Taking Back Sunday

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk – 倪诗群 (Ní Shīqún)

Knockout Women’s World Chess Championship Tournament; match game 2; Tehran, February 21, 2017

Three Knights Game C42

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Nxe5 0-0 5. Be2 Re8 6. Nd3 Bxc3 7. dxc3 Nxe4 8. 0-0 d6 9. Re1 Nd7 10. Bf3 Ndf6 11. c4 h6 12. b3 Bf5 13. Bb2 Rb8!? It doesn’t seem an improvement on 13. ... c6 14. Qc1 Nh7 15. Qf4 Qg5 16. Rad1 Nc5 17. Qd4 Nxd3 18. cxd3 Qg6 19. h4 Qf6 20. Ba1 Qxd4 21. Bxd4 Nf8 22. Rxe8 Rxe8 23. a4 a6 24. b4 Ng6 25. g3 Ne5 26. Bxe5 dxe5 27. Be4 Be6 28. a5 Rd8 29. Re1 f5 30. Bg2 Rxd3 31. Rxe5 Bxc4 32. Re7 Bd5 33. Rxb7 f4 34. gxf4 Bxg2 35. Kxg2 Rb3 36. f5 c5 37. b5 axb5 38. a6 Ra3 39. a7 Kh7 40. f6 1 : 0 Rozentalis – Chekhov, 1st League of 53rd Championship of USSR, Kharkov 1985. 14. h4 Qd7 15. Qc1 Bh7 16. Qf4 b6 17. Nb4. Stockfish gives 17. g4! (Δ g4-g5) 17. ... g5 18. hxg5 hxg5 19. Qc1 Bg6 20. Bxf6 Nxf6 21. Qxf6 with a decisive preponderance of White, but it is hard to blame Kosteniuk for not doing so. Or perhaps, was Alexandra Konstantinovna afraid to advance her g-Pawn? 17. ... a5 18. Nd5 Nxd5 19. cxd5 Qf5 20. Qxf5 Bxf5 21. Re2 Nc5 22. Rae1 Rxe2 23. Rxe2 Kf8 24. a3. White stands a little better (especially thanks to her Bishop pair), but it is not easy to get more of it. 24. ... Bd7 25. b4 axb4 26. axb4 Na6 27. c3 Re8 28. Rxe8+ Bxe8 29. Be2 Nb8 30. g4 g5 31. Kg2 f6 32. Kg3 Bg6 33. f4 Be4 34. hxg5 hxg5 35. fxg5 fxg5 36. Bc1 Bxd5 37. Bxg5 Nc6 38. Kf4 Kf7 39. Bh4

39. ... Bh1? It’s one of the worst possible moves that 倪诗群 (Ní Shīqún) could make, but... she had not enough time to realize it. 40. b5! White now wins the c-Pawn and with it the game. 40. ... Na7. Not 40. ... Ne7?? (in order to prevent Bh4-d8) because of 41. Bxe7 Kxe7 42. Bf3 winning immediately – as a sad consequence of the unfortunate 39. ... Bh1. 41. Bc4+ d5 42. Bd3 c6 43. bxc6 Nxc6 44. Bf2. The Pawn is finally doomed. Kosteniuk will convert her advantage with renewed energy. 44. ... Na5 45. Bxb6 Nc4 46. Bd4 Nd6 47. Bh7 Bg2 48. Be5 Nc8 49. Bd3 Ne7 50. Bd4 Ng6+ 51. Kg5 Ne7 52. Bc5 Nc6 53. Kf4 Nd8 54. Be3 Nc6 55. g5 Ne7 56. Ke5 Ng6+ 57. Kd6 Ne7 58. Bc2 Nc8+ 59. Ke5 Ne7 60. Bc1 Nc6+ 61. Kd6 Ne7 62. Bb3 Nf5+ 63. Ke5 Ne7 64. Bd1 Ng6+ 65. Kd6 Be4 66. Bg4 Nf8 67. Bh5+ Ng6 68. Be3 Kg7 69. Bd4+ Kf7 70. Bf6 Bg2 71. Bg4 Kf8 72. Be5 Ne7 73. Ke6 Ng6 74. Kf6 Be4 75. Be6 Nh4 76. Bf7 Nf5 77. g6 1 : 0. Mate in two follows. A convincing victory of Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk, who will play Anna Muzychuk in the semifinals.

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk
Photo © David Llada