Summer in the Winter

Valentina Evgenyevna Gunina – 沈阳 (Shěn Yáng)
10th Russia – China Friendship Match; Moscow, June 15, 2016
Grünfeld Defence D94

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Bd3 0-0 7. h3 c5 8. 0-0 dxc4 9. Bxc4 Nbd7 10. Qe2 cxd4 11. exd4 Nb6 12. Bb3 Nbd5 13. Bg5. For 13. Nxd5 Nxd5 14. Bg5 Be6 15. Rac1 Re8 16. Rc5 h6 17. Bd2 b6 18. Rc6 Nc7 19. Bxe6 Nxe6 20. Be3 Qd5 21. Qc4 Red8 see Girya – Zakhartsov, European Blitz Chess Championship, Minsk 2015. 13. ... h6 14. Bxf6 Nxc3 15. bxc3 Bxf6 16. Rfe1 Kg7 17. Ne5 Qc7 18. Qf3 Bd7 19. Qg3. Threatening Bb3xf7. 19. ... Bf5 20. Rac1 Rad8 21. h4 h5 22. Qf4. With the threat of Ne5xg6. 22. ... Qd6 23. Re3 Bxe5 24. Rxe5 Qf6 25. Rce1 Be6? Black is eager to simplify the position for easing the effect of White’s powerful centralization, but the text implies the loss of a Pawn for no compensation. 25. ... e6 was better and sounder. 26. Qg3! Bxb3 27. axb3 e6 28. Rxh5 Rh8 29. Rxh8 Rxh8 30. Re4 Qf5 31. Qe3 b5 32. b4 a6 33. g3 Rc8 34. Rf4 Qd5 35. Kh2 Ra8 36. Rg4 f5 37. Rg5 Rh8. To stop h4-h5. 38. Qf4 Kf6 39. Kg1 Kf7 40. Kh2 Kf6 41. Rg4. Intending Qf4-g5+. 41. ... Rg8 42. Qg5+ Kf7 43. Rf4 Qc6

44. d5! Gunina finally breaks in the centre. 44. ... Qxd5. 44. ... exd5 45. h5 looks no better. 45. Rd4 Qc6 46. Qd2 Re8 47. Rd6 Qf3 48. Rxa6? Too hasty. After 48. Qd4! White would have tightened her grip on her opponent’s position without making any concessions. 48. ... Rd8! 49. Ra7+. White refuses the gift, for if 49. Qxd8 then 49. ... Qxf2+ 50. Kh3 Qf1+ and Black gives perpetual check. 49. ... Ke8 50. Qa2 Kf8 51. Rc7? Best was 51. Rh7! leaving Black no choice but to enter a Rook endgame a Pawn down. 51. ... f4! 52. g4?? A huge blunder, most likely due to serious time trouble. 52. Rh7 was still good enough to save the day. 52. ... Qxg4 Suddenly the White King is caught into a mating net. 53. Qa7. Or 53. Rh7 f3-+ (Sergey Yurevich Shipov’s analysis). 53. ... Qxh4+ 54. Kg2 f3+! Easy, but pretty. 55. Kxf3 Rd3+ 0 : 1.

沈阳 (Shěn Yáng)
Photo: Eteri Kublashvili