Days Without Number

Alina Balaian – Marina Brunello
18th European Individual Women’s Chess Championship; Riga, April 16, 2017
Sicilian Defence B92

And, finally, the happy day arrived even for Marina Brunello: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 e5 7. Nb3 Be7 8. 0-0 0-0 9. Kh1 Nc6 10. f3 Be6 11. Nd5 Bxd5 12. exd5 Nb4 13. c4 a5 14. Bd2 b6 15. Nc1!? White first moves out into the unknown, even if it is just a half step in the “million computer theory”: 15. Bxb4 axb4 16. Nc1 Nh5 17. g3 Qc8 18. Rg1 Bg5? 19. f4 Nxf4 20. gxf4 Bxf4 21. Rg2 Be3 22. Nd3 Qxc4 23. Nxe5 Qh4 24. Qd3 Bc5 25. Nf3 Qh6 26. Rf1 Qe3 27. Ng5 Qxd3 28. Bxd3 g6 29. h4 Rae8 30. Ne4 Kg7 31. Re2 Ra8 32. h5 Bd4 33. Nxd6 Rad8 34. Rf4 Bxb2 35. Nxf7 1 : 0 Tseshkovsky – Sakaev, 57th Russian Chess Championship Qualifier, Saint Petersburg 2004. 15. ... Na6 16. Be3 Nc5 17. Bxc5 bxc5 18. Bd3 Nh5 19. Qc2 g6 20. g3 Bf6 21. Ne2 Bg7 22. Nc3 Rb8 23. Rae1 f5 24. Nb5 Qd7 25. Qd2 Ra8 26. Rf2 Bf6 27. Bf1 Ng7 28. Bh3 h5 29. Rg2 Kf7 30. g4!? A wild wind is blowing... 30. ... hxg4 31. fxg4 Rh8 32. Qd3 e4 33. gxf5 gxf5 34. Qg3? Balaian appears to miss her best chance to save the day: 34. Rxg7! Bxg7 (even after 34. ... Kxg7 35. Qg3+ Kf8 36. Rf1 Rh5 37. Nxd6 Qg7 38. Nxf5 everything seems okay for White) 35. Rxe4 Be5 36. Rxe5! dxe5 37. Bxf5 Qe7 38. Be6+ and, although White is two Exchanges down, she has more than sufficient play against Black’s King; for instance: 38. ... Ke8 39. Qg6+ Kd8 40. Bf5 Rb8 41. Na7! Kc7 42. Nc6 Qf8 43. Nxb8 Kxb8 44. Qb6+ Ka8 45. Qxa5+ with perpetual check. 34. ... Be5 35. Qg6+ Kf8 36. Re3 Qf7 37. Nxd6 Qxg6 38. Rxg6

38. ... Bf4? I think Brunello didn’t see a clear win after 38. ... Ra6! 39. Rxg7 Kxg7 40. Nxf5+ Kf6 41. Ng3 Rxh3 (41. ... Bxg3 42. Rxg3 Ke5 might even be better, but, sorry I don’t like it on principle) 42. Nxe4+ Kf5 43. Rxh3 Kxe4 44. b3 a4! and maybe she was right, but in any event – even if she was right – she could have tormented her opponent an infinity longer, and – ignorantly speaking – it seems to me Black has serious practical winning chances. The text instead gives White an unexpected second possibility: 39. Rc3? But luck is gone again! After 39. Rxg7! Kxg7 (apparently other moves don’t promise anything either) 40. Nxf5+ Kf6 41. Rxe4 White should be able to not lose the game. 39. ... e3! A small but very significant step. Now, finally, it’s over. 40. Bf1 Ra6 41. Rxg7 Kxg7 42. Nxf5+ Kf6 43. Nxe3 Rxh2+ 44. Kg1 Rxb2 45. Ng2 Be5 46. Rf3+ Kg5 47. Bd3 Bd4+ 48. Ne3 Rf6 49. Rh3 Kf4 0 : 1.