One plus One

Antoaneta Stefanova – Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk

1st IMSA World Masters Women’s Rapid Chess Championship (15+10); 衡水 (Héngshuǐ), May 16, 2019

King’s Indian Attack A05

Even on the third day of the 1st IMSA World Masters Women’s Rapid Chess Championship Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk kept flying high above the cloudy skies of the Celestial Empire, and after beating in succession Anastasia Mikhailovna Bodnaruk and Irina Borisivna Krush, she finally drew her last round game with Antoaneta Stefanova, thus winning first prize by a 1-point margin. 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 b6 3. Bg2 Bb7 4. 0-0 e6 5. d3 d5 6. Nbd2 Be7 7. e4 dxe4 8. Ng5 0-0 9. Ndxe4 Nxe4 10. Nxe4 Nc6 Of course, they know each other quite well: 10. ... Qc8 11. h4 Nd7 12. Bg5 Bxg5 13. hxg5↑ Stefanova – Kosteniuk, 4th SportAccord World Mind Games, Women’s Blitz Event, 北京 (Beijīng) 2014. 11. f4 Rb8 12. Re1 Nb4 13. Qe2 Nd5 14. Bd2 c5 15. a3 Qd7 16. c4 Nf6 17. Bc3 Nxe4 18. dxe4 Rfd8 19. Rad1 Qa4 20. f5 Rxd1 21. Rxd1 exf5 22. exf5 Bxg2 23. Kxg2 Bf8 24. Rd2 Re8 25. Qg4 h5! 26. Qf4 Qc6+ 27. Qf3 Qh6 28. Re2 Rxe2+ 29. Qxe2 Qc6+ 30. Qf3 Qa4 31. Qe2 Qc6+ 32. Kg1 Qa4 33. Qd3

33. ... a6! 34. Kg2. Just a bit careless. 34. Qe2 at once seems safer, maintaining equality. 34. ... b5 35. cxb5 axb5 36. Qe2 b4 37. axb4 cxb4 38. Bd4 Qc6+ 39. Qf3 Qc2+. Black could still play for a win (though with little hope of success) by 39. ... Qc4(!) 40. Qe4 b3(!), but Kosteniuk didn’t need to, as by now a draw was worth a win. 40. Kh3 Qd2 41. Qe4 Be7 42. Bxg7 Kxg7 43. Qxe7 Qxb2 44. Qg5+ Kf8 45. f6 Qb3 46. Qc5+ Kg8 47. Qg5+ Kf8 48. Qc5+ Kg8 49. Qg5+ Kf8 50. Qc5+ ½ : ½.

12th Women’s World Chess Champion Kosteniuk just added another title to her palmarès. Photo: 樊璐璐 (Fán Lùlù).