These are Not Easy Times

Anastasia Mikhailovna Bodnaruk – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

6th Online Women’s Speed Chess Championship “Julius Bär” Main Event; Round of 16 match game 4; time control: 5 minutes plus 1 second per move; chess.com, August 26, 2024

Sicilian Defence B84

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be2 Nf6 7. 0-0 d6 8. Be3

8. ... b5! 9. a3. The critical alternative is 9. a4, to which Black can reply 9. ... b4 10. Na2 Nxe4 11. c3! b3! giving back the Pawn to keep the c-file closed, Shirov – Kasparov, International Tournament, Astana 2001.
9. ... Bb7 10. Bf3. 10. f3 may also make sense, especially if followed by g2-g4-g5; for example: 10. f3 Be7 11. Qd2 0-0 12. g4 Nc6 13. g5 Nxd4 14. Bxd4 Nh5 15. Be3 e5 16. Rf2 f5 17. Nd5 Qd8 18. c4 bxc4 19. Bxc4 Kh8 20. Rg2 fxe4 21. fxe4 Nf4 22. Bxf4 exf4 23. h4 Rc8 24. b3 Bxd5 25. exd5 Qd7 26. Rf1 Qf5 27. Rf3 Bd8 28. Kh2 Bb6 29. Bxa6 Ra8 30. Qd3 Qxd3 31. Bxd3 Rxa3 32. Bc4 Be3 33. Re2 Rfa8 34. Kg2 g6 35. Rf1 Kg7 36. Kf3 Ra1 37. Rxa1 Rxa1 38. Rh2 Rg1 39. Ra2 Rg3+ 40. Ke4 Kf7 41. Ra6 ½–½ Chekhover – Kotov, 14th USSR Chess Championship, Moscow 1945.
10. ... Nbd7 11. Re1 Ne5 12. Bg5 Be7 13. a4 b4 14. Na2 Nxf3+ 15. Qxf3 Qc5. Attacking both the Knight and the Bishop.
16. Bxf6 Bxf6 17. Nb3 Qb6 18. a5 Qc7

19. Nxb4? This precipitates White into a strategic débâcle. 19. c3! bxc3 20. Nxc3 was still playable for White. After the text, Bodnaruk can do nothing but wait for the inevitable.
19. ... Bxb2 20. Ra4 0-0 21. Qd3 Rfc8 22. Rd1 Be5 23. Nd4 Qc4 24. f3 h6 25. Ne2 Qc7 26. Kh1 Rd8 27. c4 Rac8 28. Nc2 Bc6 29. Ra2 Rb8 30. Ne3 Rb4 31. Nc2 Rb7 32. Ne3 Rdb8 33. f4 Rb3 34. Qd2 Bf6 35. Ng3 Bc3

36. Qc2. If 36. Qxd6 then 36. ... Qxd6 37. Rxd6 Rb1+ 38. Nef1 Bxe4 with crushing advantage.
36. ... Bxa5 37. f5? A way as another to surrender her arms. In any case 37. Nef1 Qb6! was also hopeless.
37. ... Rxe3 38. fxe6 fxe6 39. Nh5 Re1+ 40. Rxe1 Bxe1 41. Ra1 Qf7 42. Qe2 Bc3 43. Rf1 Qe7 44. Qg4 Be5 45. h3 Rf8 46. Rd1 Be8 0–1.