The Way to Rainy Mountain

Natalia Andreevna Pogonina – Marina Brunello
17th European Women’s Individual Chess Championship; Mamaia, June 3, 2016
Sicilian Defence B92

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 e5 7. Nb3 Be7 8. Be3 Be6 9. Nd5 Nxd5 10. exd5 Bf5 11. 0-0 0-0 12. Qd2 Nd7 13. Na5 Qc7 14. c4 Bd8? Very involuted. For 14. ... Bg6 15. b4 Rfe8 16. c5 see 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) – 高睿 (Gāo Ruì), Chinese Team Chess Championship, 天津 (Tiānjīn) 2012. 15. b4 Qb8. No better is 15. ... Nf6 16. f3 Qd7 17. Nb3 b5 18. c5 dxc5 19. Bxc5 Re8 20. d6 Qb7 21. Bf2 Bb6 22. Nc5 Qd5 23. Qg5 Be6 24. Rfd1 Qc6 25. Rac1 h6 26. Qd2 Bd5 27. Kh1 Qxd6 28. Bh4 g5 29. Bxg5 hxg5 30. Qxg5+ Kf8 31. Ne4 Nxe4 32. fxe4 1 : 0 Manakova – Živković, Yugoslav Women’s Team Chess Championship, Herceg Novi 2001. 16. Nb3 b6 17. f4 exf4 18. Bxf4 Bg6 19. Rac1

19. ... Be7? On the wrong track. Consideration deserved 19. ... a5! (Stockfish) in order to answer 20. c5 by 20. ... bxc5 21. bxc5 Bc7. 20. Kh1 Qd8 21. Nd4. White obtained a crushing advantage with no particular effort. Therefore, Marina decides to sacrifice a Pawn for some freedom. 21. ... Nf6 22. Nc6 Qd7. In fact, after 22. ... Qc7 23. Bf3 Natalia Andreevna would inexorably strengthen her own position before breaking through by c4-c5. 23. Qd4 Rfe8 24. Qxb6 Bd8 25. Qf2 Ne4 26. Qg1 Bf6 27. Bf3 Ng5 28. Bxg5 Bxg5 29. Rc3 Bd2 30. Ra3 Qf5. Not the most comfortable throne for Her Majesty. 31. b5! axb5?? A tremendous blunder, but after b5-b6 Black was doomed anyway. 32. Rxa8 Rxa8 33. Ne7+ 1 : 0. Okay for now, it will be for next time.

Natalia Andreevna Pogonina vs. Marina Brunello
Photo: Federația Română de Șah