Razzle Dazzle

Ekaterina Ubiennykh – Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk
66th Russian Women’s Chess Championship; Novosibirsk, October 25, 2016
Nimzo-Indian Defence E46

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 0-0 5. Ne2 d5 6. a3 Be7 7. cxd5 exd5 8. Nf4 c6 9. Bd3 Na6 10. 0-0 Nc7 11. Bc2. Another (wild) try is 11. f3 b6 12. Bd2 c5 13. Be1 Bb7 14. Qd2 c4 15. Bc2 b5 16. e4 a5 17. e5 Nd7 18. Nce2 f6 19. e6 Nb6 20. Bf5 g6 21. Nxg6 hxg6 22. Qh6 gxf5 23. Qg6+ Kh8 24. f4 Qe8 25. Qh6+ Kg8 26. Rf3 Nxe6 27. Rg3+ Ng5 28. fxg5 fxg5 29. Bd2 Qc6 30. Qh5 g4 31. Rf1 Qe8 32. Qh6 Rf6 33. Rxg4+ fxg4 34. Rxf6 Bxf6 35. Qxf6 Qxe2 36. Qg6+ Kh8 37. Qh6+ Kg8 38. Qg6+ Kh8 ½ : ½ Leitão – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 6th Chess World Cup, Baku 2015, tie-break game 2. 11. ... b6 12. f3 c5 13. Rf2 Bd6 14. Nce2 Re8 15. Bd2 Bb7 16. b4 c4 17. g4 Nd7 18. Rg2 Ne6 19. Qe1?? A grotesque blunder which loses on the spot. 19. Nxe6 was obvious, and good enough to keep a symbolic edge. 19. ... Bxf4! 20. exf4 Nxd4 21. Nxd4 Rxe1+ 22. Rxe1. Now White has anything to hope from 22. ... Qf6!, but Kosteniuk, maybe too relaxed, carelessly plays: 22. ... c3? 23. Bxc3 Qc7. Not 23. ... Rc8 on account of 24. Rge2! Rxc3? 25. Re8+ Qxe8 26. Rxe8+ Nf8 27. Bxh7+ Kxh7 28. Rxf8 and White enters the endgame a Pawn up (Bachar Kouatly’s analysis). 24. Bb2 Nf8 25. f5 Bc8 26. Re8 Bb7 27. Re3 Rc8 28. Bd3 Qf4 29. Rge2 h5 30. gxh5 Nh7 31. Re7 Ng5? Kosteniuk was in serious time trouble. 32. Rxb7? Far stronger was 32. f6! which after 32. ... gxf6 33. h6 Bc6 34. b5 would cost Black a piece. 32. ... Nh3+ 33. Kg2 Qh4

34. Ne6! fxe6? Upset by her opponent’s clever and tricky Knight jump, Kosteniuk puts her foot wrong. 34. ... d4 was mandatory and unclear. 35. Rxg7+ Kf8 36. Rg4? Due to time trouble, Ubiennykh misses her great chance, viz. 36. fxe6! Nf4+ 37. Kh1! Nxe2 38. e7+ regaining the Queen with decisive interest. 36. ... Nf4+ 37. Rxf4 Qxf4 38. fxe6 Ke7 39. Be5 Qg5+ 40. Bg3 Rc3. The time control is reached and Black is winning. 41. Bg6 d4 42. f4 Qg4 43. Rf2 d3 44. f5 Rc2 45. f6+ Kxe6 46. Bxd3 Rxf2+ 47. Kxf2 Qxh5 48. Ke3 Qh6+ 49. Kd4 Qxf6+ 50. Kc4 Qb2 51. Be1? The last mistake, but with no regret as Black’s game was lost anyway. 51. ... b5+! 52. Kxb5 Qe5+ 53. Ka6 Qxe1 54. Bc4+ Kd6 55. Ka5 Qc3 0 : 1.

Ekaterina Ubiennykh vs. Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk
Photo: Eteri Kublashvili