Alice in Wonderland

Tatev Abrahamyan – Alice Teresa Lee

1st American Cup — Women’s Champions Bracket; match game 2; Saint Louis, April 23, 2022

Sicilian Defence B33

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9. Nd5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c4 b4 12. Nc2 0-0 (12. ... Rb8 13. Qd3 Bg5 14. g3 0-0 15. Bg2 Be6 16. 0-0 Bh6 17. Rfd1 Qd7 18. a3 b3 19. Ncb4 Nd4 20. Nxa6 Rbc8 21. Nab4 Rc5 22. Na6 ½ : ½ Tatai – Jongsma, 7th IBM–B International Tournament, Amsterdam 1967) 13. Qf3 Bg5 14. h4 Bh6 15. g4 f6 (15. ... Bf4 16. Nxf4 exf4 17. Qxf4 Ne5 18. Be2 Bxg4 19. Ne3 Be6 20. h5 f6 21. Rg1 Qe7 22. Qh4 Rae8 23. f4 Nc6 24. 0-0-0 b3 25. axb3 Rb8 26. Rg3 Rxb3 27. Rdg1 Kh8 28. Rxg7 Qxg7 29. Rxg7 Kxg7 30. Qg3+ Kh8 31. f5 Rg8 32. Qh4 Rg5 33. fxe6 1 : 0 Ponkratov – So, 8th Aeroflot Open, Moscow 2009) 16. Rg1 Qa5!? Likewise 16. ... Be6 17. Bd3 Ra7 18. Kf1 g6 19. Rd1 Kh8 20. Be2 Qa5 seems satisfactory for Black, Kantans – Shirov, 5th Vladimir Mikhailovich Petrov Memorial, Jūrmala 2016 (time control: 15 minutes plus 5 seconds per move). 17. b3 Qc5 18. Be2 Ra7 19. Qg3 g6 20. Rd1 Be6 21. Rh1 Nd4 22. Nxd4 exd4 23. Nxf6+!? It should be noted that there was no option for Abrahamyan other than to win, which explains much of her moves. Here she prefers a tricky petite combinaison rather than to pursue a binding strategy with 23. h5!? g5 (Black cannot allow the opening of the h-file) 24. Kf1 followed by Kf1-g2. 23. ... Rxf6 24. g5 Bxg5 25. hxg5 Rf8 26. f4

26. ... Re7! Lee suddenly reminds her opponent that the White King is still in the centre. 27. Rh4 Bd7 28. Qh2!? Objectively speaking, there was probably nothing better than 28. Qd3! Rfe8 29. Qxd4 Rxe4! liquidating to a very drawish endgame, but that was not enough for Abrahamyan. 28. ... Bc6 29. f5 Rxe4! 30. fxg6? White finally immolates herself in a last, desperate attempt to win. 30. Rxh7 was obviously called for, but after 30. ... Qe5 Black forces the exchange of Queens with at least equality.

30. ... Rxe2+! 31. Kxe2. 31. Qxe2 Re8−+ leads to the same result (if a little more prosaically). 31. ... Bf3+ 32. Ke1

32. ... Re8+? 32. ... Qxg5! wins on the spot, or, perhaps, did Lee want to offer a draw? 33. Kd2? No or don’t know. 33. Kf1! Bxd1 34. Qf4! hxg6 35. Rh8+! Kxh8 36. Qf6+ would have drawn by perpetual check. Abrahamyan is not given a second chance: 33. ... Re2+! 34. Qxe2 Qxg5+ 0 : 1.

A formidable score for the American teen prodigy as she continues her climb to the top. Photo: Austin Fuller/Saint Louis Chess Club.