Tovarich

Nataliya Buksa – Evgeniya Doluhanova
75th Ukrainian Women’s Chess Championship; Lviv, December 5, 2015
Sicilian Defence B86

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bc4 e6 7. a3 Be7 8. 0-0 Bd7 9. Ba2 Nc6 10. Be3 Nxd4. For 10. ... 0-0 11. f4 Qa5 12. f5 see Tantsiura – Doluhanova, 74th Ukrainian Women’s Chess Championship, Lviv 2015. 11. Bxd4 Bc6 12. Qd3 0-0 13. f4 e5 14. fxe5 dxe5 15. Bxe5 Ng4 16. Bg3 Bf6 17. Kh1 Qxd3 18. cxd3 Rad8 19. Rf3 Rd7 20. Raf1 Rfd8? A fatal weakening of Black’s castled position. 21. h3 Nh6. Sad, but 21. ... Bxc3 22. Rxf7 Rxf7 23. Rxf7 Bd5 24. Bxd5 Rxd5 25. exd5 Kxf7 26. bxc3 just leaves Black two Pawns down.

22. Bb1? Hora fugit, carpe diem. After 22. Rxf6! gxf6 23. Rxf6 Kg7 24. Be5 Black could resign. 22. ... Bd4 23. Bf4 f6 24. Bxh6 gxh6 25. Ba2+ Kh8 26. Bc4 Rg7 27. Nd5 Bxd5 28. Bxd5 Bxb2 29. a4 Rc7 30. R3f2 Bd4 31. Rf3 b5 32. axb5 axb5 33. Rb1 Rb8 34. Rg3 b4 35. h4 Rg7 36. Rxg7 Kxg7 37. h5 Kf8 38. Kh2 Ke7 39. Kg3 Kd6 40. Kf4 Bc3 41. Ke3 Ke5 42. g4 Bd4+ 43. Kf3 Rb5 44. Bg8 Rb7 45. Bd5 Rb8 46. Bc4 Rb6 47. Bg8 ½ : ½.

Nataliya Buksa vs. Evgeniya Doluhanova
Photo: Ukrainian Chess (Facebook)