Isoperimetric inequality

Irina Bulmagă – Elisabeth Pähtz
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2019–20; 4th stage; Catalan Bay, May 22, 2021
Sicilian Defence B96

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 cxd4 5. Nxd4 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Qc7 8. Qe2!? Much less common with respect to 8. Qf3, but quite fashionable in times of over theory. 8. ... b5 9. a3 Bb7 10. 0-0-0 Nbd7 11. g4 Rc8 12. f5!? A novelty in theme. The model game continued with 12. Bxf6! gxf6 13. h4 Qb6 14. Rh3 h5 15. f5 e5 16. Nb3 hxg4 17. Qxg4 b4 18. axb4 Qxb4 19. Kb1 Nb6 20. Qe2 Bh6 21. Qf2 Rc6 22. Na2 Qa4 23. Rc3 Ke7 24. Rxc6 Qxc6 25. Na5 Qc7 26. Nxb7 Qxb7 27. Nb4 Rb8 28. Qxb6 Qxb6 29. Nd5+ Kf8 30. Nxb6 Rxb6 31. c3 Be3 32. Kc2 Kg7 33. b4 Kh6 34. Bc4 Bf2 35. Rh1 Rc6 36. Kb3 Rb6 37. Kc2 Rc6 38. Kd3 Rc7 39. Bxa6 Kh5 40. Bc4 Ra7 41. Bd5 Kh6 42. h5 Bb6 43. Kc4 Be3 44. Kb3 Bb6 45. Rh2 Be3 46. Re2 Bb6 47. Ra2 Rxa2 48. Kxa2 Kxh5 49. Kb3 Bf2 50. Ka4 Kh6 51. Kb5 Kg7 52. Kc6 Kf8 53. b5 Ke7 54. Kc7 1 : 0 Kramnik – Gelfand, 10th Tal Memorial, Moscow 2016. 12. ... e5 13. Nb3 Nb6 14. Bxf6 gxf6 15. h4 h6 16. Kb1 Rg8 17. Rg1 Nc4 18. Nd5 Bxd5 19. Rxd5 Be7 20. Rg3 Qb7 21. Qe1 Nb6 22. Rd1 Na4 23. Bd3 Kf8 24. Qd2 Rh8 25. Rdg1 d5 26. g5 hxg5 27. hxg5 dxe4? Without going into too many details, Black had thus far managed to stay afloat, but the text spoils everything. Instead, the cool 27. ... fxg5 28. Rxg5! Bf6! seems fine for Black.

28. Qg2? But White wastes her golden opportunity: 28. Bxe4! Qxe4 29. gxf6 Bxf6 30. Qd6+ Be7 31. Qh6+! winning brilliantly. 28. ... fxg5 29. Bxe4 Qb6 30. Rh1 Rxh1+ 31. Qxh1 Bf6 32. Rh3. Perhaps 32. Rxg5!? might be more promising. 32. ... Ke7?! (⌓ 32. ... Rd8) 33. Rh7 Qf2? Giving back the Pawn by 33. ... Qd6 34. Bd5 Rh8 was arguably a much better defence. 34. Qh5 Rf8 35. Bd5 Qxf5 36. Bxf7 Qf1+ 37. Ka2 Kd6? This should be only one more step towards catastrophe, but Black has no reason to regret it, as 37. ... Bg7 38. Rxg7 Rxf7 39. Rxg5 was hopeless as well.

38. Nd2?? White’s afternoon ends in a dramatic harakiri which allows her opponent the opportunity to whip up a mating attack. 38. Qg4! instead would have forced a straightforward win for White, since Black could avoid the check on e6 only at cost of heavy material loss. 38. ... Qc1−+ 39. Ne4+ Kc6 40. Bd5+ Kxd5 41. Rd7+ Kxe4 42. Qh7+ Kf4 43. Qh2+ Kf5 44. Qh7+ Kg4 45. Qe4+ Qf4 46. Qg2+ Kf5 47. Qh3+ g4 48. Qh7+ Kg5 49. Rd1 Rh8 50. Qa7 Rh2 51. Qa8 Qc4+ 52. Ka1 Rxc2 0 : 1.

The return to reality can be as alienating as the need of a metaphysical reality. Photo © John Saunders.