Stone staircases

Anna Ushenina – Monika Soćko
17th European Women’s Individual Chess Championship; Mamaia, June 5, 2016
Nimzo-Indian Defence E39

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 0-0 5. Nf3 c5 6. dxc5 Na6 7. g3 Nxc5 8. Bg2 d5 9. 0-0 dxc4 10. Rd1. For 10. Ne5 Nd5 11. Nxc4 Bxc3 12. bxc3 b6 see Lysyj – Dragun, European Blitz Chess Championship, Warsaw 2013. 10. ... Qa5 11. Bd2 Bd7 12. Ne5 Rfd8 13. Nxc4 Qa6 14. Ne5 Be8 15. Ne4 Ncxe4 16. Bxb4 Rdc8? It looks to me that Black uses the wrong Rook to occupy the open c-file, but I have no objective argument demonstrating it – just an impression. If it was right, then 16. ... Rac8 should be preferred. 17. Qd3 Qa4 18. Be7 Rc7 19. Bd8 Bb5 20. Qd4 Rc2 21. Qxa4 Bxa4 22. b3 Bb5 23. Bxf6 Nxf6 24. e3 Ba6? After all, Black somehow managed to hold together her own, and without this fearful move she could have hoped to survive: 24. ... Rc5! 25. f4 Nd5 indeed appears tenable. 25. a4 Rac8? Humanum est peccare, diabolicum perseverare. Black was still in time for 25. ... Rc5 26. f4 Nd5. 26. b4! Now Black’s Queenside miserably collapses and the two White connected passed Pawns won’t be stoppable. 26. ... Be2 27. Bxb7 Rb8 28. Nc6 Bxd1 29. Nxb8 Be2 30. Nc6 Bg4 31. b5 Kf8 32. a5 Nd7 33. b6 a6 34. Nb4 Rb2 35. Nxa6 Ke7 36. Bg2 Be2 37. Nc7 Rc2 38. Be4 Rc5 39. Bg2 h5 40. h3 g5 41. Re1 Rc2 42. b7 Ra2 43. Na8 Ba6

44. Nb6! Very pretty. Black ended up in a comical Zugzwang. 44. ... Nb8 45. Rd1 Bb5. Also after 45. ... Rxa5 46. Nd7! White must win. 46. Rc1 Rd2 47. Rc7+ Ke8 48. Rc8+ Rd8 49. Bf1 Ba6 50. Bxa6 Nxa6 51. Ra8 1 : 0.

Anna Ushenina
Photo: dynamo.ua