Make Space

Bela Khotenashvili – Irina Borisivna Krush
1st Cairns Cup; Saint Louis, February 13, 2019
Queen’s Pawn Game D02

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bf4 c5 4. e3 Nc6 5. Nbd2 cxd4 6. exd4 g6 7. c3 Bg7 8. h3 0-0 9. Bd3. Mutatis mutandis, another route to the same destination is 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Bd3 Nf6 5. c3 Nc6 6. Bf4 g6 7. Nf3 Bg7 8. Nbd2 0-0 9. h3 (Caro-Kann Defence B13). 9. ... Bd7 10. 0-0 Qc8 11. Re1 a6!? If 11. ... Bf5 then 12. Bb5 Re8 13. Ne5 with at least an edge for White, Bodnaruk – Burmakin, 19th Chigorin Memorial Open, Saint Petersburg 2011. On the other hand, Krush’s move doesn’t seem to be working too well either. 12. Ne5 Nxe5 13. dxe5 Ne8 14. Bg5 Qd8 15. Qb3 Nc7 16. Qxb7 Rb8 17. Qa7 Ne6 18. Bh4 Rxb2 19. Nb3 g5!? 20. Bg3 Bb5? So far Krush’s quite creatively managed to avoid the worst, but her last move is on the wrong track. Probably best was 20. ... a5!? (Δ ... a5-a4) in order to reply to 21. Nxa5 with 21. ... Qc7 looking forward with reasonable hope to find compensation.

21. Bf5! Nf4 22. Bxf4 gxf4 23. Qd4! Threatening both c3-c4 and Qd4xf4. Black is in trouble. 23. ... Bc4? As argued by Krush herself after the game, 23. ... Re2 at once would have avoided much suffering, though after 24. Rxe2 Bxe2 25. Qxf4 White remains a Pawn to the good and the better game. 24. Qxf4 e6? Falling victim to a tactic, but also 24. ... Qb6 25. Nd4 would have given Black a very hard time. 25. Qc1! Re2 26. Rxe2 Bxe2 27. Bxh7+! Kxh7 28. Qc2+ Kg8 29. Qxe2 Qc7 30. f4! Qxc3 31. Rf1! In conclusion, White is only a Pawn ahead, but Black’s castle is a helpless target for attack. 31. ... a5 32. Kh2 a4 33. Rf3 Qb4 34. Nc1 Rb8 35. Nd3 Qd4 36. Qd1 Rc8 37. Rg3 Qe4 38. Qg4 Qg6 39. Qd1 Qe4 40. Qg4 Qg6. They both repeated moves to reach time control. However, Khotenashvili doesn’t have to think too hard to score her second victory in the tournament: 41. Qh4 Qh7 42. Qe7 Qe4. 42. ... Qf5 43. Qf6 Qh7 44. Nc5 leads to the very same situation. 43. Qf6 Qh7 44. Nc5 Kh8 45. Qxf7 Rxc5 46. Rg5 Rc8 47. Rh5 Qxh5 48. Qxh5+ Kg8 49. Qg6 1 : 0.

Bela Khotenashvili vs. Irina Borisivna Krush. Photo © Crystal Fuller/Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis.