The Quickest Kid

Marina Brunello – Jolanta Zawadka
17th European Women’s Individual Chess Championship; Mamaia, May 30, 2016
Sicilian Defence B22

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 Nf6 4. e5 Nd5 5. d4 cxd4 6. cxd4 d6 7. Bc4 dxe5 8. Nxe5 e6 9. 0-0 Be7 10. Nf3 0-0 11. Nc3 Nxc3 12. bxc3 b6 13. Bd3 Bb7 14. Qc2 g6 15. Qe2. For 15. Bh6 Re8 16. Qd2 Bf6 see Pap – Atakisi, 3rd Turbo GM tournament, Novi Sad 2009. 15. ... Rc8 16. Bh6 Re8 17. Rad1. For 17. Rfe1 Bf6 18. Bf4 Na5 19. Rac1 Qd5 see Vaitonis – Witkowski, 13th Chess Olympiad, Munich 1958. 17. ... Bf6 18. Rfe1 Na5 19. c4. A very adventurous Pawn sacrifice, but as they say, audaces fortuna iuvat. On the other hand, on 19. Ne5 Bg5 Black more than equalizes matters. Therefore I guess that the White Rook on d1 is not exactly well placed 19. ... Bxf3 20. Qxf3 Bxd4 21. Bf1. “Marina Brunello is a Pawn down and stands badly with a weak Pawn on c4. However, her opponent gives her an awful blunder as a gift”, Europe Échecs’ editor-in-chief Grandmaster Bachar Kouatly wrote.

21. ... e5?? Black should have played 21. ... Qh4!, of course. 22. Rxd4! 1 : 0. In fact, after 22. ... exd4 (else 22. ... Qxd4 23. Qf6 leads to mate) 23. Rxe8+ Qxe8 24. Qf6 Black must give up her Queen to avoid mate.

Italian Woman Grandmaster Marina Brunello poses in front of a chessboard in a stylish hall at the Centro Congressi of the Industrial Union in Turin, Italy, on November 29, 2008. Photo: Mondadori Portfolio/Getty Images.