The Miles Between

Bela Khotenashvili – Valentina Evgenyevna Gunina
6th World Women’s Team Chess Championship; Khanty-Mansiysk, June 20, 2017
Queen’s Indian Defence E12

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. Bf4 Bb7 5. e3 Bb4+ 6. Nfd2 0-0 7. a3 Be7 8. Nc3 c5 9. d5 exd5 10. cxd5 Bxd5 11. Nxd5 Nxd5 12. Qf3 Nc7 13. Qb7 d6 14. Nc4!? The theoretical matrix is 14. Ne4 Qd7 15. 0-0-0 Qc6 16. Nxd6 Qxb7 17. Nxb7 Ne6 18. Bg3 a6 19. Bc4 Ra7 20. Bd5 Rc8 21. Nd6 Bxd6 22. Bxe6 fxe6 23. Rxd6 Kf7 24. Rxb6 Nd7 25. Rd6 c4 26. Rhd1 Nc5 27. Kc2 Kf6 28. R1d4 Nd3 29. Re4 Re7 30. Rxa6 Kf5 31. f3 Rb7 32. Ra5+ Kf6 33. Be5+ Nxe5 34. Raxe5 Rcb8 35. Rxe6+ Kf7 36. Kc3 Rb3+ 37. Kxc4 Rxb2 38. g4 Rc2+ 39. Kd3 Rxh2 40. Re7+ Kf8 41. Ra7 Ra2 42. Rc4 Rb3+ 43. Ke4 1 : 0 A. J. Miles – Kortschnoi, 41st Hoogovens International Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 1979. Khotenashvili’s move also seems good enough, but probably it is not so strong as Miles’s one. 14. ... Nba6. Not 14. ... b5? on account of 15. Nxd6! Bxd6 16. 0-0-0 with a crushing bind, Rosen – Inđić, 62th Pan-American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship, Cleveland 2015. 15. Nxd6! Rb8. Not 15. ... Bxd6? 16. 0-0-0! and Black ends up in a mess. 16. Qf3. Maybe, at this point, White should look for something better. 16. ... b5? Now, it was time for Gunina to play 16. ... Bxd6 17. Rd1 Ne8 18. Bxd6 Nxd6 19. Qc6 Qc7 when White regains the piece, but the ending looks very drawish. 17. Nf5! Khotenashvili goes directly to attack without thinking of material gains. 17. ... Bf6 18. Rd1 Qe8 19. Bd3 Bxb2? Gunina seems oblivious to the danger. Probably best is 19. ... g6 although after 20. h4! it’s unlikely Black may resist for long to her opponent’s initiative.

20. Nxg7! Khotenashvili offers a wonderful demolition of Black’s defence. 20. ... Bxg7 21. Bxc7 Qe6. Not 21. ... Nxc7?? because of 22. Qf5 f6 23. Qxh7+ Kf7 24. Bg6+ winning the Queen. 22. Bxb8 Bc3+ 23. Kf1 Rxb8 24. g3. White is the Exchange ahead, and retains her overwhelming initiative, so the rest is quite easy. 24. ... Nc7 25. Qh5 c4 26. Bxh7+ Kg7 27. Bf5 Qf6 28. Rd7 Ne8 29. Kg2 a5 30. Rhd1 Bb2 31. Rxf7+! Qxf7 32. Rd7 Qxd7 33. Qh7+ Kf8 34. Qxd7 Bxa3 35. Bg6 Nd6 36. e4 Rb7 37. Qe6 Rc7 38. e5 Nf7 39. Qb6 Re7 40. Bxf7 Rxf7 41. Qxb5 c3 42. Qxa5 Bb2 43. Qc5+ Kg7 44. e6 Rf6 45. Qg5+ 1 : 0.

Bela Khotenashvili. Photo: Anastasiya Balakhontseva.