Powerful Presence

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk – Bela Khotenashvili
1st Cairns Cup; Saint Louis, February 10, 2019
Grünfeld Defence D94

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. e3 0-0 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Bc4 Nb6 8. Bb3 c5 9. 0-0 cxd4 10. exd4 Nc6 11. d5 Na5 12. h3!? Nxb3 13. axb3 e6. The acceptance of the Pawn may be quite risky: 13. ... Bxc3 14. bxc3 Qxd5 15. Qe2 Qe6 16. Qb2 f6 17. c4 Qf7 18. Be3 Bd7 19. Ra5 Nc8 with a dynamic balance between White’s compensation and Black’s solidity, Grischuk – Domínguez Pérez, Grand Prix 2012–2013, 1st stage, London 2012. 14. d6 Bd7 15. Nd4!? Kosteniuk seems to have forgotten her “theory”, improvising a “novelty” which can hardly be regarded as improving on 15. Bg5(!) f6 16. Be3 with an edge for White, Potkin – Alekseev, 65th Russian Chess Championship (Higher League), Tyumen 2012. 15. ... Qf6 16. Ndb5 a6 17. Nc7 Rad8 18. Ra5! This very artificial move is probably the only way to give a sense to White’s “stalemated” Knight. 18. ... h6!? This prevents, once for all, Bc1-g5, but perhaps 18. ... Qh4 at once might have been even more probing. 19. Ne4 Qh4 20. f3 f5 21. Nc5 Qb4 22. Qd2! Bd4+ 23. Kh1 Bxc5 24. Qxh6 Rf6? This seems like a bluff. In fact Black had nothing better than 24. ... Qxa5 25. Qxg6+ Kh8 26. Qh6+ with a draw by perpetual check. 25. Bd2!! A brilliant refutation of Black’s 24th too ambitious move. 25. ... Qd4 26. Bc3 Qd3

27. Raa1? 27. Rxc5!! would have been the worthy corollary of White’s play: 27. ... Qxf1+ 28. Kh2 Rdf8 29. Qh4 Qd3 (if 29. ... Kg7 then 30. Re5!! with overwhelming threats) 30. Bxf6 Rxf6 31. Qxf6 Qxd6+ 32. Qe5 leaving Black an Exchange down for no compensation. 27. ... Rdf8 28. Qh4 Kg7? Luckily for Kosteniuk, Black misses her best continuation: 28. ... Qxd6 29. Bxf6 Qxc7 30. Rfd1 Rxf6! 31. Qxf6 Nd5 32. Qxg6+ Kf8 with a very unbalanced and unclear game. 29. Rad1 Qc2 30. Rc1 Qd3 31. Rcd1 Qe2 32. Rde1? Why not 32. Rfe1? 32. ... Qd3 33. Rd1 Qc2 34. Rc1 Qxb3? In the time scramble Khotenashvili apparently became even more ambitious than before, and does not even consider the possibility of a draw by repetition offer (by 34. ... Qd3) which probably Kosteniuk would never have conceded (she being able to play Rf1-d1 instead of Rc1-d1). Whatever it is, after the text, Kosteniuk can finally cash in, remaining a clear Exchange ahead. The rest is quite easy: 35. Bxf6+ Rxf6 36. Rxc5 Qd3 37. Rcc1 Qxd6 38. Rfd1 Qe7 39. Qf2 e5 40. Qc5 Qxc5 41. Rxc5 Rc6 42. Rxc6 Bxc6 43. Ne6+ Kf6 Bd5 45. Nxb7 e4 46. fxe4 fxe4 47. Nc5 Ke5 48. Nxa6 e3 49. Nb4 Bc4 50. Kg1 e2 51. Re1 Ke4 52. Kf2 Nd7 53. b3 Bb5 54. Na2 Kd5 1 : 0.

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk vs. Bela Khotenashvili. Photo © Crystal Fuller/Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis.