Country Pie

Elisabeth Pähtz – Sabrina Neide Vega Gutiérrez
17th European Women’s Individual Chess Championship; Mamaia, June 7, 2016
Sicilian Defence B23

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nd4 4. Bc4 a6 5. d3 e6 6. a4 Nf6 7. Bg5 h6 8. Bh4 Qb6!? The old try was 8. ... g5 9. Bg3 d5 10. Ba2 Bg7 11. Nge2 dxe4 12. dxe4 0-0 13. Be5 Nc6 ½ : ½ Cooper – S. K. Williams, Four Nations Chess League, West Bromwich 2002. 9. Ra2? This looks very artificial. 9. ... d5! 10. a5 Qc6 11. Bxf6 dxc4 12. Be5 f6 13. Bg3 cxd3! 14. cxd3 e5 15. Qh5+ Kd8 16. Nf3 Be6 17. b3

Europe Échecs’ editor-in-chief Grandmaster Bachar Kouatly writes: “Black has a great advantage due to Black’s badly-placed pieces. In the position of diagram, Komodo recommends 17. ... c4! with the threat of 18. ... Bb4 19. Kd2 Bxc4! 20. dxc4 Qxc4 winning. But Sabrina Vega Gutiérrez is not a machine and thus preferred:” 17. ... Qd7. Threatening ... Be6-f7. 18. h3 Bxb3. 18. ... c4! was still very strong. 19. Rb2 Bf7 20. Qg4 Qc7 21. Nd2 Qxa5. Black now has two Pawns to the good, the Bishop pair and an excellent position. Black should easily win, but Sabrina – not a professional – got very excited and, after a crazy roller-coaster ride, ended up winning in extremis to become Vice European Women’s Chess Champion! 22. Nd5 h5 23. Qd1 Bxd5 24. exd5 Qc3 25. Qb1 b5 26. 0-0 Ne2+ 27. Kh1 Nxg3+ 28. fxg3 Qd4 29. Qa2 Rc8 30. Qa5+ Rc7 31. Nc4 Qxd5 32. Qxa6 Qc6 33. Qxb5 Qxb5 34. Rxb5 h4 35. g4 Rd7 36. g5 Rxd3 37. gxf6 gxf6 38. Rxf6 e4 39. Rf7 Ke8 40. Ra7 Rd1+ 41. Kh2 Rh6 42. Rb8+ Rd8 43. Rxd8+ Kxd8 44. Rf7 Ke8 45. Rf4 Re6 46. Rf2 Bh6 47. g3 Kd7 48. Kg2 Kc6 49. Rf5 hxg3 50. Kxg3 e3 51. Re5 Rxe5 52. Nxe5+ Kd5 53. Nd3 c4 54. Ne1 Ke4 55. h4 Bg7 56. h5 Bc3 57. Nf3 Kd3 58. h6 Bh8 59. Kg2 c3 60. Kf1 Bf6 61. h7 Bh8 62. Ng1 c2 63. Ne2 Kd2 0 : 1.

Sabrina Neide Vega Gutiérrez
Photo: bienvenidoalclub.es

Chesspain (‏@chesspain)