In the Midnight Hour

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk – Valentina Evgenyevna Gunina
1st Cairns Cup; Saint Louis, February 15, 2019
Spanish Game C65

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6. Gunina, who appeared in a shining shape during all tournament, needed today just a draw to pick first prize, which may explain why she’s chosen the rock-solid Berlin Defence. 4. d3 Bc5 5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. Nbd2 Nd7 7. Nc4 Qe7 8. a3!? Kosteniuk’s move is almost unknown ground. After 8. 0-0 0-0 9. Bd2 Rd8 10. Rb1 f6 11. b4 Bd6 12. Nh4 Nf8 13. Nf5 Qf7 14. a4 Ne6 Black equalised pretty soon, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 周健超 (Zhōu Jiànchāo), 44th Chinese Chess Championship, 兴化 (Xīnghuà) 2013. 8. ... a5!? Gunina’s novelty seems much natural. On the other hand, in the only game played with this variation so far (Shyam – Leenhouts, 49th Condigne Dutch Open, Dieren 2017) there followed 8. ... 0-0 9. b4 Bd6 10. Bb2 b5 11. Na5 c5 with approximate equality. 9. b3 0-0 10. Bb2 f6! 11. 0-0 Nb6 12. Ne3 a4! 13. b4 Bxe3 14. fxe3 Bg4. This position is hard to assess, but still harder is to envision any kind of advantage for White. 15. Qe1. If 15. c4 Black would equally reply with 15. ... c5 with quite an even game. 15. ... c5 16. Nh4. Kosteniuk understandably feels compelled to invent something, and doing it from a position not of strength, she inevitably ends up with a number of weaknesses in her camp. 16. ... cxb4 17. axb4 Nc8! 18. b5 Nd6 19. Ba3!? Kosteniuk finally opts for the “tricky way”. 19. Qb4 Qd7 20. h3 Be6 21. Rxa4 Nxb5 is probably sounder than the text, but not strong enough to break the balance of equality. 19. ... Qd7 20. h3 Be6 21. c4 b6. With the powerful positional threat of ... c7-c6. 22. Bb4. White’s Bishop goes forth and back without clear goals, but probably Kosteniuk’s not to blame for trying to accomplish her mission impossible. Perhaps 22. Qg3 at once would have saved a little time. 22. ... c5 23. bxc6 Qxc6 24. Ba3. All for tactics, inevitably burning her bridges behind her. 24. ... Rfd8 25. Qg3 Kh8 26. Qf3 Kg8 27. Rad1 Nf7. 27. ... Ra7(!) would have avoided many “last ditch” annoyances. 28. Qg3. Kosteniuk doesn’t feel like hazarding 28. Be7!? Rd7 29. Bxf6 gxf6 30. Qxf6 which, however far from “winning”, was unclear enough to be seriously considered. 28. ... Kh8 29. Rf2. 29. Be7 could still evoke seducing chimeras: 29. ... Re8 30. Rxf6! Rxe7?? 31. Nf5! and White wins, but a deeper analysis must have persuaded Kosteniuk that after 30. ... Qd7! 31. Rxe6 Qxe6 32. Nf5 Rg8 33. Ba3 Ra7 Black would have defended successfully. 29. ... Ra7. The game entering into a furious, mutual time scramble, anything and everything can still happen. 30. Rfd2 Rad7 31. Nf3 b5 32. cxb5

32. ... Qxb5? Gunina plays it safe, in fact overlooking 32. ... Qc3! 33. Bb2 Qb3 which would have ensured Black an overwhelming superiority. Now White’s position springs to life suddenly and immediately: 33. d4! Bb3 34. Rc1 Qb7 35. Qg4 Nh6 36. Qh4 Bf7 37. Rb2 Qa7 38. Rc6 Ng8. The situation is still very tricky, and they both must avoid traps of emotion on their way to the 40th move (38. ... Bg6? 39. Rxf6!). 39. Bc5?? Kosteniuk makes a tremendous mistake which should have irrevocable consequences. With 39. Kh2! she would have clearly retained better chances. Now Black’s passed Pawn runs on: 39. ... Qa8 40. Rbb6 a3! 41. Ra6 a2! 42. Qe1 Rb7 43. Nd2 Qb8 44. Rcb6 exd4 45. exd4 Rxb6 46. Rxb6 Qf4. 46. ... Qa8 47. Qa1 Rc8 seems even simpler. 47. Ra6 f5?? Gunina now returns the courtesy, conceding her opponent a honourable draw. Both 47. ... Re8 (48. d5 Bxd5) and 47. ... Rc8 appear quite definitive. 48. d5 fxe4 49. Rxa2 Bxd5 50. Ra7 Ra8 51. Rxa8 Bxa8 52. Nc4 Nf6 53. Bd4 e3! 54. Qxe3 Qxe3+ 55. Nxe3 Ne8 56. g4 Kg8 57. Kf2 Kf7 58. Kg3 Nf6 59. Nc4 Bd5 60. Ne5+ Ke6 61. Kf4 h6 62. Nf3 Kf7 63. Bb2 g5+ 64. Ke3 Nxg4+ 65. hxg4 Bxf3 66. Kxf3 Kg6 67. Ke4 ½ : ½.

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk vs. Valentina Evgenyevna Gunina. Photo © Lennart Ootes/Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis.