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Tatev Abrahamyan – Maggie Feng
57th U.S. Women’s Chess Championship; Saint Louis, April 2, 2017
Sicilian Defence B47

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 e6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Qc7 6. f4 Nxd4 7. Qxd4 a6 8. Be3 b5 9. 0-0-0 Bb7 10. Bd3 Rc8 11. Kb1 Nf6 12. e5 Nd5 13. Ne4 Nxe3 14. Qxe3 Bd5 15. Qg3!? Setting off from the Rock: 15. Rhf1 Qa5 16. b3 Bxe4 17. Bxe4 Qc3 18. Qxc3 Rxc3 19. Bb7 a5 20. Ba6 b4 21. Bb5 Rc7 22. Rxd7 Rxd7 23. Rd1 Bc5 24. Rxd7 0-0 25. g3 g6 26. Kb2 Bg1 27. Rd2 Bb6 28. c4 Rc8 29. Kc2 h5 30. Ba6 Rc7 31. Kd1 Kf8 32. Ke2 Ke7 33. Bb5 Bc5 34. Kf3 Ra7 35. Ke4 Rc7 36. Ba4 Ra7 37. Bc6 Rc7 38. Bb5 Ra7 39. h3 Rc7 40. g4 hxg4 41. hxg4 Ra7 42. Rd1 Rc7 43. Ba4 Rb7 44. f5 gxf5+ 45. gxf5 exf5+ 46. Kxf5 Rc7 47. Rd5 Kf8 48. Rd8+ Kg7 49. Ra8 Bf2 50. Rxa5 Rc5 51. Rxc5 Bxc5 52. Ke4 Kf8 53. Kd5 Bf2 54. Kd6 1 : 0 Grandelius – Bellón López, 13th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival, Catalan Bay 2015. 15. ... Qa5 16. b3 Bxe4 17. Bxe4 Rc7 18. Rhf1 g6 19. h4 Ba3 20. Rf3 h5 21. Rfd3 Qb4 22. Bxg6. Abrahamyan opens the hostilities first by a Bishop sacrifice. 22. ... Rg8 23. f5. 23. Bxf7+ Kxf7 24. Qf3 was also interesting, soon winning the third Pawn as a compensation for the piece. 23. ... fxg6. The alternative was 23. ... Qc5 24. R1d2 fxg6 25. fxe6 Rg7∞ (Stockfish). 24. fxe6 Qg4 25. exd7+ Kd8 26. Qf2 Qe6 27. Qf3 Qc6 28. Qe2 Qe6? Correct was 28. ... Be7 29. e6 Rf8 with consequences similar to those of the actual game. 29. Qf3? Apparently 29. b4! (31. ... Bxb4 32. Qe4+−) would have regained the piece leaving White two Pawns ahead. 29. ... Qc6 30. Qe2 Qe6? (30. ... Be7 31. e6 Rf8∞) 31. Qe1. (31. b4!+−) 31. ... Qc6 32. Qd2 Be7

33. e6. “Crazy position between Tatev Abrahamyan and Maggie Feng. Can Tatev make use of her intimidating passed Pawns and Alekhine’s gun?”, wonders the U.S. Chess Federation’s Twitterman. 33. ... Rf8. Clearly not 33. ... Qxe6? on account of 34. Re3 Qf7? (best is 34. ... Qc6 35. Rxe7! Kxe7 36. d8=Q+ Rxd8 37. Qxd8+ Kf7 38. Rd2 which, however, leaves White both the initiative and a Pawn ahead) 35. g3! with the deadly threat of Qd2-g2-a8+. 34. Qe2 Qc5 35. Re3 Rc6 36. g3 Rf6 37. Re5 Qf2 38. Qd3 Rfxe6?? “Huge blunder (38. ... Rxe6??) by Maggie Feng allows Tatev Abrahamyan to obtain a decisive advantage and safely reach the time control”, says the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis’s Twitterman. 39. Rxe6 Rxe6 40. Qc3 Qc5 41. Qh8+ Bf8 42. Rf1 Kxd7 43. Rxf8 Qg1+ 44. Kb2 Qxg3 45. Qg7+ Kc6 46. Rc8+ Kd5 47. Rc3 Qe5 48. Qb7+ Kd6 49. a3 Rf6 50. Qc8 Rf7 51. Ka2 Ke7 52. Rc7+ Kf6 53. Qh8+ Ke6 54. Qxe5+ Kxe5 55. Rxf7 Ke6 56. Ra7 Kf5 57. Rxa6 g5 58. hxg5 Kxg5 59. Ra5 Kg4 60. Rxb5 1 : 0.

Tatev Abrahamyan
Photo: Lennart Ootes (@CCSCSL)