Sliding Doors

Marina Brunello – Tea Bosboom-Lanchava
12th European Women’s Team Chess Championship; Hersonissos, October 31, 2017
Philidor Defence C41

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 e5 4. Nf3 Nbd7 5. Bc4 Be7 6. 0-0 0-0 7. Re1 c6 8. a4 b6 9. b3 a6 10. Bb2 Bb7 11. Bd3 g6 12. Nb1 exd4 13. Nxd4 c5!? This move, connected with the next one, seems quite well founded. In any event, 13. ... Re8 14. Nd2 Bf8 15. f4 Bg7 16. c3 b5 also seems satisfactory for Black, N. Kosintseva – Bocharov, 8th Aeroflot Open, Moscow 2009. 14. Nf3 d5 15. e5 Nh5 16. Nc3 Re8 17. Bf1 Nf8 18. Qd2 Ne6 19. Rad1 Nc7 20. g3 d4 21. Ne4 f5? So far, Black has been playing enterprisingly, but this seems a bit too much! 22. Neg5. The interpolation of 22. exf6 Nxf6 23. Ng5 (Stockfish) might have been more promising. 22. ... h6 23. Bc4+ Bd5 24. Nh3 g5 25. Qe2 Ng7? 25. ... g4? was also met by 26. Nxd4! with disruptive effect, so Black had to try 25. ... Bxc4 26. bxc4 g4 27. c3!? d3!∞ (Stockfish) – very unclear. 26. Nxd4! cxd4 27. Rxd4 Nge6 28. Rxd5 Nxd5 29. Rd1 Nec7 30. Qh5!? Oh, White feels that 30. Bxd5+ Nxd5 31. c4+− is too trivial for her powers. 30. ... Bf8 31. Qg6+ Bg7 32. e6 Qe7? 32. ... Re7 was most imperatively called for, after which might have followed 33. Bxg7 Rxg7 34. Qxf5 Qf6 with a (big) mess. 33. Bxd5 Nxd5 34. Rxd5. Threatening Rd5-d7. 34. ... Rad8. 34. ... Rf8 is elegantly met by the zwischenzug 35. g4! (Stockfish) with the tactical pointe of 35. ... fxg4 36. Nxg5! hxg5 37. Rd7 and finis. 35. Rxf5 Rf8

36. Nxg5! Obviously, Brunello does not miss her last sacrifice! 36. ... hxg5 37. Rxg5 Rd1+ 38. Kg2 Qb7+ 39. Kh3 Rxf2 40. Qxg7+ Qxg7 41. Rxg7+ Kf8 42. e7+ Ke8 43. Ba3 1 : 0.