In Short

Anna Yuriyivna Ushenina – Nana Dzagnidze
19th European Individual Women’s Chess Championship; Vysoké Tatry, April 12, 2018
Nimzo-Indian Defence E32

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 0-0 5. e4 d6 6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 e5 8. Bd3 Nc6. Once upon a time: 8. ... c5 9. Ne2 Nc6 10. d5 Ne7 (Black had to play thematicaly with 10. ... Na5 followed by ... b7-b6 and ... Bc8-a6, as after the text Capablanca will inexorably zugzwang him) 11. f3 Nd7 12. h4 Nb6 13. g4 f6 14. Ng3 Kf7 15. g5 Ng8 16. f4 Ke8 17. f5 Qe7 18. Qg2 Kd8 19. Nh5 Kc7 20. gxf6 gxf6 21. Ng7 Bd7 22. h5 Rac8 23. h6 Kb8 24. Rg1 Rf7 25. Rb1 Qf8 26. Be2 Ka8 27. Bh5 Re7 28. Qa2 Qd8 29. Bd2 Na4 30. Qb3 Nb6 31. a4 Rb8 32. a5 Nc8 33. Qa2 Qf8 34. Be3 b6 35. a6 Qd8 36. Kd2 Qf8 37. Rb2 Qd8 38. Qb1 b5 39. cxb5 Nb6 40. Qa2 c4 41. Qa3 Qc7 42. Kc1 Rf8 43. Rbg2 Qb8 44. Qb4 Rd8 45. Rg3 Rf8 46. Ne6 Bxe6 47. dxe6 Rc7 48. Qxd6 Ne7 49. Rd1 1 : 0 Capablanca – Ragozin, 2nd International Chess Tournament, Moscow 1935. 9. Ne2 b6 10. 0-0 Nd7 11. f4 Ba6 12. Rf3 Na5 13. Ng3!? As in the Sämisch Variation White gives up the c4-Pawn to fuel her initiative on the Kingside. On the other hand, Dzagnidze should have known, as everything is already in the book! 13. ... Bxc4 14. Bxc4 Nxc4 15. Nf5 g6?? Dzagnidze introduces a novelty, which is also her losing move! Black ought to have played 15. ... Kh8 16. Rh3 g6 17. Qe2 b5 with an approximate dynamic balance, J. Horváth – Medvegy, Budapest 2014.

16. Nh6+ Kg7 17. f5. White’s attack comes easy and natural. Black is helpless. 17. ... f6 18. fxg6 hxg6 19. Rg3 Rh8 20. Qe2 Rxh6 21. Bxh6+ Kxh6 22. Qxc4 Kg7 23. Rf1 Rc8 24. dxe5 Nxe5 25. Qe6 Rb8 26. h4! Qf8 27. h5 Re8 28. Qf5 Qf7 29. Rf4 g5 30. Rxg5+ Kh6 31. Rg3 Rf8 32. Rh4 Qd7 33. Qg6+! 1 : 0.

Anna Yuriyivna Ushenina (right) vs. Nana Dzagnidze (left). Photo: Oleksandr Martynkov.