The Royal Hunt of the Sun

Polina Shuvalova – Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk
23rd Russian Women’s Team Chess Championship; Sochi, May 7, 2016
Sicilian Defence B31

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. 0-0 Bg7 5. c3 Nf6 6. Re1 0-0 7. h3 Qb6 8. Ba4 Rd8 9. d4. For 9. d3 d5 10. e5 Nd7 11. d4 Nf8 see Muminova – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), Women’s Grand Prix, Sharjah 2014. 9. ... cxd4 10. cxd4 d5 11. e5 Ne4 12. Nc3 Nxe5!? Kosteniuk launches into a vehement attack, maybe not completely sound, but very, very dangerous over the board. 13. Nxe5 Bxe5 14. dxe5 Qxf2+ 15. Kh2 Qg3+ 16. Kg1 Qf2+ 17. Kh2 Qg3+ 18. Kg1 Nf2

19. Qf3? White misses 19. Ne4! Nxh3+ (clearly not 19. ... dxe4? on account of 20. Qxd8+ Kg7 21. Bh6+! Kxh6 22. Qd2+, and also 19. ... Nxe4 20. Rxe4 Bxh3 21. Re2 looks quite bad, for if 21. ... Bg4 then 22. Qe1) 20. Kh1 Qh4 21. g3! (not 21. gxh3? Bg4!) 21. ... Qxe4+ 22. Rxe4 Nf2+ 23. Kg1 Nxd1 24. Rb4 and the d1-Knight is trapped, thus leaving Black with four Pawns for the Bishop, but also with uncommodities not easy to handle. 19. ... Nxh3+ 20. Kf1 Qh2! Now Black has what she aimed for. 21. Be3? Maybe there are better moves, but 21. Bh6 d4 22. Red1! appears already sufficient to do better than Shuvalova did; after 22. ... Bf5 23. Ne4 Rac8 (23. ... d3 is worth considering, too) 24. gxh3 Bxe4 25. Qxe4 Qxh3+ 26. Kg1 Qxh6 Black has four Pawns for the Bishop and definitely better chances, but the game is not yet over. 21. ... h5! An extraordinarily strong move, which Black must have overlooked (or underestimated). 22. Nxd5 Rxd5! The pointe. Now Kosteniuk begins a furious King hunt. 23. Qxd5 Be6 24. Qd4. Not 24. Qxb7?? Bc4+ and mate in two. 24. ... Qh1+ 25. Bg1. Or 25. Ke2 Qxg2+ 26. Kd3 (26. Kd1 Rac8) 26. ... b5! 27. Bxb5 Rac8 with an irresistible attack. 25. ... Bc4+! 26. Qxc4. Needless to say, after 26. Re2 Qxg1+ 27. Qxg1 Nxg1 28. Kxg1 Bxe2 the ending is easily won for Black. 26. ... Qxg1+ 27. Ke2 Qxg2+ 28. Kd3 Rd8+ 29. Kc3 Qd2+ 30. Kb3 Rd3+ 31. Qc3 Rxc3+ 32. bxc3 Nf2 33. Bb5 Ne4! 0 : 1.

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk
Photo: Chess-News.ru