Thru the Chairs

Natallia Kusenkova – Marina Brunello
20th European Individual Women’s Chess Championship; Antalya, April 21, 2019
Queen’s Gambit Accepted D23

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Qc2 dxc4 5. Qxc4 Bf5 6. g3 e6 7. Bg2 Nbd7 8. 0-0 Be7 9. Nc3 h6 10. Re1 Ne4 11. Qb3 Qb6 12. Nh4 Bxh4. 12. ... Qxb3 just did not make good sense after 13. axb3 Bb4 14. Nxf5 exf5 15. Bxe4 fxe4 16. Bd2 Bxc3 17. bxc3 f5 18. Ra5 0-0 19. h4 a6 20. Kg2 Rad8 21. Bf4 Rc8 22. c4 Nb6 23. Rd1 Rf7 24. Be3 Rd8 25. Rd2 Nc8 26. d5 Ne7 27. dxc6 Rxd2 28. Bxd2 Nxc6 29. Rd5 Kf8 30. h5 Ke7 31. e3 Kf6 32. Kh3 Ke6 33. Bc3 b6 34. Kg2 Rc7 35. Kf1 b5 36. Rc5 bxc4 37. bxc4 Kd6 38. Rxf5 Ne7 39. Ra5 Ra7 40. Bxg7 Nc6 41. Bf8+ Ke6 42. Ra4 a5 43. g4 Ne5 44. Bxh6 Rb7 45. c5 1 : 0 Botsari – M. Brunello, 44th Greek Team Chess Championship, Achaea 2016. 13. gxh4 Ndf6 14. f3 Nxc3 15. bxc3 Qc7 16. e4 Bh7!? A new idea, trying to improve on 16. ... Bg6 17. e5 Nd5 18. Ba3 Bf5 19. c4 Ne7 20. Bd6 Qb6 21. Qe3 Rd8 22. a4 Qa5 23. f4 Rd7 24. Red1 Bg4 25. Bxe7 Rxe7 26. Rd2 Rd7 27. d5 cxd5 28. cxd5 exd5 29. Rb1 0-0 30. Rb5 Qxa4 31. Rbxd5 Qa1+ 32. Kf2 Rc7 33. Be4 Rc3 34. R5d3 Rxd3 35. Qxd3 b6 36. Bh7+ Kh8 37. Be4 Qc1 38. Qd6 Re8 39. Bc2 Qh1 40. Kg3 Qf3 mate, Harðarson – M. Brunello, 31st Reykjavik Open, Reykjavík 2016 — Black being content with the result, but maybe not happy with the opening. 17. Ba3 g5 18. Rab1 b6 19. hxg5? This gives sense and meaning to Black’s purposes. White ought to have played 19. d5! to focus herself against the Black King stuck in the centre. 19. ... hxg5 20. Bc1? After this Black is able to decidedly take the offensive. 20. Rb2 0-0-0∞ was probably best. 20. ... Bg6 21. Bxg5 Qxh2+ 22. Kf1 Rg8! 23. Qc4. Not 23. Bxf6? on account of 23. ... Bxe4!−+ nor 23. f4 because of 23. ... Nh5→ with powerful attack. 23. ... Bxe4 24. Rxe4 Rxg5 25. Qxc6+ Ke7 26. Qb7+ Nd7 27. Rg4 Rag8 28. Rxg5 Rxg5 29. Rb2 Qf4 30. Rc2

30. ... Rd5? Quite strangely, Brunello loses a tempo and a Pawn — which will prove to be too much of a gift. Instead, with 30. ... Rb5! at once Black could do harm by infiltrating both Queen and Rook: 31. Qe4 Rb1+ 32. Kf2 Qh2! 33. Qg4 Qg1+ 34. Kg3 Nf6 35. Qg5 Qd1 with good winning prospects. 31. Qxa7 Rb5? 31. ... Ra5 32. Qb7 Rb5 may transpose into the line given above, even though with the difference that Black would be a Pawn down, thus allowing White, at the end of the variation, to exchange Queens and head for a drawish endgame by returning the Pawn. 32. Qa3+ Nc5? Black melts into a mirage. By now she had nothing better than 32. ... Kf6 33. Qc1 Qxc1+ 34. Rxc1 Rb2 35. a4 Kf5 with a drawish endgame, though a little easier for Black. 33. Qc1? With 33. dxc5 White would have awakened her opponent to the sad reality. 33. ... Qxc1+ 34. Rxc1 Nd3 35. Rd1 Nf4 36. Rd2 Rb1+ 37. Kf2 Rc1 38. Bf1 Rxc3 39. Rb2 Nd5 40. Ba6 Rc7 41. Bd3 f5 42. Rc2 Ra7 43. Bc4 Kd6 44. Rb2 Rh7 45. Kg1 Rg7+ 46. Kf2 Rh7 47. Kg1 Kc7 48. Bxd5 exd5 49. Rh2 Rf7. Of course, the King and Pawn ending would be drawn, although accurate play is required: 49. ... Rxh2 50. Kxh2 Kc6! 51. Kg3 Kb5 52. Kf4 Kc4 53. Ke5 b5 54. f4 b4= with a draw soon coming. 50. Rh6 f4 51. Kf2 Kb7 52. Rd6 Rf5 53. Ke2 Kc7 54. Re6 Rf8 55. Re7+ Kd6 56. Rb7 Kc6 57. Ra7 Kb5 58. Kd2 Kb4 59. a3+ Kb5 60. Rb7 Ra8 61. Rf7 Rxa3 62. Rxf4 Kc4 63. Rf6 b5 64. f4 b4 65. f5 Kxd4. Maybe White gave a little too much rope to her opponent so far, but a draw was still easily achievable, for instance by 66. Kc2 — instead, Brunello’s stubborness paid off: 66. Rf8?? Ra2+−+ 67. Kc1 Rf2 68. f6 Kc3 69. Rc8+ Kb3 70. Rf8 d4 71. f7 d3 72. Rd8 Rf1+ 73. Kd2 Rxf7 74. Kxd3 Kb2 75. Kc4 Rf4+ 76. Kd3 b3 77. Kd2 Kb1 78. Kd1 Rf5 79. Kd2 b2 80. Rd7 Ra5 81. Rb7 Ka1 0 : 1.