya Buksa vs. Liza Soloviova
Photo: Ukrainian Chess (Facebook)