The Two Crowns

Sarasadat Khademalsharieh – Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk
FrauenBundesliga 2018/2019; Baden-Baden, January 13, 2019
Queen’s Indian Defence E18

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 b6 3. g3 Bb7 4. Bg2 e6 5. d4 Be7 6. 0-0 0-0 7. Nc3 Ne4 8. Bd2 d5 9. cxd5 exd5 10. Qb3 c5 11. Bf4 Na6 12. Rfd1 c4 13. Qc2 Nb4 14. Qc1 Rc8 15. h4 Qe8 16. a3 Nxc3 17. bxc3 Nc6 18. Ra2 Rd8 19. Qb1 h6 20. Ne5 Nxe5 21. Bxe5 Qa4 22. Re1 Rfe8 23. Bf3 Bc6 24. Kg2 Qb3 25. Qa1. Threatening to trap Black’s Queen with a3-a4 followed by Re1-b1. 25. ... Qa4. The situation is quite double edged: on one hand, Black enjoys a much sounder Pawn structure on the Queenside; on the other hand, White may claim the initiative on the Kingside. 26. Rh1 Bf8 27. Qc1 Qa5 28. g4 Bd6 29. Bxd6 Rxd6 30. Rh3 b5 31. g5 Qd8 32. Rg3 Kf8 33. Qf4 Rde6 34. Ra1 Qd6 35. Qd2 a5 36. Kh1 Ke7 37. h5 Kd8. Black’s King walked away from the danger, but still White can bite on the Kingside. 38. Rag1! Kc7 39. Qc2? On the eve of time control, Khademalsharieh seems to lose her thread. 39. gxh6 gxh6 40. Rg7 Rf6 was very unclear and probably quite balanced. 39. ... hxg5? Kosteniuk, too, misses her chance to test the soundness of her opponent’s speculation; after 39. ... Qxa3 40. Qf5 (40. Qh7 Qf8 can eventually transpose into the line) 40. ... Qe7 41. Bxd5 Rxe2 Black seems to come out ahead. 40. Rxg5 g6! 41. hxg6 Rh8+ 42. Rh5. No better is 42. Kg2, for after 42. ... Rh2+ 43. Kf1 Qxa3 White would face serious difficulties. 42. ... Rxh5+ 43. Bxh5 Qf4? 43. ... fxg6 44. Rxg6 Rxg6 45. Qxg6 Qxa3 seems simpler and substantially more favourable for Black. 44. g7! Two crowns for Khademalsharieh.

44. ... Bd7? Black should have at least tried 44. ... Qh4+(!) 45. Kg2 Rf6(!) 46. e4! (46. e3? Bd7!∞) 46. ... dxe4 47. g8=Q e3+ 48. f3 Qxh5 which, however much unbalanced, would have offered her much better practical chances. Now Khademalsharieh simply plays on velvet, and meets no difficulty in finishing in very elegant fashion: 45. Rg2+− Re8 46. g8=Q Rxg8 47. Rxg8 Qh4+ 48. Kg1 Qxh5 49. Qd2 Qf5 50. Qe3 Qb1+ 51. Kg2 Be6 52. Qf4+ Kc6 53. Rd8 Qg6+ 54. Kf3 Bg4+ 55. Ke3 Qe6+ 56. Qe5 b4 57. Qxe6+ Bxe6 58. axb4 axb4 59. cxb4 Kb5 60. Rb8+ Ka4 61. Kd2 Kb3 62. Kc1 Kc3 63. e3 Kb3 64. b5 Kb4 65. b6 Kb5 66. Kd2 Ka5 67. Kc3 Kb5 68. f3 Ka5 69. e4 Kb5 70. e5 Ka5 71. f4 Kb5 72. b7 1 : 0.

Sarasadat Khademalsharieh vs. Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk. Photo: Thilo Gubler.