Alice Teresa Lee – Irina Borisivna Krush
2nd American Cup — Women’s Champions Bracket; match game 2; Saint Louis, March 22, 2023
Queen’s Gambit Declined D38
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bxf6 Qxf6 7. Qa4+ Nc6 8. a3 Bxc3+ 9. bxc3 0-0 10. e3 dxc4 11. Bxc4 Bd7 (11. ... e5 12. 0-0 Bg4 13. Bd5! Bd7 14. Qb3 exd4 15. cxd4 Rab8 16. Rac1 Rfc8 17. Rc3 Na5 18. Qc2 c6 19. Ne5⩲ Makogonov – Ragozin, 10th USSR Chess Championship, Tbilisi 1937)
12. 0-0 Rfd8 13. Qc2 Na5 14. Be2. The alternative was 14. Ba2 c5 15. Ne5 Bb5 16. Rfe1 Rac8 with more or less equality.
14. ... c5 15. Ne5 Rac8. 15. ... Be8 at once was also possible, and after 16. Qb2 Rac8 White should be careful not to transpose into the game (17. f4?! Qe7).
16. Qb2. Of course, 16. Nxd7= was still in order here.
16. ... Qe7. And Black, on her turn, could move her Bishop to a4 or e8.
12. 0-0 Rfd8 13. Qc2 Na5 14. Be2. The alternative was 14. Ba2 c5 15. Ne5 Bb5 16. Rfe1 Rac8 with more or less equality.
14. ... c5 15. Ne5 Rac8. 15. ... Be8 at once was also possible, and after 16. Qb2 Rac8 White should be careful not to transpose into the game (17. f4?! Qe7).
16. Qb2. Of course, 16. Nxd7= was still in order here.
16. ... Qe7. And Black, on her turn, could move her Bishop to a4 or e8.
17. f4?! It was her last opportunity to play 17. Nxd7 with even chances.
17. ... Be8! 18. Rac1. After 18. Bd3 b5⩱ White’s pseudo-Pillsbury Setup won’t yield her anything.
18. ... f6 19. Nc4 Nxc4 20. Bxc4 Kh8 21. e4 Bc6 22. e5. Lee has to think long and hard to defend a somewhat unpleasant position. If 22. Rfe1 then 22. ... b5 23. Bxe6 Qxe6 24. d5 Bxd5 25. exd5 Qxd5 26. Qxb5 Rb8 with at least equality.
22. ... f5 23. Bb3 Bd5 24. Rcd1 Bxb3 25. Qxb3 Rd5 26. dxc5 Qxc5+ 27. Kh1 Rcd8 28. Rxd5 Qxd5 29. Qxd5 Rxd5. It shouldn’t take too much for White to draw, but Lee was very much short of time.
30. Kg1 Kg8 31. Rb1 b6 32. Rb4 Rc5 33. c4 g5 34. g3 Kf7 35. Kf2 gxf4 36. gxf4 Kg6 37. Kg3 Kh5 38. a4 Rc7 39. a5 bxa5 40. Ra4 Rb7 41. Rxa5 Rb3+ 42. Kf2 Kg4 43. Ra6 Rb6 44. Ra4 Rb2+ 45. Ke3 Rb3+ 46. Kd4 Kxf4 47. c5 Rb7 48. Ra6 Re7 49. Rd6 a5 50. c6 a4 51. Rd7 Re8 52. Ra7 Rc8 53. c7
17. ... Be8! 18. Rac1. After 18. Bd3 b5⩱ White’s pseudo-Pillsbury Setup won’t yield her anything.
18. ... f6 19. Nc4 Nxc4 20. Bxc4 Kh8 21. e4 Bc6 22. e5. Lee has to think long and hard to defend a somewhat unpleasant position. If 22. Rfe1 then 22. ... b5 23. Bxe6 Qxe6 24. d5 Bxd5 25. exd5 Qxd5 26. Qxb5 Rb8 with at least equality.
22. ... f5 23. Bb3 Bd5 24. Rcd1 Bxb3 25. Qxb3 Rd5 26. dxc5 Qxc5+ 27. Kh1 Rcd8 28. Rxd5 Qxd5 29. Qxd5 Rxd5. It shouldn’t take too much for White to draw, but Lee was very much short of time.
30. Kg1 Kg8 31. Rb1 b6 32. Rb4 Rc5 33. c4 g5 34. g3 Kf7 35. Kf2 gxf4 36. gxf4 Kg6 37. Kg3 Kh5 38. a4 Rc7 39. a5 bxa5 40. Ra4 Rb7 41. Rxa5 Rb3+ 42. Kf2 Kg4 43. Ra6 Rb6 44. Ra4 Rb2+ 45. Ke3 Rb3+ 46. Kd4 Kxf4 47. c5 Rb7 48. Ra6 Re7 49. Rd6 a5 50. c6 a4 51. Rd7 Re8 52. Ra7 Rc8 53. c7
53. ... a3? Krush is also in time-trouble and falls victim of a Fata Morgana mirage. The right move was 53. ... h5! 54. Kc5 Kxe5 55. Kc6 f4 56. Ra5+ Ke4 57. Rxa4+ Ke3 with a draw.
54. Kc5 Kxe5 55. Kc6 f4 56. Rxa3! That’s the difference! Suddenly White is winning!
56. ... Kf5
54. Kc5 Kxe5 55. Kc6 f4 56. Rxa3! That’s the difference! Suddenly White is winning!
56. ... Kf5
57. Ra5+? Both 57. Kb7 and 57. Kd7 would win in all lines, as after 57. ... Rxc7+ 58. Kxc7 the White King is too near and the Black King is too far!
57. ... Ke4? 57. ... Kg4! 58. Kd7 Rxc7+ 59. Kxc7 f3 draws.
58. Kd6? Here, still, both 58. Kb7 and 58. Kd7 would win for White: 58. ... Rxc7+ 59. Kxc7 f3 60. Kd6 and once again the White King is near enough.
58. ... f3 59. Re5+ Kd3 60. Rxe6 Rxc7 61. Rxc7 f2 62. Rf6 Ke2 63. Re6+ Kd3 64. Rf6 Ke2 65. Re6+ Kd3 66. Rf6 Ke2 67. Re6+ ½ : ½.
57. ... Ke4? 57. ... Kg4! 58. Kd7 Rxc7+ 59. Kxc7 f3 draws.
58. Kd6? Here, still, both 58. Kb7 and 58. Kd7 would win for White: 58. ... Rxc7+ 59. Kxc7 f3 60. Kd6 and once again the White King is near enough.
58. ... f3 59. Re5+ Kd3 60. Rxe6 Rxc7 61. Rxc7 f2 62. Rf6 Ke2 63. Re6+ Kd3 64. Rf6 Ke2 65. Re6+ Kd3 66. Rf6 Ke2 67. Re6+ ½ : ½.
Truly, Lee paid dear for her missed chance, eventually ending up losing both rapid playoffs. Photo © Lennart Ootes/Saint Louis Chess Club. |
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