Under the Volcano

朱锦尔 (Zhū Jǐn’ěr) – Nana Dzagnidze
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2022–23; 3rd stage; New Delhi, March 31, 2023
Sicilian Defence B96

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 h6 8. Bh4 Nbd7 9. Bc4 Qc7. Many years ago, Samuel Reshevsky managed to achieve a laborious draw after 9. ... e5 10. fxe5 Nxe5 11. Bb3 Be7 12. 0-0 0-0 13. Nf5 Bxf5 14. Rxf5 Nfd7 15. Bg3 Rc8 16. Kh1 g6 17. Rf1 b5 18. Qd4 Rc5 19. Nd5 Bh4 20. Bxh4 Qxh4 21. Rf4 Qd8 22. Raf1 Nc4 23. Nf6+ Nxf6 24. Rxf6 Qe7 25. c3 Re5 26. Bxc4 bxc4 27. Qxc4 Rxe4 28. Qxa6 Re2 29. Qc4 d5 ½ : ½ van der Sterren – Reshevsky, 8th Louis D. Statham Tournament, Lone Pine 1978, but it’s quite evident that White might have aimed for more.
10. Qe2! 10. Bxe6!? at once was also possible.
10. ... b5

11. Bb3!? Of course there’s nothing wrong with it, but most consistent was 11. Bxe6! fxe6 12. Nxe6 Qc6 13. 0-0-0→ with a vehement attack, Kuindzhy – Bukhman, “Zenit” Championship, Moscow 1971.
11. ... Nc5. Not 11. ... Bb7 12. 0-0-0 b4? by reason of 13. Nd5! with a crushing initiative. But 11. ... b4 12. Na4 Bb7 was worth consideration, since 13. 0-0 Bxe4 (not 13. ... Nxe4? 14. Nxe6! fxe6?? because of 15. Qh5+ followed by mate) 14. f5!? (14. c3! gives some compensation) 14. ... e5 (14. ... exf5? 15. Rxf5!) 15. Ne6!? fxe6 16. fxe6 Ne5 17. Rxf6!? gxf6 18. Qh5+ Kd8 19. Bxf6+ Be7 20. Bxe7+ Qxe7 21. Nxc5 Bc6! (21. ... dxc5? 22. Qxe5+−) 22. Rd1 Kc7 leads nowhere for White.
12. e5! dxe5 (12. ... b4 13. Nd5!↑)
13. fxe5 Nh7 (13. ... Nfd7? 14. Nxe6! Nxe6 15. Bxe6+−)
14. 0-0-0 Ng5 15. Bxg5 hxg5 16. Ne4 Nxb3+? As it will become soon clear, Black needed her Knight more than White needed her Bishop. Black could not play 16. ... Qxe5? on account of 17. Nc6! (17. ... Qxe4?? 18. Rd8#), but 16. ... Be7! might have avoided the worst, at least for a while.
17. axb3 Be7 18. Nd6+!? Not bad. 18. Rhf1, however, seems even stronger, for if 18. ... 0-0? then 19. Nf6+! with an irresistible attack.
18. ... Bxd6 19. exd6 Qxd6

20. Nxe6? A miscalculation, which dissipates White’s advantage. Simple and strong was 20. Nxb5 Qf4+ 21. Kb1 0-0 (owing to her erroneous 16th move, Black cannot parry the check at b5 by interposing her Knight after 21. ... axb5 22. Qxb5+ Ke7 23. Qc5+ Kf6 24. Rhf1+−) 22. Nd6 with an overwhelming advantage.
20. ... Qxe6 21. Qf3. Probably 朱锦尔 (Zhū Jǐn’ěr) still believed she was winning, because of the double threat of Qf3xa8 and Rh1-e1.

21. ... Bb7! However strange it may seem, 朱锦尔 (Zhū Jǐn’ěr) must have overlooked this when she played 20. Nxe6.
22. Qxb7 0-0! An escape worthy of Houdini: now White is left empty-handed!
23. Rhe1 Qh6 24. Kb1 g4 25. Qd7 Qh5 26. Rd5 Qh4 27. g3 Qxh2 28. Qxg4 Rae8 29. Red1 Qe2 30. Qh3 Re6 31. R5d2 Qe3 32. Rd3 Qe2 33. R3d2 Qe3 34. Rd3 Qe2 ½ : ½.

朱锦尔 (Zhū Jǐn’ěr) went astray for a moment and was not able to reap the fruit of her powerful initiative. Photo © Ismael Nieto/FIDE.