A Matter of Honour

Marina Brunello – Sarah Hoolt
18th European Individual Women’s Chess Championship; Riga, April 22, 2017
Sicilian Defence B85

The last round may be not an easy game, especially when you have to play for any takes but the honour. 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 d6 7. 0-0 Nf6 8. Be3 Be7 9. f4 0-0 10. Kh1 Bd7 11. Qe1 b5 12. a3 Nxd4 13. Bxd4 Bc6 14. Qg3 g6 15. Bf3 Qd7 16. Rae1. It’s too hard to resist the temptation to show an everlasting masterpiece by Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov: 16. Rad1 Qb7 17. f5 e5 18. Be3 b4 19. axb4 Qxb4 20. Bg5 Qxb2 21. Rd3 Qxc2 22. Bd1 Qb2 23. Bxf6 Bxf6 24. Rxd6 Bb5 25. Rf2 Qc1 26. Rxf6 Rac8 27. Rc2 Qa1 28. fxg6 hxg6 29. Rd6 Rc7 30. Qxe5 Rfc8 31. Qd5 Kg7 32. Qd4+ Kh7 33. Nxb5 1 : 0 Karpov – Hübner, Horten Tournament, Bad Kissingen 1980. 16. ... Rac8 17. Nd1. An older try is 17. f5 Ne8? (17. ... e5) 18. Bg4? (18. fxe6 fxe6 19. Nd5!) 18. ... Nf6 19. Bxf6 Bxf6 20. fxe6 fxe6 21. Nd5 Be5 22. Qh3 Rce8 23. Rxf8+ ½ : ½ Pritchett – D. Cramling, Troon 1984. 17. ... Ne8 18. Ne3 Bf6 19. Bxf6 Nxf6 20. e5!? I’m not so sure that this is better than 20. f5, but probably White is following her home preparation. 20. ... Bxf3 21. exf6 Be4 22. c3. And here again 22. f5 deserved serious consideration, as with her next Rook lift Black sets up a very aggressive... defence. 22. ... Rc5! 23. Rd1 Rd8 24. Rd4 Qc6 25. Rfd1 h5 26. Kg1 Kh7 27. Qf2 e5! 28. fxe5 Rxe5 29. Qf4 g5 30. Qf2 d5 31. h4? Most likely White was not feeling at her ease as after – for instance – 31. c4!? bxc4 32. Nxc4 Re6 the f6-Pawn appears to be doomed, but certainly the text doesn’t help the cause. 31. ... Rg8 32. Rf1 Qe6 33. Qg3 gxh4 34. Qxh4 Reg5 35. Rf2 Qe5. Threatening ... Rg5-g3. 36. Qh2? White is tired to suffer and decides to end the ordeal. 36. ... Rg3−+ 37. Rdd2. Unluckily for the Tricolour 37. Rxe4? dxe4 38. Rf5 is brutally met by 38. ... Rxg2+.

37. ... Bxg2! 38. Rxg2. Or 38. Nxg2 Qe1+ and wins. 38. ... Qxe3+ 39. Kf1 Rf3+ 40. Rgf2 Rh3 0 : 1.