Half Step Up

Marina Brunello – Maria Palma
44th Italian Women’s Chess Championship; Cosenza, December 9, 2017
Sicilian Defence B40

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Qd3. Theory runs 6. e5 Nd5 7. Bd2 (or 7. Qg4) with plenty of complications as in most lines Black sacrifices the Exchange on f8 for a counter-attack on the dark squares. Brunello’s move shows that she was not ready to undertake the challenge. 6. ... 0-0. 6. ... Nc6 7. Nxc6 bxc6 8. e5 Nd5 9. f4 f5 is also satisfactory for Black, Walbrodt – Schiffers, Internationales Kaiser-Jubiläums-Schachturnier, Vienna 1898. 7. e5 Nd5 8. Bd2 d6 9. exd6 Qxd6 10. g3 Nc6 11. Bg2 Rd8 12. Nxc6 bxc6 13. Ne4 Qc7 14. Bxb4 Nxb4 15. Qb3 Rb8 16. 0-0 c5. Black seems to have equalised – more or less. 17. Rfd1 Bb7 18. Rxd8+ Rxd8 19. a3 Bd5 20. c4 Bxe4 21. axb4 Bxg2 22. Kxg2 Qb7+ 23. Qf3 Qc7? Really bad judgment as this loses the game. Instead 23. ... Qxb4 24. Rxa7 Rf8 25. b3 Qb8 appears to lead to an approximately equal endgame.

24. b5! Now White’s heavy calibers should not meet too many difficulties in dooming Black’s weak Pawns on a7 and c5. 24. ... g6 25. Ra6 Kg7 26. b3. 26. Qa3 eventually followed by Ra6-c6 seemed stronger. 26. ... Rd4 27. Qc6? 27. Rc6 Qe7 28. Rc8 would have kept the bind. 27. ... Qe5. Not 27. ... Qxc6+? because of 28. dxc6 Rd8 29. Ra5 and White must win. 28. Rxa7 Qf5? 28. ... Rd3! followed by ... Rd3xb3 would have probably saved Black. 29. Qf3! Qxf3+ 30. Kxf3 Rd3+ 31. Ke4 Rxb3 32. Rc7 Rb2 33. Rxc5 Rxf2 34. b6 1 : 0.