Mobina Alinasab – Monika Bobrowska-Soćko
Knockout Women’s World Chess Championship Tournament; match game 2; Khanty-Mansiysk, November 7, 2018
Pirc Defence B09
Iranian Woman International Master Mobina Alinasab keeps on winning and being in the limelight. Of course one must always believe a little of everything. 1. e4 g6 2. d4 d6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. f4 Nf6 5. Nf3 0-0 6. e5. A radical commitment. 6. ... dxe5 7. fxe5 Nd5 8. Nxd5. It seems a strange way to handle the opening. 8. Bc4 is regarded here as the critical continuation. 8. ... Qxd5 9. Be2 c5 10. c4!? If 10. c3 then 10. ... cxd4 11. Qxd4 Qa5= Opočenský – Plater, Bratislava 1957. 10. ... Qe4. 10. ... Qd8 11. d5 b5!? is another interesting option, Oganisjn – Peralta, 22nd Open, Montcada i Reixac 2014. 11. dxc5 Nc6 12. Qd5 Qg4 13. Ng5 Qd4 14. Nf3 Qg4 15. Ng5 Qf5! Of course, Bobrowska-Soćko must play to win only. 16. Rf1 e6 17. Qe4 Qxe5 18. Qxe5 Bxe5 19. Ne4 f5! 20. Nd6 Bxh2. Something went wrong in White’s opening, and now it is Black who is a Pawn ahead. 21. Bg5 Bg3+ 22. Kd2 Be5. Perhaps Black should have looked for a safe way to develop her Queenside by 22. ... Rb8 23. Bf3 Bd7. 23. Rab1 Bf6? That doesn’t seem necessary at all, and badly delays an answer to the Queenside issue — 23. ... a5(!) seems better suited to claim an edge. 24. Bxf6 Rxf6 25. Bf3 Bd7? This is Bobrowska-Soćko’s decisive mistake. 25. ... Ne5(!) was Black’s last and best chance to fight for holding the game. 26. b4! Rb8 27. b5 Na5. 27. ... Nd8 28. Kc3 makes little difference since White’s Queenside preponderance is anyway overwhelming. 28. Kc3 e5 29. Rbd1! Threatening Kc3-b4. 29. ... Be6 30. Kb4 b6 31. c6. The d6-Knight is defended. 31. ... Kg7 32. Bd5 Bd7 33. c5 bxc5+ 34. Kxc5 Rb6 35. cxd7 Rfxd6 36. Ba8 Rxd1 37. Rxd1 1 : 0.
Mobina Alinasab (seated) vs. Monika Bobrowska-Soćko (standing). Photo © Press service of the Women’s World Championship 2018.
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Great commentaries! I think Monika was too worried about having to repeat moves if white plays Bh6 then Bg5, threatening to win the exchange (black could easily sac the exchange after Rd8, Bg5 to keep the slight edge anyway). So she squandered a valuable tempo playing Bf6. Wasting 2 tempo just to exchange the dark square bishop at the expense of queen side development was just, as you pointed out, unnecessary courting of woes in a game that she must win to make it to the 2nd round tie-breaks tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteAlso, this Batumi-Porto Carras, Isles of Man then Khanty Mansiysk schedule with so little space in between is just too strenuous. Of all the players that participated in all 4 events, I think all but Kosteniuk have been eliminated, and she came mighty close earlier today.
Thank to you for your your lucid comments on the game, and I wholly agree on the inopportunity of such a tour de force (Batumi-Porto Carras-Douglas-Khanty Mansiysk). Let's hope in better times, hopefully not next life :)
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