Tell-Tale

Inna Grigoryevna Gaponenko-Yanovska – Alina Anatolyevna Kashlinskaya
20th European Individual Women’s Chess Championship; Antalya, April 20, 2019
French Defence C07

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. exd5 Qxd5 5. Ngf3 cxd4 6. Bc4 Qd7 7. 0-0 Nc6 8. Nb3 a6 9. Nbxd4 Nxd4 10. Qxd4 Qxd4 11. Nxd4 Nf6 12. Be2 e5 13. Nb3 Be6 14. Rd1 Be7!? The recent script theory was not too encouraging for Black: 14. ... Rc8 15. c3 Be7 16. Bf3 e4 17. Be2 0-0 18. Nd4 Bg4 19. Bxg4 Nxg4 20. Bf4 Rfd8 21. h3 Nf6 22. Nf5 Bf8 23. Bg5± Salem – Goganov, 7th World Rapid Chess Championship, Saint Petersburg 2018. Kashlinskaya changes the Rooks placement and some other minor things. 15. Bf3 Rb8 16. Bd2 e4 17. Be2 0-0 18. Nd4 Bg4 19. Bxg4 Nxg4 20. Bf4 Rbd8 21. h3 Bf6 22. hxg4 Bxd4 23. c3 Bb6 24. Rxd8 Rxd8 25. Re1

25. ... f6? Probably Black had to play 25. ... e3! 26. Bxe3 Bxe3 27. Rxe3 f5! 28. gxf5 Rd1+ 29. Kh2 Rd2 winning back a Pawn and seeming to have good compensation for the other one. 26. Kf1 g5 27. Bc1 Re8 28. f3. Now the e-Pawn is doomed, and no compensation is in sight. 28. ... e3 29. Ke2 Kf7 30. Rd1 Kg6? A little more tenacious would be 30. ... Re7, although after 31. b3! White must sooner or later find her way to the win. 31. Rd7 h5 32. gxh5+ Kxh5 33. Rh7+ Kg6 34. Rxb7 Re6 35. g4 f5 36. gxf5+ Kxf5 37. b4 Rc6 38. a4 Kf4? This loses on the spot, but even after 38. ... Rxc3 39. Rxb6 Rxc1 40. a5! White must win. 39. Rxb6! 1 : 0. With only two rounds to go, Gaponenko is now the sole lead.

Inna Grigoryevna Gaponenko-Yanovska (right) vs. Alina Anatolyevna Kashlinskaya (left). Photo: Turkish Chess Federation.