Sturmtruppen

Nino Batsiashvili – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
27th Frauen-Bundesliga; Schwäbisch Hall, March 25, 2018
Queen’s Pawn Game A40

1. d4 e6 2. c4 b6 3. e4 Bb7 4. Bd3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Bxd2+ 6. Nxd2 d6 7. Ne2 Nd7 8. 0-0 Ne7 9. f4 e5 10. fxe5 dxe5 11. d5 a5 12. Nf3. Out of theory (in fact, a Chinese reference): 12. Ng3 0-0 13. Bc2 Nc5 14. b3 Qd6 15. a3 Nd7 16. Kh1 Ba6 17. Rf3 c6 18. Nf5 Nxf5 19. exf5 cxd5 20. Ne4 Qc7 21. cxd5 Rfc8 22. Rc1 Qd8? (22. ... Nc5! was called for) 23. f6!+− g6 24. Qd2 Nc5 25. Ng5 e4 26. Nxe4 Bb7 27. Nc3 Nd7 28. Qd4 Qe8 29. Re3 Qd8 30. Re7 Qc7 31. Bf5 1 : 0 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – 万云国 (Wàn Yúnguó), World Champion Chess Championship Zonal 3.5, 中山 (Zhōngshān) 2014. 12. ... Ng6 13. b3 Qe7 14. Qd2 Nc5 15. Bc2 Bc8 16. Ng3 0-0 17. Nf5 Qf6 18. Rae1 Bd7 19. a3 Nb7 20. h3. 20. h4!? looked very natural as well, for if 20. ... Nd6 there might follow 21. h5 Nf4 22. Nxe5 Nh3+ 23. gxh3 Qxe5 24. Rf3 with some initiative for White. 20. ... Rfe8 21. Nh2. Threatening to win the Queen by Nf5-h6+. 21. ... Nf4 22. Kh1 h5 23. Nf3 Nd6 24. Nxe5. Finally, White wins a Pawn, but Black’s very active Rook fully compensates for it. 24. ... Bxf5 25. exf5 Rxe5 26. Rxe5 Qxe5 27. Qxf4 Re8 28. Qxe5 Rxe5 29. Bd3 Re3 30. Rd1 Re5 31. Rf1 Re3 32. Rd1 Kf8 33. b4 axb4 34. axb4 Ke7 35. Kg1 Re5 36. g4 hxg4 37. hxg4 Ne8!? The engines give here as best (or safest) 37. ... f6 38. Kf2 Nf7. From a human standpoint, however, it’s understandable the need for a less defensive attitude. 38. Kf2 b5! Probably the only move. 39. c5 Nf6. Black cannot regain the Pawn with 39. ... Rxd5? because of 40. Re1+ Kf8 41. Bxb5 Nf6 42. Kf3 with an almost winning ending.

40. Bxb5? Batsiashvili is lucky enough that her 40th move is not a losing mistake, but only a mistake which loses a Bishop for two Pawns. Instead, she should have played 40. Kf3! Nxd5 41. Bxb5 with quite a drawish endgame, which, however, looks somewhat more pleasant for White. 40. ... Ne4+ 41. Kf3 Nc3 42. Kf4. White delays for one move her saving clause of 42. d6+ cxd6 43. Rxd6 Nxb5 44. Rb6 Nc3 45. Rb7+ Kf6 46. c6 Nd5 47. b5 Re3+ 48. Kf2 Rc3 (or also 48. ... Rb3) with an easy draw. 42. ... f6 43. d6+ cxd6 44. cxd6+? And this is the losing move. White was still in time for 44. Rxd6 Nxb5 45. Rb6 with a very likely draw. 44. ... Kd8 45. Ra1 Rxb5 46. Ra7 Rxb4+ 47. Kf3 Ne4 48. Rxg7 Ng5+ 49. Kg3 Rb3+ 50. Kf4. His Majesty commits harakiri, but without regret, as on other moves Black simply devours all White’s Pawn. 50. ... Rf3# 0 : 1.

Thoughts before afternoon tea. Photo © Thomas Marschner.

A diagram after White’s 45. Ra1. Photo © Viktor Taschner.