Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Marina Brunello – Elina Danielian
19th European Individual Women’s Chess Championship; Vysoké Tatry, April 10, 2018
Caro-Kann B12

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Nf3 e6 5. Be2 Nd7 6. 0-0 Ne7 7. Nbd2 h6 8. Nb3 Qc7 9. Be3 g5 10. Ne1 Bg7 11. Nd3 b6 12. f4 Ng6. 12. ... c5 13. dxc5 gxf4 14. cxb6 axb6 15. Bxf4 Ng6 is most consistent and more dynamic; for instance: 16. Bg3 0-0 17. Nd4 Be4 18. c3 Ndxe5 19. Nf2 Qd8 20. Bh5 Qg5 21. Nxe4 dxe4 22. Qe2 e3 23. Bxg6 Nxg6 24. Nf3 Qc5 25. Rfe1 f5 26. Qxe3 Qxe3+ 27. Rxe3 f4 28. Rxe6 Kf7 29. Rxb6 fxg3 30. hxg3 Rfb8 31. Rxb8 Rxb8 32. Rf1 Ke6 ½ : ½ Domínguez Pérez – 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén), 10th World Team Chess Championship, Tsaghkadzor 2015. 13. Bh5!? This novelty looks quite artificial. Best seems 13. Bg4 Ne7 14. fxg5 hxg5 15. Bxg5 f6 16. Bh5+ Kd8 17. exf6 Nxf6 18. Bf4 with Black on the verge of ruin, Kosteniuk – Gunina, 2nd IMSA Élite Mind Games, Women’s Rapid Event, 淮安 (Huái’ān) 2017. 13. ... 0-0-0 14. g4 Bxd3 15. Qxd3 Nxf4 16. Bxf4 gxf4 17. Bxf7 Nxe5 18. Bxe6+ Nd7 19. c4 dxc4 20. Qxc4 Kb8 21. Rac1 Rc8 22. Bf5 Rhg8? The wrong place for the right Rook. Danielian ought to have played 22. ... Rhf8! (Δ ... h7-h5) in order to answer 23. Rfe1 (as in the game) by 23. ... f3! 24. Re7 Rxf5! 25. gxf5 Bf6 and Black’s powerful initiative more than compensates for the Exchange. 23. Rfe1! f3? Danielian is reluctant to cede a Pawn (by ... Rg8-e8) in order to avoid the worst – it was definitely the lesser evil – and instead bets on tactics, which, not surprisingly, turns against her. 24. Re7+−

24. ... f2+!? Somewhat like desperation. Danielian probably intended to play 24. ... Qf4 25. Rxd7 Be5, for suddenly realising that 26. Rb7+! Kxb7 27. Bxc8+ Rxc8 28. dxe5 would have left White a clear Knight ahead. 25. Kg2 Qf4 26. Rxd7. 26. Qe6 may be even more merciless, but, of course, the text also makes the goal easy to achieve. 26. ... Be5. After 26. ... Bxd4 27. Qxd4 Qxf5 28. h3 Black can resign. 27. Kf1! Rxg4. 27. ... Bc7 28. Rxc7! is no better. 28. Bxg4 Qxg4 29. Qf7 Bc7 30. Re7 Qg1+ 31. Ke2 Qxh2 32. Rf1 Qg1 33. Qxf2 Qg4+ 34. Qf3 Qg6 35. Qe4 Qh5+. Danielian has one minute left on her clock, Brunello has about twelve. And guess who will blunder first. 36. Kd3?? Oh, no! Any other move would have compelled Black to resign, but, quite incredibly, Brunello found the only one which turns the tables. 36. ... Qb5+ 37. Kc2 Qc4+ 38. Kd2 Qxf1. Now White is a Pawn down, while Black’s passed h-Pawn can easily make the difference. 39. Re6 Qf4+. Fortunately for Brunello, Danielian does not dare to play 39. ... Rf8! which would seem to give Black a scaring attack. 40. Kd3 Qf1+ 41. Kc3 Qh3+ 42. Kc2 Qh2+ 43. Kb1 Qf4 44. Qd3 Rf8 45. Nc1. After 45. Rxc6 h5 White restores material equality, but at the cost of “freeing” the h-Pawn. Brunello, who has now seven minutes left on her clock (Danielan has only one), prefers to play for a draw through more dynamic means. 45. ... Rf6 46. d5 cxd5 47. Re8+ Kb7 48. Qxd5+ Rc6 49. Nd3 Qc4 50. Qf3 a5 51. a3 Ka7 52. Ne5 Bxe5 53. Rxe5 Qc2+ 54. Ka2 Qc4+ 55. Kb1 Rc7 56. Re8 Qc1+ 57. Ka2 Qc4+ 58. Ka1 Qc6 59. Qh5 Qc1+ 60. Ka2 Qc4+ 61. Ka1 Qc1+ 62. Ka2 Qc4+ 63. Ka1 Qf4 64. Ka2 a4 65. Re1 Qf7+ 66. Qxf7 Rxf7. A draw at last. Perhaps. 67. Rh1 Rf6 68. b3 axb3+ 69. Kxb3 Kb7 70. a4 Kc7 71. Rh5 Rc6 72. Rd5 Rc5 73. Rd1 h5 74. Rd4 Kc6 75. Rd8 Rg5 76. Rh8 Rg3+. And now the second drama begins. Brunello commits a heartbreaking harakiri, throwing away everything: 77. Kb2? After 77. Kc4 Rg4+ 78. Kb3 h4 79. Rh6+ White draws, as her Rook prevents any entry of Black’s King. 77. ... Rh3! 78. Rc8+ Kd5 79. a5 bxa5 80. Ra8 Ke4 81. Rxa5 h4 82. Kc2 Rh1 83. Kb2 Kf3 84. Rf5+ Kg4 85. Rf8 Rd1 86. Rg8+ Kf3 87. Kc2 Rd7 88. Rh8 Kg3 89. Rg8+ Kh2 90. Rh8 h3 91. Rg8 Rd4 92. Rg7 Kh1 93. Rg8 h2 94. Rg7 Rf4 95. Kd2 Rf2+ 96. Ke3 Rf1 97. Rh7 Rg1 98. Kf3 Rf1+ 99. Ke2 Ra1 100. Rg7 Rg1 101. Rh7 Kg2 0 : 1.