Thursday, July 14, 2016

Kobbari Lavuju

Humpy Koneru – Antoaneta Stefanova
Women’s Grand Prix; 4th stage; 成都 (Chéngdū), July 14, 2016
Queen’s Gambit Declined D45

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 a6 6. c5 b6 7. cxb6 Qxb6 8. Bd3 a5 9. Na4 Qa7 10. 0-0 Nbd7. For 10. ... Ba6 11. Ne5 Bd6 12. Bxa6 Qxa6 13. b3 0-0 14. Bb2 Nfd7 15. Rc1 Rc8 16. f4 see Bacrot – I. Sokolov, 37th Chess Olympiad, Turin 2006. 11. b3 Ba6 12. Bxa6 Qxa6 13. Qc2 Bd6 14. Bb2 0-0 15. Ne5 Rfc8 16. Nd3 Qa7 17. Rfc1 Qb8 18. h3 Ne4 19. Qd1 Ra7 20. Rc2 Rac7 21. Rac1 Qa7 22. Qe1


22. ... f5? The decision of “stonewalling” appears at least suspect if not seriously wrong. Stefanova should not have delayed one moment playing 22. ... c5! 23. f3! c4! with sufficient counterplay for Black. 23. f3 Bg3 24. Qe2 Nd6 25. Ndc5. Spot the difference: now Black will be inexorably compressed and squeezed into Koneru’s refined positional grip. 25. ... Nxc5 26. Nxc5 Re7 27. Nd3 Rec7 28. Ba3 Nb7 29. Bc5 Qa6 30. Qd1 Re8 31. f4 Bh4 32. a4 Bf6 33. Ba3 Nd8 34. Bd6 Rc8 35. Qd2 Nf7 36. Ba3 Rc7 37. Kh2 Qb6 38. Rc3 Rec8 39. Qc2 Nd8 40. Bc5 Qa6 41. Bd6 Ra7 42. Nc5 Qb6 43. Nxe6! As usual Humpy is distinguished by her elegant play. 43. ... Nxe6 44. Qxf5 Re8 45. Rxc6 Qxb3 46. R1c3 Qb7. Not 46. ... Qxa4? 47. Qxd5 Kh8 48. R3c4 Qb3 49. Qxe6! winning immediately (Kouatly’s analysis). 47. Qxd5. And as always, Koneru is not at her ease when has to play under time pressure. Even stronger was 47. Rc8 Qf7 48. Rxe8+ Qxe8 49. Qxd5 leaving Black without resource. 47. ... Qf7 48. Rc8 Nd8 49. Qb5 Bh4. Stefanova also betrays impatience playing under pressure, both of time and position. But also after 49. ... Qd7 50. Bc7! Qxb5 51. axb5 White must win in the mid-long run. 50. Be5 Qg6 51. f5. It’s a cat/mouse chase by now. 51. ... Qf7 52. R3c7 Rxc7 53. Rxc7 Be7 54. e4 Qf8 55. Rc8 Bd6 56. Qd5+ Nf7 57. Rxe8 Qxe8 58. Bxd6 h5 59. e5 Qxa4 60. e6 Nxd6 61. e7+ Nf7 62. Qa8+ Kh7 63. e8=Q Qxd4 64. Qg8+ Kh6 65. Qc6+ 1 : 0.


Antoaneta Stefanova
Photo: 樊璐璐 (Fán Lùlù)/sports.sina.com.cn
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