Walls and Bridges

Antoaneta Stefanova – Anna Ushenina
17th European Women’s Individual Chess Championship; Mamaia, June 4, 2016
Réti Opening A06

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. b3 d5 3. Bb2 c5 4. e3 e6 5. Ne5 Nbd7 6. f4 Be7 7. Bd3 Qc7 8. 0-0 b6 9. Qf3 0-0 10. c4. For 10. Qh3 Ne4 see Fauland – Sandhöfner, 56th Austrian Chess Championship, Feldkirch 2013. 10. ... Bb7 11. Qh3 dxc4 12. bxc4 Be4 13. Be2 Nxe5 14. Bxe5 Qd7 15. d4 cxd4 16. exd4 Bb7 17. Nc3 g6 18. Rad1 Rfd8 19. Qh6. Here, probably, Stefanova misses her golden time. 19. Rd3! appeared very, very strong, causing Ushenina to face a plethora of powerful threats. 19. ... Ne8 20. d5 Bf8 21. Qh4 Qe7 22. Qg3 f6 23. Bd4 Bg7 24. Bf3. Another major error. 24. Qe3 still seems good enough for claiming an advantage. 24. ... Nd6 25. Bg4. And this is decidly a serious mistake, allowing Unshenina to liquidate for maximum positional gain. 25. ... f5 26. Be2 exd5 27. cxd5 Bxd4+ 28. Rxd4 Rac8 29. Ra4 Ba8 30. Ba6 Rc5 31. Qd3 Kg7 32. h3 Re8 33. Rf3 Kh6 34. Kh2 Ne4 35. d6. The first fallen Pawn. 35. ... Nxd6 36. Rg3

Europe Échecs’ editor-in-chief Grandmaster Bachar Kouatly writes: “It’s not always necessary to play the strongest move, but the move most suitable for your own goal. Thus Anna Ushenina defeated Antoaneta Stefanova. In the position shown in diagram (after 36. Rg3), both 36. ... Qc7! and 36. ... b5! are regarded as very strong by computer, but Ushenina prefers the liquidation by 36. ... Rxc3 37. Qxc3 Ne4 38. Qe1 Nxg3 39. Qxg3 Rd8 to combine her Queenside majority with a direct attack on the Kingside, finally forcing her opponent’s resignation at move 59”. 36. ... Rxc3 37. Qxc3 Ne4 38. Qe1 Nxg3 39. Qxg3 Rd8 40. Be2 Rd2 41. Bf3 Bxf3 42. Qxf3 a5 43. Qg3 Qc7 44. Ra3 Rd4 45. Rf3 Kg7 46. h4 h5 47. Qf2 Qd6 48. a3 Kh7 49. Qe3 b5 50. Kg3 b4 51. axb4 axb4 52. Qe8 Qc7 53. Kh3 Re4 54. Qf8 Qe7 55. Qc8 Re1 56. g3 Qe2 57. Qb7+ Kh6 58. Rb3 Qd1 0 : 1.

Antoaneta Stefanova vs. Anna Ushenina
Photo: Federația Română de Șah