Days and Nights

Milunka Lazarević – Clarice Benini
3rd “Danlon” Women’s International Tournament; Amsterdam, 1958
Sicilian Defence B21

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3!? The so-called Morra-Matulović Gambit, nothing more than speculation. Best is 3. Nf3! (Morphy) and if 3. ... e5? then 4. c3! entering a much more favourable version of it. 3. ... dxc3 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 e6 6. Bc4 d6 7. 0-0 Nge7 8. Qe2. The alternative is 8. Bg5 a6 (8. ... h6? 9. Nb5!) 9. a4 h6 10. Be3 Ng6 11. Nd2 Be7 12. f4 Bf6 13. Nb3 0-0 14. a5! with good compensation for the Pawn, G. Cappello – Saidy, 3rd International Chess Tournament, Venice 1969. 8. ... Ng6 9. Rd1 Be7 10. Be3 Bd7 11. Rac1 a6 12. a4 0-0 13. h4!?TN Nxh4 14. Nxh4 Bxh4 15. Rxd6 Be7 16. Rd2 Qe8 17. Rcd1 Ne5 18. Bb3 Bc6 19. f4 Nd7 20. e5 Bc5. Here 20. ... Nc5 21. Bc2 Nxa4 seemed strong and hard to beat. Benini must have feared Lazarević’s tactical skill — for which she was so much renowned. 21. Bc2 Bxe3+ 22. Qxe3 Qe7 23. Qh3 g6

24. Rxd7! The “Female Tal” — so Lazarević was nicknamed — doesn’t hesitate to give up the Exchange for an attack which will derange her opponent. 24. ... Bxd7 25. Ne4 f5? Tantamount to surrender. 25. ... Kg7 26. Nf6 h6 27. Bxg6! Bxa4! still leaves White with tricky play (28. Bb1!), but no forced win in sight. 26. exf6 Qe8 27. Qh6 Rf7 28. Nd6 Qf8 29. Nxf7 Qxf7 30. f5! gxf5. On 30. ... exf5 31. Bb3! forces mate. 31. Rd3 Kh8 32. Qg7+! Qxg7 33. fxg7+ Kxg7 34. Rxd7+ 1 : 0.

Milunka Lazarević † (Šantarovac, Yugoslavia, December 1, 1932 – Belgrade, Serbia, December 15, 2018). Photo: Archive VN.