Episodic memory

Humpy Koneru – Valentina Evgenyevna Gunina
2nd Cairns Cup; Saint Louis, February 15, 2020
Semi-Slav Defence D48

Gunina, the winner of last year’s inaugural Cairns Cup, this year has for some mysterious reason decided to throw away a game after another. And fairly enough, she did not make an exception for Koneru. 1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 c6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 Bb7 9. 0-0 a6 10. e4 c5 11. d5 c4 12. Bc2 Qc7 13. dxe6 fxe6 14. Ng5 Qc6?! This is well known to be a very doubtful line. Best is 14. ... Nc5! 15. e5! Qxe5 16. Re1 Qd6 17. Qxd6 Bxd6 18. Be3 0-0 19. Rad1 Be7 20. Bxc5 Bxc5 21. Nxe6 Rfc8 22. h3! Bf8?! (22. ... Rab8 23. g4 Bf3 24. Rd2 b4 25. Na4 Ba7 26. g5 Nd5 27. Re5 Rb5 with a draw agreed to at move 41, Topalov – Lautier, 6th Torneo Ciudad de Dos Hermanas, Dos Hermanas 1994) 23. g4 h6 24. f4 Bf3 25. Rd2 Bc6 26. g5 hxg5 27. fxg5 Nd7 28. Nxf8 Nxf8 29. Rd6 b4 30. Ne4 Be8?! 31. Ng3! Rd8 32. Nf5 Rxd6 33. Nxd6 Bg6 34. Bxg6 Nxg6 35. Nxc4 Rd8 36. Re4 b3 37. axb3 Rd3 38. Kg2 Rxb3 39. h4 Nf8 40. Re8 1 : 0 Karpov – Kramnik, 12th Torneo Internacional de Ajedrez Ciudad de Linares, Linares 1994. 15. Qf3! h6. 15. ... Bc5 16. Qh3 Ke7 17. Nf3 b4 18. Ne2 Nxe4 19. Ned4 Qb6 20. Bxe4 Bxe4 21. Qg4 Bxd4 22. Qxe4 Bf6 23. Qxc4 didn’t work out in Black’s favour either, Gligorić – Ljubojević, 3rd Torneo Internacional de Ajedrez Ciudad de Linares, Linares 1981. 16. Qh3 hxg5. So far Koneru only had to recall her memories: 16. ... Nc5 17. Be3 Bc8 18. e5! hxg5 19. Qxh8 Bb7 20. f3 Nfd7 21. Bxg5 Nxe5 22. Rad1 Nf7 23. Bg6 Nd3 24. Qh5 Ne5 25. Be4 Qc5+ 26. Kh1 g6 27. Qh4 Bc6 28. Bxc6+ Qxc6 29. Ne4 Bg7 30. Bf6 Kf8 31. Bxg7+ Kxg7 32. Qf6+ Kg8 33. Rd4 Rf8 34. Rfd1 Kh7 35. Ng5+ Kg8 36. Nxe6 1 : 0 Koneru – Karpov, 7th Cap d’Agde Rapid Chess Tournament, Cap d’Agde 2006. 17. Qxh8 Ne5? Gunina’s “theoretical novelty” tellingly shows that she had prepared nothing for today. 17. ... g4 18. Bg5 Kf7 (18. ... 0-0-0 is probably a little better, though not much: White would likewise continue with 19. Qh4) 19. Qh4 gave White a huge advantage, Maksimenko – Bjerring, 16th Politiken Cup, Copenhagen 1994. 18. Bxg5+− Nf7 19. Qh4 Be7 20. Rad1 Qc5

21. e5! Nxe5. 21. ... Qxe5 22. Bg6! is nonetheless catastrophic. 22. Bxf6 Bxf6 23. Qh5+ Ke7 24. Be4. Koneru’s move is most characteristic of her technical attitude, but also its “opposite” 24. Qh3! may be worth considering. 24. ... Bc6. The fact that Black had nothing better than 24. ... Nd3 25. Qxc5+ Nxc5 26. Bxb7 Nxb7 27. Rfe1 leaving White a clear Exchange up and a technically winning position is enough for Gunina to beg for a less exhausting ordeal. 25. Bxc6 Qxc6 26. Rfe1 Nd3 27. Nd5+ Kf8 28. Nxf6 gxf6 29. Qh8+ Kf7 30. Qh7+ Ke8 31. Re3 Nf4 32. Qg8+ Ke7 33. Qg7+ Ke8 34. Rd4 c3 35. bxc3 1 : 0.

Fourteen years after (no matter what), history almost repeated itself. Photo: Crystal Fuller/Saint Louis Chess Club.