Monday, August 24, 2020

Back to Earth

Anna-Maria Botsari – Marina Brunello
1st Online Chess Olympiad Top Division Pool D; Italy – Greece; time control: 15 minutes plus 5 seconds per move; chess.com, August 23, 2020
Slav Defence D11

Italy took the fifth place in the Pool D, which was not enough to advance to the quarterfinals. However, International Master Marina Brunello may well be satisfied with her performance (10/14), including the draw with Anna-Maria Botsari in the disastrous Round 8 match against Greece (Italy lost 5–1). 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nbd2 Bf5 5. Nh4 Bc8 6. Nhf3 e6 7. g3 Nbd7 8. Bg2 Bd6 9. 0-0 0-0 10. Qc2 Qe7 11. e4 Nxe4 12. Nxe4 dxe4 13. Qxe4 e5 14. dxe5 Nxe5 15. Ng5 Ng6 (15. ... g6!?) 16. Be3!? A novelty which does not change the assessment of the position. After 16. Qc2 h6 17. Ne4 Bf5 18. Re1 Rfe8 19. Bd2 Rad8 20. Qb3 Be5 21. Bb4 Qc7 Black stands well, even though after 22. c5 a5 23. Bc3 Bxe4 24. Rxe4 Bxc3 25. Qxc3 Rxe4 26. Bxe4 Nf8 27. Re1 Ne6 28. Bf5 he gifted his illustrious opponent with a huge blunder: 28. ... Nd4?? (28. ... Nf8) 29. Qxd4! 1 : 0 Smyslov – Sehner, 8th Politiken Cup, Copenhagen 1986. 16. ... Re8 17. Qxe7 Bxe7 18. Ne4 Bf5 19. Rfd1 Ne5 20. Rd4 Rad8 21. b3 b6 22. h3 h5 23. Rad1 Be6 24. f4 Rxd4 25. Rxd4 Nd7 26. Nd6 Rd8


27. Nb7. If 27. f5 Black can reply 27. ... Bxd6 28. fxe6 Ne5 with reasonable drawing chances. 27. ... Rb8 28. Bxc6 Nc5 29. Nxc5 (29. Nd6 Bxh3=) 29. ... Bxc5 30. Rd3 Bf5 31. Rc3 Bb4 32. Rc1 Bxh3 33. Kf2 Rd8 34. Bd5 Bf5 35. Bf3 g6 36. Rd1 Rxd1 37. Bxd1 Bb1 38. a4 Kf8 39. Bd4 Ke7 40. Ke3 Bf5 ½ : ½.

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