G+

Marina Brunello – Désirée Di Benedetto
44th Italian Women’s Chess Championship; Cosenza, December 7, 2017
Sicilian Defence B49

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be3 a6 7. Be2 b5 8. Nxc6 dxc6. The alternative is 8. ... Qxc6; for instance: 9. a3 Bb7 10. Qd2 Rc8 11. 0-0 Nf6 12. Bf3 Qc7 13. Bf4 e5 14. Bg5 Be7 15. Bxf6 Bxf6 16. Rfd1 Rd8 17. Qe2 0-0 18. Nd5 Qc4 19. c3 Bc6 20. Qc2 Bg5 21. g3 g6 22. h4 Bh6 23. Be2 Qc5 24. b4 Qa7 25. a4 Qb7 26. axb5 axb5 27. Qb3 Kg7 28. Bf3 f5 29. exf5 gxf5 30. Bg2 f4 31. Be4 fxg3 32. fxg3 Be3+ 33. Kh1 Bf2 34. Rd3 Kh8 35. Qc2 Rf7 36. Qe2 Rg8 37. Rf1 Rgf8 38. Qh5 Rg7 39. Qe2 Rgf7 40. Kg2 Ba7 41. Rxf7 Rxf7 42. Qh5 d6 43. Kh2 Qd7 44. Rf3 Qe6 45. Qxf7 1 : 0 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Potkin, Eurasian Blitz Chess Cup, Almaty 2016. 9. f4 Bb7 10. Bf3 Be7. If 10. ... e5 then 11. fxe5 Qxe5 12. Bd4 Qg5 13. Qe2 and White stands better, Bologan – Morozevich, World Rapid Chess Championship, Berlin 2015. Maybe 10. ... Nf6 is the best option Black has; for instance: 11. e5 Nd5 12. Nxd5 cxd5 13. Bd4 Be7 14. 0-0 0-0 ½ : ½ Kosanović – Hulak, Pula 1990. 11. e5. For 11. Qe2 Rd8 12. 0-0 e5 see Riazantsev – Grachev, 67th Russian Chess Championship Higher League, Vladivostok 2014. 11. ... Nh6 12. Ne4 Nf5 13. Bc5 Rd8. 13. ... Bxc5 14. Nxc5 Rd8 15. Qe2 transposes into the game. 14. Qe2 Bxc5 15. Nxc5 Nd4 16. Qf2 Nxf3+ 17. gxf3! That’s the killer move! White opens the g-file and prepares for giving mate!

17. ... Rd5. Comparatively better is 17. ... 0-0, although after 18. Rg1 Kh8 19. Qh4 (Δ Rg1xg7) 19. ... h6 20. Ke2! White still retains a powerful attack. 18. Rg1 Kf8. Now it’s late for 18. ... 0-0 as after 19. Ne4 the curtain falls. 19. Rd1 Bc8 20. b4 Qd8 21. Ke2! f6 22. Ne4! Black’s position is totally hopeless and the end comes quick and easy. 22. ... fxe5. 22. ... Qe7 23. Qh4 makes no difference. 23. Qc5+ Qe7 24. Qxe7+ Kxe7 25. Rxg7+ Kd8 26. fxe5 Rxd1 27. Kxd1 h5 28. h4 Bd7 29. Nf6 1 : 0.