Lyudmila Vladimirovna Rudenko – Clarice Benini
8th Women’s World Chess Championship; Moscow, January 12, 1950
Queen’s Gambit Accepted D24
8th Women’s World Chess Championship; Moscow, January 12, 1950
Queen’s Gambit Accepted D24
Comments and puctuation by Grandmaster Max Euwe, Moskou 1949. Wereldkampioenschap Schaken Dames, Oosterbaan & Le Cointre N.V., Goes, 1950, pp. 76-77.
1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 dxc4 4. Nc3. An unusual development move in this variant, but not a bad one.
4. ... a6 5. a4. Now that the Knight is on c3, White prevents the advance ... b7-b5 so as not to render the Knight unstable.
5. ... Bf5 6. e3 e6 7. Bxc4 Bb4 8. 0-0 0-0 9. Qe2. The game has taken on the character of a mainstream Slav, but with a difference: there is a Black Pawn on a6 rather than c6. The objective remains the same: White advances e3-e4 and then tries to secure a King attack founded on the acquired positional superiority.
9. ... Bg4 10. Rd1 Nbd7 11. e4 Nb6 12. Bb3 h6. Prevents Bc1-g5 and gives the light-squared Bishop a retreat square on h7.
13. h3 Bh5 14. g4 Bg6 15. Ne5 Bh7 16. f3. g4-g5 was to be considered either now or later.
16. ... Qe7. White has assumed an aggressive stance, but Black has various means of defence at her disposal, as the the presence of the h7-Bishop in particular confers sufficient stability to the Kingside.
17. Be3 Rfd8 18. Nd3 Ba5 19. Rac1 Nbd7 20. Qg2 Kh8 21. Ne2 Bb6 22. Qf2 Rac8. Mutual strengthening and consolidation.
23. Nc5 Bxc5 24. dxc5 Ne5 25. Nd4 c6 26. Bf4 Nfd7 27. Qg3 Qf6 28. h4. Here the advance 28. g5 offered more prospects. White should have opened up the position to increase the power of the two Bishops, whereas the move in the text actually allows for a closure, which benefits the Black Knights.
28. ... g5! Very correctly played. White has now to limit herself to defence.
29. hxg5 hxg5 30. Be3 Nf8 31. Rd2 Nfg6 32. Bd1 Rd7 33. Be2 Rcd8 34. Rcd1 Qe7 35. b4 a5! The Black Queen also wishes to join the attack.
36. bxa5 Qxc5 37. Kf2. Now that the Bishop is defended, the threat of Nd4xe6 becomes a reality.
37. ... Nf4? Black plays recklessly. The quiet 37. ... Qe7 would preserve to Black all her chances.
38. Nxe6! Rxd2. Black’s combination is beautiful, but ultimately leads to nothing.
39. Rxd2. Of course not 39. Bxc5 or 39. Nxc5 because of 39. ... Rxe2+ and 40. ... Rd8xd1# mate.
39. ... Rxd2 40. Bxc5 fxe6. Not 40. ... Rxe2+ 41. Kf1 and White wins after both 41. ... fxe6 42. Bd4 and 41. ... Rg2 42. Qe1.
41. Kf1! A strong defensive move (41. ... Rxe2 42. Bd4).
41. ... Kg7! Black constantly breathes new life into the position. Once the King can defend the e5-Knight, Black will take on e2, thereby gaining decisive material superiority (Rook and two minor pieces for the Queen).
42. Be3 Rxe2 43. Bxf4 gxf4 44. Qxf4
1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 dxc4 4. Nc3. An unusual development move in this variant, but not a bad one.
4. ... a6 5. a4. Now that the Knight is on c3, White prevents the advance ... b7-b5 so as not to render the Knight unstable.
5. ... Bf5 6. e3 e6 7. Bxc4 Bb4 8. 0-0 0-0 9. Qe2. The game has taken on the character of a mainstream Slav, but with a difference: there is a Black Pawn on a6 rather than c6. The objective remains the same: White advances e3-e4 and then tries to secure a King attack founded on the acquired positional superiority.
9. ... Bg4 10. Rd1 Nbd7 11. e4 Nb6 12. Bb3 h6. Prevents Bc1-g5 and gives the light-squared Bishop a retreat square on h7.
13. h3 Bh5 14. g4 Bg6 15. Ne5 Bh7 16. f3. g4-g5 was to be considered either now or later.
16. ... Qe7. White has assumed an aggressive stance, but Black has various means of defence at her disposal, as the the presence of the h7-Bishop in particular confers sufficient stability to the Kingside.
17. Be3 Rfd8 18. Nd3 Ba5 19. Rac1 Nbd7 20. Qg2 Kh8 21. Ne2 Bb6 22. Qf2 Rac8. Mutual strengthening and consolidation.
23. Nc5 Bxc5 24. dxc5 Ne5 25. Nd4 c6 26. Bf4 Nfd7 27. Qg3 Qf6 28. h4. Here the advance 28. g5 offered more prospects. White should have opened up the position to increase the power of the two Bishops, whereas the move in the text actually allows for a closure, which benefits the Black Knights.
28. ... g5! Very correctly played. White has now to limit herself to defence.
29. hxg5 hxg5 30. Be3 Nf8 31. Rd2 Nfg6 32. Bd1 Rd7 33. Be2 Rcd8 34. Rcd1 Qe7 35. b4 a5! The Black Queen also wishes to join the attack.
36. bxa5 Qxc5 37. Kf2. Now that the Bishop is defended, the threat of Nd4xe6 becomes a reality.
37. ... Nf4? Black plays recklessly. The quiet 37. ... Qe7 would preserve to Black all her chances.
38. Nxe6! Rxd2. Black’s combination is beautiful, but ultimately leads to nothing.
39. Rxd2. Of course not 39. Bxc5 or 39. Nxc5 because of 39. ... Rxe2+ and 40. ... Rd8xd1# mate.
39. ... Rxd2 40. Bxc5 fxe6. Not 40. ... Rxe2+ 41. Kf1 and White wins after both 41. ... fxe6 42. Bd4 and 41. ... Rg2 42. Qe1.
41. Kf1! A strong defensive move (41. ... Rxe2 42. Bd4).
41. ... Kg7! Black constantly breathes new life into the position. Once the King can defend the e5-Knight, Black will take on e2, thereby gaining decisive material superiority (Rook and two minor pieces for the Queen).
42. Be3 Rxe2 43. Bxf4 gxf4 44. Qxf4
44. ... Re1+(!). The combinatorial pitch of the battle. White thinks she will win, because two Black pieces are en prise and Black thinks she can save herself with a surprising combination.
45. Kg2. 45. Kxe1? then 45. ... Nd3+.
45. ... Nf7. Black achìeved her goal of Rook and two minor pieces for the Queen, but now an unpleasant surprise awaited her.
Also, it should be noted that 45. ... Nc4 would not be sufficient because of 46. Qc7+ Kf6 47. Qxb7 and the White passed Pawn advances (47. ... Nxa5 48. Qb4).
46. Qd2! A beautiful denouement. The White Rook is suddenly trapped.
46. ... Rb1 47. Qc2 Ra1. On 47. ... Rb4 or 47. ... Re1 definitely 48. Qc3+.
48. Qb2+ e5 49. Qxa1 Kf6 50. Qb2 Nd6 51. Qb4 1–0. A beautiful and lively game.
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