Far Far Away

Lela Javakhishvili – Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk
Women’s Grand Prix; third stage; Batumi, April 20, 2016
Catalan Opening E04

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Nf3 dxc4 5. Bg2 Nc6 6. Qa4 Bb4+ 7. Bd2 Bd6 8. Na3 Ne4 9. Nxc4 Nxd2 10. Nfxd2 Bd7 11. 0-0. Another try is 11. Nxd6+ cxd6 12. Ne4 0-0 13. Nxd6 Qc7 14. Ne4 Rfd8 15. Qc4 Qb6 16. e3 Rac8 17. Qb3 Qa5+ 18. Nc3 e5 19. d5 Nd4 20. exd4 exd4 21. 0-0 dxc3 22. bxc3 Rxc3 23. Qxb7 Qc5 24. Rab1 g6 25. Qb4 Qxb4 26. Rxb4 Kf8 27. Ra1 Rdc8 28. Bf1 Ke7 29. Kg2 Kd6 30. Rh4 h5 31. Rf4 ½ : ½ Beliavsky – Anand, 26th Sparkassen Chess Meeting, Dortmund 1998. 11. ... Be7 12. Na5 Nxa5 13. Qxa5 c6 14. Qc3 0-0 15. Nc4 a5 16. Rfd1 Qc7 17. a3 a4 18. Ne5 Rfd8 19. Be4 Be8 20. e3 Bf6 21. Nd3 Ra5 22. Rac1 Rc8 23. Qc2 g6 24. Nc5 Rca8 25. Nd3 Rc8 26. Bg2 b6? A very impatient move, which gravely weakens Black’s position. 26. ... Bg7 certainly deserved consideration.

27. Nb4! c5 28. d5! Bd7? This allows White to infiltrate the Knight. However, if 28. ... Kg7 then 29. f4 eventually followed by e3-e4 keeping a powerful grip on Black’s isle. 29. Nc6! Bxc6. Forced, as any Rook move would be decisively met by 30. d6. 30. dxc6. White’s c-Pawn will prove to be enormously powerful. 30. ... Qe5 31. Rb1 Rb5? An overambitious move which definitely deprives Black of any defensive resource. A lesser evil was 31. ... Rc7, although after 32. Qe2 b5 33. f4 White stands clearly better. 32. Qxa4 Rxb2 33. Rxb2 Qxb2 34. Rd7. Now it is all over. So Alexandra Konstantinovna blunders away the game. 34. ... Bg5 35. h4 Qa1+ 36. Rd1 1 : 0.

Lela Javakhishvili vs. Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk
Photo: Anastasiya Karlovich