Meditation

赵雪 (Zhào Xuě) – Natalia Oleksandrivna Zhukova
Women’s Grand Prix 2015–2016; 2nd stage; Tehran, February 14, 2016
Queen’s Gambit Declined D12

1. Nf3 d5 2. c4 c6 3. b3 Bg4 4. d4 Nf6 5. e3 e6 6. Nbd2 Ne4. For 6. ... Nbd7 7. Bb2 a5 8. Bd3 a4 9. 0-0 see Karpov – Prie, European Blitz Championship, Ajaccio 2007. 7. h3 Bxf3 8. gxf3 Nxd2 9. Bxd2 Bd6 10. Rg1 0-0 11. f4 f5. Zhukova transposes her Queen’s Gambit Declined into a Dutch Stonewall. 12. Qc2 a5 13. a3 Nd7 14. Bc3 Qe7 15. Bb2 Nf6 16. Bd3 Rfc8 17. Qe2 Rf8 18. Qf3 Rf7 19. Ke2 Qd8 20. Bc3 Bf8 21. Rgc1 Qb6. Black undoubtedly got a satisfactory game. 22. Rcb1 Ne4 23. Be1 c5 24. cxd5 exd5 25. dxc5 Bxc5. Taking with the Knight was interesting as well and possibly stronger. 26. b4 axb4 27. axb4 Rxa1 28. Rxa1 Bf8 29. Ra5 Qe6 30. Kf1 Rc7. With the deadly threat of ... Rc7-c1. 31. Qd1 h6 32. Bc2 b6? A serious mistake, which exposes the Black Queen and King to be skewered by White’s Bishop. The immediate 32. ... Kh7 was called for, in order to answer 33. Bb3 by 33. ... Nf6.

33. Bb3! Kh7. Not 33. ... Nf6 34. Rxd5! and wins. 34. Rxd5 Qf6 35. Re5 Qh4 36. Qf3? To parry the threat of ... Bf8xb4, but much stronger was 36. Kg2! and if 36. ... Bxb4 then 37. Rxf5 Bxe1 38. Qxe1 retaining excellent winning chances. 36. ... Rc1?? A grave blunder which allows White a mating “White Square Symphony”. Zhukova should have played 36. ... g6 37. Kg2 Qd8 keeping cool. 37. Rxe4! fxe4 38. Qxe4+ Kh8 39. Qe6 Rxe1+ 40. Kg2 Kh7 41. Qf5+ Kh8 42. Qxf8+ Kh7 43. Bg8+ 1 : 0.

赵雪 (Zhào Xuě) vs. Natalia Oleksandrivna Zhukova. Photo: Alina l’Ami.