Patience and Confidence

Humpy Koneru – 叶诗雯 (Carissa Yip)
2nd Cairns Cup; Saint Louis, February 7, 2020
King’s Indian Defence E73

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Be2 0-0 6. Be3 e5 7. d5 Na6 8. h4 Nc5 9. Qc2 c6 10. h5 cxd5 11. cxd5 Qa5 12. Bd2 Bd7!? Probably safer is 12. ... Nxh5 13. a3 Qb6 14. b4 Nd7 15. Bxh5 gxh5 16. Rxh5 Nf6 17. Rh4 Ng4 18. Nh3 f5 19. Qd1 Qd4 20. Qe2 fxe4 21. Rc1 h5 22. Nb5 Qd3 23. Nxd6 Qxd5 24. Nxe4 Bf5 25. Nhg5 Rac8 26. Rxc8 Rxc8 27. f3 Nf6 28. Nxf6+ Bxf6 29. Rxh5 Rc4 30. Nh3 Bg6 31. Rh6 Kg7 32. Nf2 Rc2 33. Ne4 Bxe4 ½ : ½ Blübaum – Markos, 21st European Team Chess Championship, Hersonissos 2017. 13. h6! Bh8 14. Nh3 Qc7 15. Ng5 Rac8 16. Qd1 a5 17. 0-0 Qd8 18. Rb1 Ne8 19. b3. 19. a3? a4! leads nowhere. 19. ... f6?! (19. ... Bf6! 20. Nf3 Be7=) 20. Ne6! A positional Pawn sacrifice in order to dominate the light squares. 20. ... Nxe6 21. dxe6 Bxe6 22. Bc4! Nc7. If 22. ... Bxc4 then 23. bxc4 Rf7 (23. ... Rxc4? 24. Qb3+−) 24. Rb5 f5 25. Qb1 eventually regaining the Pawn with powerful interest. 23. Nb5 Qd7 24. Nxc7 Bxc4 25. bxc4 Qxc7 26. Qb3 Qxc4 27. Bxa5. 27. Qxb7! Qf7! 28. Bxa5 was probably Koneru’s best. The text apparently lets slip White’s grip on the game. 27. ... Qxb3 28. Rxb3 Rf7 29. Rfb1 Rb8? Black had to give back the Pawn with 29. ... f5! 30. Rxb7 Rxb7 31. Rxb7 Rc1+ 32. Kh2 Bf6 partially escaping from her confinement.

30. Bd2! f5 31. a4! Now Black gets in the grip of an inexorable paralysis. 31. ... fxe4 32. a5 Rbf8 33. Rxb7 Rxf2 34. Bb4 e3 35. Bxd6 Re8 36. Rb8 Rxb8 37. Rxb8+ Kf7 38. Rxh8 Rb2 39. Kf1 Ke6 40. Bc5 Kd5 1 : 0.

At her début in the Cairns Cup, Humpy Koneru showed the best of her positional style. Photo: Crystal Fuller/Saint Louis Chess Club.