Swimming Pools

Marina Brunello – Iweta Rajlich

1st Online Chess Olympiad Top Division Pool D; Poland – Italy; time control: 15 minutes plus 5 seconds per move; chess.com, August 22, 2020

French Defence C02

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Qb6 6. Be2 cxd4 7. cxd4 Nh6 8. Bxh6 (8. Bd3 Bd7 9. Bc2 g5 10. h3 Nf5 11. Bxf5 exf5 12. 0-0 h6 13. Nc3 Be6 14. Na4 Qb5 15. h4 g4 16. Ne1 Be7 17. g3 Rc8 18. Be3 b6 19. Ng2 Na5 20. Nf4 Nc4 21. Nc3 Qa5 22. Qb3 Kd7 23. Rfc1 Rc6 24. Rc2 Nxe3 25. fxe3 Rhc8 26. Rac1 Rc4 27. a3 R8c6 28. Kf2 a6 29. Nb1 Rxc2+ 30. Rxc2 Rxc2+ 31. Qxc2 Qb5 32. Nc3 Qc4 33. Qa4+ Qxa4 34. Nxa4 Kc6 35. Nc3 a5 36. Ke2 Bf8 37. Kd2 Be7 38. Kc2 Bf8 39. Kb3 b5 40. Na2 Be7 41. Kc2 Bf8 42. Nc1 Be7 43. Nb3 Bd8 44. Nc5 Bc8 45. Kd2 Be7 46. Kc3 Bf8 47. Nh5 Be7 48. Nf6 Be6 49. Nh5 Bc8 50. Nf4 Bd8 51. Kd3 Be7 52. Kc2 Bd8 53. Kd1 Be7 54. Nfd3 Bd8 55. Ke2 Be7 56. Kd2 ½ : ½ M. Brunello – E. Pähtz, 20th European Individual Women’s Chess Championship, Antalya 2019) 8. ... Qxb2. The alternative is 8. .... gxh6 9. Qd2 Bg7 10. Nc3 0-0 11. 0-0 f6 12. exf6 Rxf6 13. Rad1 Bd7 14. Ne1 Raf8 15. f4 R6f7 16. Nc2 Qxb2 17. Nb5 a6 18. Rb1 Qxa2 19. Ra1 Qb2 20. Rfb1 Qxa1 21. Rxa1 axb5 22. Rf1 b4 23. Nxb4 Nxb4? (23. ... Nxd4!) 24. Qxb4 Rxf4 25. Rd1 Bc6 26. Qb6 Kh8 27. Bf3 Ra8 28. h3 Ra4 29. Kh1 Rf8 30. Qc5 Rc4? (30. ... Raa8!) 31. Qd6 Ra8 32. Qxe6 Rxd4 33. Rxd4 Bxd4 34. Bxd5 Re8 35. Qf7 Re1+ 36. Kh2 Be5+ 37. g3 Re2+ 38. Kh1 Bxd5+ 39. Qxd5 Re1+ 1 : 0 Brunello – Osmak, 20th European Individual Women’s Chess Championship, Antalya 2019. 9. Nbd2 gxh6 10. Nb3 Bb4+ 11. Kf1 Qa3!? A novelty instead of 11. ... Bd7 12. a3 Bc3 13. Rb1 Qxa3 14. Nc5 Na5 15. Nxb7 Nxb7 16. Rxb7 Rc8 17. g3 Bb4 18. Kg2 Bc6 19. Bb5 Bxb5 20. Rxb5 0-0 21. Nh4 Be7 22. Qg4+ Kh8 23. Rhb1 Qd3 24. Nf3 Qe4 25. Qh5 Kg7 26. Rb7 Rfe8 27. Ra1 Ra8 28. Rc1 Qg6 29. Qxg6+ hxg6 30. Rcc7 Kf8 31. Rxa7 Rxa7 ½ : ½ M. Brunello – E. Di Benedetto, 79th Italian Chess Championship, Padua 2019. 12. h4 Bd7 13. Rh3 0-0-0 14. Rb1 Rhg8. Now 14. ... Qxa2?? would be at least inadvisable, as after 15. Ne1! Black’s Queen is doomed. 15. Nfd2 Rg7 16. Nc5 Qxa2

17. Ndb3 Rdg8? A grave oversight. Correct was 17. ... Bxc5 18. Nxc5 Rdg8 19. g4 transposing to the game. If White does not want to transpose, she can continue 19. Nxb7 (instead of 19. g4) with great complications; for instance: 19. ... Rxg2 20. Rh1 Qa3! (threatening both ... Qa3-h3 and ... Rg2-g1+) 21. Nd6+ Kd8 22. Nxf7+ Kc7! 23. Ng5 Rxf2+! 24. Kxf2 hxg5 25. Rb3 Qf8+ 26. Rf3 Qb4∞ — yet it is only a sample line. 18. g4? Brunello overlooks 18. Ra1 trapping the Queen (18. ... Qb2 19. Nd3 Rxg2 19. Rhh1). 18. ... Bxc5 19. Nxc5 b6? And this is the losing move. Best was 19. ... Rxg4! 20. Bxg4 Rxg4 with excellent compensation for the Exchange.

20. Rhb3! (Δ Rb1-a1) 20. ... bxc5 21. Ra1 Qxe2+ 22. Qxe2 Rxg4 23. Qa6+ Kd8 24. Rb7 Rg1+ 25. Ke2 Nxd4+ 26. Kd2 Rxa1 27. Rb8+ Kc7 28. Qd6# 1 : 0.