Reckless Wind

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk – Nana Dzagnidze
Women’s Candidates Tournament; Kazan, June 5, 2019
6kr/2nn2p1/p4p2/3PbR2/2p1N3/4B2P/P1B3P1/7K w - - 0 33

Position after 32. ... b5xc4

The younger Aleksandra, however, owes more than something to the elder Alexandra, who won against Dzagnidze a tense game. In the position of the diagram White continued 33. d6 after which Black should probably have contented herself with 33. ... Nd5 34. Bg1 Kf7 35. Ng5+ Ke8 36. Ne6 Kf7 37. Ng5+ Ke8 drawing by repetition. Instead the Knight jumped into the wild, heading to the rim. 33. ... Nb5 34. a4 Na3. 34. ... Nd4 seems simpler. 35. Bd1 Kf7 36. Bc1 Rh4? This is a tactical mistake which costs Black material. 36. ... Nb1 at once was called for. 37. Ng5+! Kg6? 37. ... Ke8 38. Nf3 Re4 39. Bxa3 g6 40. Rxe5+ may eventually leave White with two Bishops against a Rook — understandably Dzagnidze didn’t like the perspective, but the text loses at once. 38. Nf3 Re4 39. g4 Nb1 40. Bc2 Nc3 41. Nxe5+ fxe5 42. Rf3! 1 : 0.

Kosteniuk played boldly and neatly with Dzagnidze, eventually winning the game. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili.