The Strength of a King

Marina Brunello – Alisa Galliamova
18th European Individual Women’s Chess Championship; Riga, April 13, 2017
Giuoco Piano C54

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 a6 6. Bb3 Ba7 7. Nbd2 d5 8. exd5 Nxd5 9. Ne4 0-0 10. 0-0 Bg4 11. Re1. For 11. h3 Bh5 12. Ng3 Bg6 13. Re1 Qd6 14. Nh4 see Collutiis – Blagojević, 41st Chess Olympiad, Tromsø 2014. 11. ... f6 12. Ng3 Qd7 13. Qe2 Rfe8 14. Qe4 Be6 15. Bd2 Rad8 16. Rad1 Kh8 17. Qh4 Nde7 18. Bc2? Subjectively speaking, it’s hard to feel any enthusiasm for White’s opening (I just see a lot of Queen moves!), but the text move is really a big mistake! Comparatively best was 18. Be3 with a still tenable position. 18. ... Ng6 19. Qa4 Bg4 20. Bc1

20. ... f5? Luckily for Brunello, Galliamova misses the devilish interference 20. ... Bxf3 21. gxf3 Bd4!!−+ with the deadly threat of ... Qd7-h3 followed by ... Ng6-h4. 21. Bg5 Bxf3 22. gxf3 f4 23. Bxd8 Rxd8 24. Qe4 fxg3 25. hxg3 Qh3 26. d4. Probably the only move, as after 26. Qg4 Bxf2+! 27. Kxf2 Qxh2+ 28. Ke3 Nf4! (but not 28. ... Qxc2?? because of 29. Rd2 trapping the Black Queen) 29. gxf4 exf4+ 30. Ke4 Qxc2 31. Qxf4 Qf2! White cannot enjoy her Exchange advantage due to her own King dramatically exposed to attack on the open board. 26. ... Rf8 27. Qd5 exd4 28. Bxg6 dxc3! 28. ... hxg6? 29. Re4! g5! 30. Qxg5 Qf5∞ is maybe tenable but certainly much less clear. 29. Qf7! Marina persuades her opponent to be content with a perpetual check by means of a very brilliant offer. 29. ... Qxg3+ 30. Kh1 Qh3+ 31. Kg1 Qg3+ 32. Kh1 Qh3+ 33. Kg1 Qg3+ ½ : ½.