Behind Stage

Matthias Blübaum – Olga Alexandrovna Girya
80th Tata Steel Challengers Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 14, 2018
Réti Opening A07

“Speaking of endgame technique, what about the following game. WGM Olga Girya’s win over GM Matthias Blübaum could easily have been one of ‘Capablanca’s Best Chess Endings’, the old book by Irving Chernev”, writes Peter Doggers in his Chess.com report. 1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 Bg4 3. Bg2 c6 4. 0-0 Nd7 5. h3 Bxf3 6. Bxf3 e5 7. d3 Ngf6 8. e4 Bc5 9. Nc3 dxe4 10. Nxe4 Nxe4 11. dxe4 0-0 12. Qe2 a5. Or 12. ... Qe7 13. h4 a5 14. Bg5 Nf6 15. a4 Rfd8 16. Rfd1 Bd4 17. c3 Bb6 18. Rxd8+ Rxd8 19. Rd1 Rxd1+ 20. Qxd1 h6 21. Bc1 Qe6 22. Kg2 Qa2 23. Qd6 Qxa4 24. Bxh6 gxh6 25. Qxf6 Qc2= Świercz – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), 1st Fall Chess Classic, Saint Louis 2017. 13. a4 Qe7 14. Kg2 Rfd8 15. Bd2 Nf8 16. Rfd1 Ne6 17. c3 Rd6 18. Bg4 Rad8 19. Be1 g6 20. h4 h5 21. Bf3 Ba7 22. Qc2 Nc5 23. Be2 Qe6 24. Rxd6 Rxd6 25. Ra3. Artificially striving for an advantage. After all, 25. Rd1 might have been better. 25. ... Qd7 26. b4 Nd3 27. Bxd3 Rxd3 28. bxa5 c5! 29. Qe2 c4 30. Ra2 Kg7 31. Rd2. 31. Rb2 Qxa4 32. Rxb7 Qxa5 33. Qb2 Rd1 34. Qe2 Rd3= could be a simpler way of equalising. 31. ... Rxd2 32. Qxd2 Qc6! 33. Qc2 Bb8! 34. f3 Bc7 35. Qb2 Bxa5 36. Qa3 Bb6 37. Qe7? White should not have allowed his opponent to trade Queens, so maybe something like 37. Qa2 was worth trying.

37. ... Qc5! Forcing the exchange of Queens (38. Qxb7?? Qg1+ 39. Kh3 Qh1 mate) and a virtually won ending, as White won’t be able to cope with his weak Pawns on a4 and c3. A very elegant King’s walk to the Queenside seals a well deserved win for Girya, at her début in Wijk aan Zee. 38. Qxc5 Bxc5 39. Bf2 Ba3! 40. f4 Kf6 41. Kf3 Ke6 42. Be3 Be7 43. Bf2 Bd8 44. Be1 Bc7 45. Bf2 Kd7 46. Be3 Kc6 47. Ke2 b6 48. Kd2 Kb7 49. fxe5 Bxe5 50. Bf4 Bg7 51. Bd6 Kc6 52. Bf4 Kb7 53. Bd6 Ka6 54. e5 Ka5 55. Ke3 Kxa4 56. Kd4 Kb3 57. Bc7 b5 58. Ba5 Bh6 59. Kc5 Bd2 60. Kd6 Bxc3 61. Bxc3 Kxc3 62. Ke7 Kd4 0 : 1.

Pia Sprong’s drawing of Olga Alexandrovna Girya’s and Dmitry Gordievsky’s first round game. Artwork © Pia Sprong.