The Clock and the Arrow

Alexandra Knostantinovna Kosteniuk – Anna Olehivna Muzychuk
7th World Women’s Team Chess Championship; Astana, March 11, 2019
Giuoco Piano C54

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. e5 d5 7. Bb5 Ne4 8. cxd4 Bb6 9. Nc3 0-0 10. Be3 Bg4 11. h3 Bh5 12. Qc2 Bg6 13. Qb3 Ne7 14. 0-0 c6 15. Bd3 Nd2 16. Nxd2 Bxd3 17. Rfe1 Bg6 18. Nf3 Nf5 19. Na4 Rb8!? Finally a new course, though not too different from 19. ... Re8 20. Rac1 Nxe3 21. Rxe3 Be4 22. Qc3 Bxf3 23. Rxf3 Re6 24. Qb4 Rb8 25. Nxb6 axb6 26. a4 Ra8 27. Rb3 f6 28. f4 fxe5 29. fxe5 c5 30. dxc5 Rxe5 31. cxb6 Re4 32. Qc5 Rexa4 33. Qc7 Rc4 34. Rxc4 dxc4 35. Qxc4+ Kh8 36. Qb4 h6 37. Kh2 Qf6 38. Qc5 Rd8 39. Rg3 Qxb2 40. Qc7 Rd1 41. Rg4 Kh7 42. Qe7 Rf1 43. Qe4+ Kh8 44. Qe8+ Kh7 45. Qg6+ Kh8 46. Re4 Rf8 47. Re7 Qf6 48. Qxf6 Rxf6 49. Rxb7 g5 50. Kg3 Kg8 51. Kg4 Kh8 52. h4 gxh4 53. Kxh4 Kg8 54. g4 Kf8 55. g5 hxg5+ 56. Kxg5 Rc6 57. Rb8+ Kg7 58. Kf5 1 : 0 Vocaturo – Kaidanov, 16th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival, Catalan Bay 2018. 20. Nxb6 Nxe3 21. Rxe3 axb6 22. a4 Ra8 23. Rae1 Bf5 24. Nd2 Re8 25. Nf1 c5 26. Qd1 Qd7 27. Ra3 c4 28. Ne3 Bd3 29. Qf3 Red8 30. Qg3 Kh8 31. Qh4 Re8. Now “I sacrificed a Pawn in time trouble: I’m not sure it was the strongest continuation, but I felt it was the most critical one”, Kosteniuk said. 32. f4. “I could have kept the Pawn with 32. Rea1, but I was aiming to create concrete threats in time trouble. Similar ideas often arise in the French Defence, with White giving up a Queenside Pawn. Frankly speaking, here the opening of the a-line is only to my benefit. The d5-Pawn is weak, so at least I have not to worry too much about material“, Kosteniuk said. 32. ... Rxa4? It may be that Black should have disdained the Pawn by 32. ... b5(!) 33. axb5 (now 33. f5!? bxa4! 34. f6 Rg8 doesn’t seem to lead anywhere for White) 33. ... Rxa3 34. bxa3 Qxb5 35. f5 Be4 36. f6 Qc6∞ with very unclear play. Nothing is forced, though. 33. Rxa4 Qxa4 34. f5 Qc6 35. f6! Rg8. If 35. ... gxf6 then 36. Ng4! with devastating effect (36. ... fxe5 37. Nxe5). “I don’t know where exactly my opponent went wrong: whether 34. ... Qc6 or 35. ... Rg8”, Kosteniuk says. “It seems to me that Black’s last moves were not too good. Such a game generally, and here particularly, it’s much harder to play for Black; she should play with extreme accuracy, which is very unlikely in time trouble”. 36. fxg7+. 36. Ng4 was also very strong. 36. ... Rxg7 37. Ra1 Rg8? This allows a perfidious tactic which in fact dismantles Black’s frail equilibrium. 37. ... Be4 was almost mandatory, though after 38. Ng4 Qg6 39. Ra7 White secures a likely winning advantage.

38. Nxd5! h6. The Knight is taboo, for if 38. ... Qxd5 then 39. Qf6+ Rg7 40. Ra8+ and mate next move. 39. Qf6+ Qxf6 40. Nxf6 Rc8 41. Ra7 Kg7 42. Rxb7 b5 43. d5 Kg6 44. d6 Kf5. Or 44. ... b4 45. Nd5 winning easily. 45. Re7 1 : 0.

Alexandra Knostantinovna Kosteniuk. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili/Russian Chess Federation.

Anna Olehivna Muzychuk. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili/Russian Chess Federation.