The Eleventh Hour

Alisa Mikhailovna Galliamova – 谢军 (Xiè Jūn)

Women’s World Chess Championship match game 11; 沈阳 (Shěnyáng), August 17, 1999

Spanish Game C93

“Galliamova spoiled a perfectly playable position with the wild Rook manoeuvre Re1-e3-g3-g4 and was given no chance to recover”, Grandmaster Jon Speelman wrote in his The Independent chess column of Tuesday, August 24, 1999. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 0-0 9. h3 h6 10. d4 Re8 11. Nbd2 Bf8 12. Nf1 Bb7 13. Ng3 Na5 14. Bc2 Nc4 15. a4 d5 16. Nxe5. 16. dxe5!? dxe4 seems quite even. 16. ... Nxe4. If 16. ... dxe4 then 17. Nxc4 bxc4 18. Qe2 Bd5 19. Nf1 c5 20. dxc5 Bxc5 21. Be3⩲ — analysis by 谢军 (Xiè Jūn). 17. Nxe4. If 17. axb5 then 17. ... axb5 18. Rxa8 Bxa8 19. Nxc4 bxc4 20. Bxe4 dxe4 21. Qa4 Bd5 22. f3 ½ : ½ Matulović – Gligorić, 12th International Tournament, Sarajevo 1969. 17. ... dxe4 18. Nxc4 bxc4 19. b3 Qd5! A sound novelty, in place of 19. ... cxb3 20. Bxb3⩲↑ Klovans – Shalamberidze, 8th Werfener Schachfestival, Werfen 1993. 20. Re3? Black’s new recipe had its upsetting effect on White’s kitchen. Here, as argued by 谢军 (Xiè Jūn), both 20. Be3 and 20. bxc4!? may keep alive White’s hope for a theoretical edge. 20. ... cxb3 21. Bxb3 Qf5 22. Rg3. International Master Valery Surenovich Tsaturian recommends as better: 22. Bc2 followed by Ra1-b1. 22. ... Bd6 23. Rg4 Qf6 (Δ ... h6-h5) 24. Qc2. 24. Bc2 h5 25. Rg5 e3 26. Bxe3 Rxe3 27. Bh7+ Kxh7 28. Qxh5+ Kg8 29. fxe3 Qe6 is assessed by 谢军 (Xiè Jūn) as “∓”, but −+ appears to be a more objective conclusion. 24. ... Re7. Worth considering was 24. ... Bc8!? 25. Rxe4 Bf5 26. Rxe8+ Rxe8 27. Qd1 Qg6 28. Be3 Bxh3 29. Qf3 Bf5 30. Bd5 h5↑ — analysis by 谢军 (Xiè Jūn). 25. Ba3 Bxa3 26. Rxa3 Rae8?! 26. ... Qd6 27. Ra1 Kh8∓ was then recommended by 谢军 (Xiè Jūn) as a substantial improvement. 27. Ra1 c5 28. dxc5 Qe5 29. Re1?! Much better seems 29. Rd1 Kh7 30. Rd6 f5∓ leaving Black her chances — but no certain victory. 29. ... Kh7 30. Qd2 f5 31. Rg3 Qxc5 32. h4

32. ... Qc7! 33. h5 Rd8 34. Qc1 Qe5 35. c4 f4 36. Rc3 Rf8 37. c5 Bc6! 38. Rh3 Qg5 39. Qc2 Kh8 40. a5 Bd7. Finally reaching the time control. 41. Rh2 Bc6 42. Qc4 e3 43. fxe3 f3 44. Kh1 fxg2+ 45. Kg1 Rxe3 46. Rb1 Ref3 0 : 1. White resigns, as mate follows by force. Both 46. ... Rxb3 and 46. ... Rf1+ would have led to the same result.