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Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
4th Isle of Man International Chess Tournament; Douglas, September 23, 2017
Sicilian Defence B81

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. g4. Vintage Keres. 6. ... h6 7. h3 Nc6 8. Be3 Bd7 9. f4 Be7 10. Nf3!? Just a bit strange. 10. Qf3 might be the best choice, as after — just for example — 10. ... Nxd4 11. Bxd4 Bc6 12. 0-0-0 Qa5 13. Kb1 Rc8 14. Rg1 White soon developed a powerful initiative, Aronian – Gürcan, Zonal Tournament, Yerevan 2000. 10. ... d5! This must be good. Black has in mind to give up her (next) isolani so as to get dynamic counterplay. 11. exd5 Nxd5 (11. ... exd5!?) 12. Nxd5 exd5 13. Bg2. 13. Qxd5 Nb4 14. Qb3 0-0 gives Black excellent play for the Pawn. 13. ... d4!? (13. ... 0-0 14. 0-0 Re8 15. Qd2 Qc7∞) 14. Nxd4 Bh4+ 15. Bf2 Qe7+ 16. Kf1 Bxf2 17. Kxf2 0-0-0. Also interesting is 17. ... Qh4+ 18. Kg1 0-0 19. Nxc6 Bxc6 20. Bxc6 bxc6 21. Qf3 Rad8 22. Rh2 Rfe8 with a dynamic balance. 18. Qf3 Qc5 19. Rhd1. Kosteniuk gives her answer to the Hamletic dilemma of which Rook is the right one.

19. ... h5! Without this move Black’s counterplay would be almost doomed to failure, as after 19. ... Be6? 20. Qc3 Black would find herself without compensation for the Pawn. 20. gxh5. If 20. g5? then 20. ... Bg4! and Black should regain the Pawn with quite an even game. 20. ... Be6. Intending ... Be6-d5.

21. Qc3. Kosteniuk plays safely, even if doing so means resigning herself to a drawish endgame a Pawn up. If nothing else, 21. c3(!) Bd5 22. Qg4+ Kb8 23. Bxd5 Rxd5 24. Qxg7 Rdxh5 25. Rd3⩲ is also drawish, but a bit more laborious for Black. 21. ... Qxc3 22. bxc3 Rxh5 (22. ... Nxd4! 23. cxd4 Rxh5 24. Kg3 Rdh8 26. Rh1 R8h6=) 23. Nxe6 fxe6 24. Rxd8+ Kxd8 25. Rg1 Ne7 26. Bxb7 (26. Re1!?) 26. ... Rxh3. White’s doubled extra Pawn is meaningless and the game inexorably goes towards a draw. 27. Bf3 Rh2+ 28. Rg2 Rxg2+ 29. Bxg2 Kc7 30. Ke3 Kd6 31. Kd4 Nf5+ 32. Ke4 Ng3+ 33. Kf3 Nf5 34. Ke4 Ng3+ 35. Kd3 Nh5 36. Ke3 Nf6 37. c4 Nd7 38. Kd4 Nc5 39. Bf3 Nd7 40. Bh5 Nc5 41. Be8 Nb7 42. a4 Nc5 43. a5 Nb7 44. c5+ Nxc5 45. Kc4 Na6 46. Bh5 Nc7 47. Bf3 Na6 48. Bg2 Nc7 49. Bb7 Ne8 50. Kd4 Nf6 51. Bf3 Nd7 52. Bg2 e5+ 53. fxe5+ Nxe5 54. a6 Nd7 55. Bf1 Nc5 56. Bb5 Ne6+ 57. Ke4 Kc5 58. Ke5 Nc7 59. Bd3 Kb6 60. Kd6 g5. 60. ... Nxa6 61. Bxa6 Kxa6 62. c4 Kb7 63. Kd7 Kb6 draws at once. 61. Be2 Nb5+ 62. Ke5 Kxa6 63. Kf5 Kb6 64. Kxg5 Kc5 65. Kf4 Nc3 66. Ke3 a5 67. Kd2 Kb4 68. Bh5 a4 69. Kc1 a3 70. Bf7 Kc5 71. Bb3 Kd4 72. Bf7 Ke3 73. Bb3 Kd4 ½ : ½.

The photographer caught the essence of the uncovering game between shoulders and arms. Photo: John Saunders.