Brunello di Montalcino

Marina Brunello – Nino Khurtsidze
17th European Women’s Individual Chess Championship; Mamaia, June 1, 2016
Sicilian Defence B85

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be2 Nf6 7. 0-0 Be7 8. f4 d6 9. Be3 Nc6 10. Qe1 0-0 11. Qg3 d5 12. e5 Nxd4 13. Bxd4 Bc5 14. Qe3 Nd7 15. Bd3 Bxd4 16. Qxd4 Qc5 17. Ne2 Qxd4+ 18. Nxd4 Nc5 19. Rfd1. For 19. b4 Na4 20. g4 Bd7 21. f5 see Navara – Movsesian, 1st IMSA Élite Mind Games, Rapid Chess Event, 淮安 (Huái’ān) 2016. 19. ... Bd7 20. c3 f6 21. exf6 gxf6 22. Bc2 Rae8 23. Nf3 Bc6 24. Re1 Rf7 25. Re3 b6 26. Rae1 Bb7 27. Nd2 Rg7 28. g3 Rge7 29. b4 Nd7 30. Bf5 Kf7 31. Bg4 Nf8 32. Nf3 Ng6 33. Nd4 Bc8 34. Bh5 Kf8 35. Nf3 Bd7 36. Kf2 Rc8 37. h4 Kf7

38. f5! A well-calculated breakthrough, that ultimately wins a (very hard to convert) Pawn. 38. ... e5 39. Nd4! 39. fxg6+ hxg6 leads nowhere. 39. ... Ree8 40. fxg6+ hxg6 41. Bf3 exd4 42. Bxd5+ Kf8 43. cxd4 Rxe3 44. Rxe3 Rc2+ 45. Re2 Rc3 46. Bb3 Rd3 47. d5 Rd4 48. a3 a5 49. bxa5 bxa5 50. Re3 a4 51. Bc2 f5 52. Rd3 Rc4 53. Bd1 Ke7 54. d6+ Ke6 55. Bf3 Rc2+ 56. Ke3 Bb5 57. Rd4 Rc3+ 58. Kf4 Rxa3 59. g4 Ra1 60. gxf5+ gxf5 61. h5 Bd7? Khurtsidze ultimately loses the thread. Also 61. ... Rf1? 62. h6 Kf7 63. d7 gives no hope at all. Black’s last chance appears to be 61. ... Rg1 striving for less bad rather than worse. 62. h6 Rb1 63. h7 Rb8 64. Kg5 Kf7 65. Kh6 a3 66. Bd5+ Be6 67. Bxe6+. 67. d7! was even more to the point. 67. ... Kxe6 68. d7 a2 69. d8=Q Rxd8 70. Rxd8 a1=Q 71. h8=Q Qh1+ 72. Kg6 Qg2+ 73. Kh7 Qh2+ 74. Kg8 Qxh8+ 75. Kxh8 f4 76. Rf8 Ke5 77. Kg7 Ke4 78. Kg6 f3 79. Kg5 Kd5 1 : 0. Bravo, Marina!

Marina Brunello. Photo: sport24h.it.