Short Stories from the Twenty-First Century

Désirée Di Benedetto – Anna Maria Sargsyan
43rd Women’s Chess Olympiad; Batumi, September 27, 2018
Slav Defence D17

If nothing else, at least the Italian women’s team is keeping safe the country’s honour at the 43rd Chess Olympiad. 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. Ne5 Nbd7 7. Nxc4 Qc7 8. g3 e5 9. dxe5 Nxe5 10. Bf4 Nfd7 11. Bg2 g5 12. Ne3 gxf4 13. Nxf5 0-0-0 14. Qc2 Kb8 15. 0-0 fxg3 16. hxg3 a5 17. Rfd1 h5 18. Rac1 Nc5. Italian men too set their footsteps upon this long and theoretical line: 18. ... Bc5 19. Ne4 Bb4 20. Rd4 Nb6 21. Rxd8+ Rxd8 22. Rd1 Rxd1+ 23. Qxd1 Qd7 24. Qxd7 Nbxd7 25. b3 Kc7 26. Nd4 Nc5 27. Kf1 Ned7 28. e3 Ne5 29. Ke2 Ng6 30. f4 Ne7 31. Bf3 Nxe4 32. Bxe4 Bc3 33. Kd3 Be1 34. Bf3 h4 35. gxh4 Bxh4 36. Bh5 f6 37. e4 Kd6 38. Kc4 Bf2 39. Nf5+ Nxf5 40. exf5 Be3 41. Bf7 Bxf4 42. Be6 b5+ ½ : ½ David – S. Brunello, 77th Italian Chess Championship, Cosenza 2017. 19. Rxd8+. Or else 19. Ne4 Rxd1+ 20. Rxd1 Nxe4 21. Qxe4 Bb4 22. Bh3 f6 23. Kg2 Qf7 24. Nd4 Ka8 25. Bf5 Rd8 26. Rh1 Rd6 27. Nf3 Nd7 ½ : ½ Smirnov – Al Sayed, 7th Aeroflot Open, Moscow 2008. 19. ... Qxd8 20. Ne4 Nxe4 21. Qxe4 f6. Another modus vivendi could be 21. ... Qf6 22. Nd4 Bg7 but then after 23. b4! White should still have prospects for initiative. 22. Nd4 Qe8? This mistake suddenly precipitates Black into hopeless ruin. Best was 22. ... h4! 23. f4 Ng4∞ 24. Bf3 f5! 25. Nxf5 Bc5+ 26. Kf1 Re8 with enough compensation for the Pawn. 23. f4 Bh6. A pin upon which Black obviously relied when playing 22. ... Qe8, but a prompt disappointment will be there for her. 24. Rc3! Ng4

25. Nxc6+! White sacrifices her Knight and launches a mating attack. 25. ... bxc6 26. Rb3+ Kc7 27. Qd4 Qc8 28. Rb6. Even stronger was 28. Bxc6! for if 28. ... Kxc6 then 29. Rb6+ Kc7 30. Qd6 mate. Almost incredulous, White held her breath and went for a safe, sure and prosaic victory. 28. ... Qe6 29. Rxc6+ Qxc6 30. Qa7+ Kd6 31. Bxc6 Kxc6 32. Qa6+ Kd7 33. Qb5+ Ke6 34. Qc4+ Ke7 35. Qc5+ Ke6 36. Qxh5 Rg8 37. e4 Ke7 38. Qc5+ Kf7 39. Qc7+ Kf8 40. Qc8+ Kf7 41. Qc7+ Ke8 42. Qxa5 Bf8 43. Qb5+ Kf7 44. Qh5+ Ke7 45. a5 Nh6 46. Qc5+ Kd7 47. Qd5+ Kc7 48. a6 1 : 0.

Désirée Di Benedetto. Photo © Chess Daily News.