The Sudden Star

Luca Moroni – Pia Cramling
16th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 31, 2018
Catalan Opening E01

Swedish Grandmaster Pia Cramling, 54, wrote today one of her most memorable chess pages by winning undefeated the prize for the best woman in the 16th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival. The newly Italian Chess Champion, Luca Moroni, may therefore feel himself proud of having given (just yesterday) his personal contribution to Pia’s brilliant achievement. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Bd6 6. Nc3 0-0 7. cxd5 exd5 8. Nxd5 Nxd5 9. Bxd5 Be7!? Cramling’s sensible improvement over 9. ... Bxg3(?) 10. Qb3 Bd6 11. Nf3 c6 12. Bc4 Bf5 13. Ng5 Qe7 14. Qf3 Bg6 15. h4 Bb4 16. 0-0-0 Bxd2+ 17. Rxd2 h5 18. Rg1 which gave White a dream position, So – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 80th Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2018. However, I still keep thinking that 9. ... Ba3(!) might be very interesting. 10. Be4 Qxd4 11. Qc2 h6 12. Nf3 Qb6 13. 0-0 Nd7 14. Rfc1 c6 15. Be3 Qc7 16. Nd4 Nf6 17. Bg2 Bd7 18. h3 a5 19. Rd1 Rfe8 20. Rac1. Strangely White’s Knight won’t never jump on f5: 20. Nf5 Bf8 21. Bd4 Nh7 22. h4 with a promising position. 20. ... a4 21. Bf4 Qc8 22. h4 Be6 23. a3. 23. Nxe6 Qxe6 24. Qc4 seemed like a good ending for White. 23. ... Bg4 24. Qc4 Bf8 25. Re1 Qd7 26. e4 b5 27. Qc3 c5. White played quite erratically, and Cramling did not hesitate in seizing her opportunity to assume the initiative. 28. Nc2 Rad8 29. Ne3. A strange Pawn pseudo-sac that could even work. Not 29. Bxh6? on account of 29. ... b4! and Black hits back with interest. 29. ... Nxe4 30. Qa5 Nf6 31. f3?? White should absolutely have gotten rid of Black’s light-squared Bishop with 31. Nxg4, still with the possibility to somehow hold his position together. The reason will soon become obvious. 31. ... Be6! 32. Rcd1 Qc8 33. Qxb5. Material equality is restored, but Black dominates the board. 33. ... Bb3! 34. Rxd8 Qxd8 35. Re2 Qd4! White is in Zugzwang.

36. Kf1 c4! 37. Qa5 c3! 38. bxc3 Qd3! Threatening both ... Bb3-c4 and ... Bb3-d1. 39. Kf2 Nd5 40. Bf1 Nxf4 41. gxf4 Qd6 42. Kg3 Qg6+ 43. Kf2 Qf6 44. Kg3 Qg6+ 45. Kf2 Qc6 46. Nf5 Bc5+ 47. Nd4 Ra8 0 : 1. White’s Queen ended up trapped.

Luca Moroni vs. Pia Cramling. Photo © Sophie Triay.

Pia Cramling. Photo © Sophie Triay.