Fenny Heemskerk – Clarice Benini
8th Women’s World Chess Championship; Moscow, January 2, 1950
Slav Defence D18
8th Women’s World Chess Championship; Moscow, January 2, 1950
Slav Defence D18
Comments in quotation marks by Grandmaster Max Euwe, Moskou 1949. Wereldkampioenschap Schaken Dames, Oosterbaan & Le Cointre N.V., Goes, 1950, pp. 40-41.
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. e3 e6 7. Bxc4 Bb4 8. 0-0 0-0 9. Bd2. “Usual is 9. Qe2, intending to advance e3-e4, which is no longer so easy to accomplish after the move in the text”.
9. ... Nbd7. “Stronger was 9. ... c5 followed by ... Nb8-c6, by which Black would have gained excellent counterplay in the centre”.
Editor’s note: And indeed, 9. ... c5! 10. Qe2 Nc6 11. dxc5 Bg4 gave Black good play in Grob–Euwe, Zürich 1947, match game 6.
10. Re1 h6. “Provides the Bishop with a retreat square in advance, although 11. e4 does not work because of 11. ... Bxc3 12. exf5 Bxd2 etc.”.
11. Qe2 Rc8. “Still Black need not concern herself with the advance e3-e4. However, the move in the text has little effect, and therefore 11. ... Qe7, along with possibly ... e6-e5, deserved preference”.
12. Nb1! “A surprising way to still achieve e3-e4; first and foremost, White saves the c3-Knight from the very troublesome exchange with ... Bb4xc3”.
Editor’s note: Again, as noted by Haije Kramer, 12. e4 Bxc3! 13. exf5 Bxd2 leads nowhere for White.
12. ... Be7. “More active was 12. ... Bd6; the difference with the move in the text will become apparent shortly”.
13. Bc3 Ne4 14. Nbd2 Ndf6. “The battle for the e4-square is suddenly now in full swing”.
15. Nxe4 Nxe4 16. Nd2 Nxc3. “Had Black played 12. ... Bd6 instead of 12. ... Be7, 16. ... Qh4 might very well follow here, compelling White to weaken his King’s position. Black was now faced with a difficult choice. The exchange on c3 admittedly strengthens White’s centre, but after 16. ... Nxd2 17. Qxd2 the c3-Bishop will play an important role, e.g. 17. ... c5 18. e4 Bh7 19. d5 etc.
After the text move, the battle for the e4-square is decided in White’s favour”.
17. bxc3 c5. “Black’s counterplay comes too late now, as White can advance in the centre with gain of tempo”.
18. e4 Bg6 19. d5! “A powerful advance, which is the best way to capitalise on the centre majority”.
19. ... exd5. “19. ... e5 was better in any case, although then White would be left with a protected passed Pawn”.
Editor’s note: But it appears to us that after 19. ... e5 20. f4! exf4 21. e5 White’s initiative would be much too strong.
20. Bxd5! “Very well played. White takes advantage of her central advantage (e4-Pawn) by bringing the Bishop to a controlling position. The pressure on f7, in particular, will make itself felt from now on”.
20. ... b6 21. Qc4. “Also strong was 21. f4, as well as f4-f5”.
21. … Qd7?! Editor’s note: Lost time. If nothing else, 21. ... Qc7 at once would save a tempo.
22. Nf3. “Slowly but surely White strengthens her position. Nf3-e5 is threatened”.
22. ... Qc7 23. e5!
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. e3 e6 7. Bxc4 Bb4 8. 0-0 0-0 9. Bd2. “Usual is 9. Qe2, intending to advance e3-e4, which is no longer so easy to accomplish after the move in the text”.
9. ... Nbd7. “Stronger was 9. ... c5 followed by ... Nb8-c6, by which Black would have gained excellent counterplay in the centre”.
Editor’s note: And indeed, 9. ... c5! 10. Qe2 Nc6 11. dxc5 Bg4 gave Black good play in Grob–Euwe, Zürich 1947, match game 6.
10. Re1 h6. “Provides the Bishop with a retreat square in advance, although 11. e4 does not work because of 11. ... Bxc3 12. exf5 Bxd2 etc.”.
11. Qe2 Rc8. “Still Black need not concern herself with the advance e3-e4. However, the move in the text has little effect, and therefore 11. ... Qe7, along with possibly ... e6-e5, deserved preference”.
12. Nb1! “A surprising way to still achieve e3-e4; first and foremost, White saves the c3-Knight from the very troublesome exchange with ... Bb4xc3”.
Editor’s note: Again, as noted by Haije Kramer, 12. e4 Bxc3! 13. exf5 Bxd2 leads nowhere for White.
12. ... Be7. “More active was 12. ... Bd6; the difference with the move in the text will become apparent shortly”.
13. Bc3 Ne4 14. Nbd2 Ndf6. “The battle for the e4-square is suddenly now in full swing”.
15. Nxe4 Nxe4 16. Nd2 Nxc3. “Had Black played 12. ... Bd6 instead of 12. ... Be7, 16. ... Qh4 might very well follow here, compelling White to weaken his King’s position. Black was now faced with a difficult choice. The exchange on c3 admittedly strengthens White’s centre, but after 16. ... Nxd2 17. Qxd2 the c3-Bishop will play an important role, e.g. 17. ... c5 18. e4 Bh7 19. d5 etc.
After the text move, the battle for the e4-square is decided in White’s favour”.
17. bxc3 c5. “Black’s counterplay comes too late now, as White can advance in the centre with gain of tempo”.
18. e4 Bg6 19. d5! “A powerful advance, which is the best way to capitalise on the centre majority”.
19. ... exd5. “19. ... e5 was better in any case, although then White would be left with a protected passed Pawn”.
Editor’s note: But it appears to us that after 19. ... e5 20. f4! exf4 21. e5 White’s initiative would be much too strong.
20. Bxd5! “Very well played. White takes advantage of her central advantage (e4-Pawn) by bringing the Bishop to a controlling position. The pressure on f7, in particular, will make itself felt from now on”.
20. ... b6 21. Qc4. “Also strong was 21. f4, as well as f4-f5”.
21. … Qd7?! Editor’s note: Lost time. If nothing else, 21. ... Qc7 at once would save a tempo.
22. Nf3. “Slowly but surely White strengthens her position. Nf3-e5 is threatened”.
22. ... Qc7 23. e5!
“The characteristic way to benefit from a centralised Bishop. Now that the Bishop is unassailable and the Pawn no longer needs protection, this latter will act as a battering ram in combination with Qc4–Bd5”.
23. ... Rcd8 24. Rad1 Kh7 25. h4! “Very enterprising, White is going to increase the pressure on Black’s position through the advance of the Kingside Pawns, which also puts the g6-Bishop under pressure”.
Editor’s note: The attacking threat is g2-g4.
25. ... f6. “The enterprising, lusty Italian Women’s Champion doesn’t want to wait anymore, and concedes her opponent a magnificent passed Pawn. On the other hand, she had only a choice between evils”.
26. e6 Kh8 27. g4 Bh7? Editor’s note: 27. ... h5! seems to be more resistant.
28. h5 Bg8 Editor’s note: (28. ... f5? 29. Ne5+−).
29. Nh4 Bh7 30. Ng6+. “Black threatened to free herself with ... f6-f5. The exchange that follows puts emphasis on Black’s back rank difficulties”.
30. ... Bxg6 31. hxg6 f5 32. Bf3. “The Bishop has fulfilled its task and White now clears the d-file in order to benefit from Black’s back rank problems”.
32. ... fxg4 33. Rxd8! “Very importantly, White exchanges some pieces, so that the remaining Black figures will have to strictly limit themselves to protecting the back rank and defending the King”.
33. ... Rxd8. “On 33. ... Qxd8 there follows the Zwischenzug 34. Rd1, after which 34. ... Qc7 35. Qxg4 Qf4 fails to 36. Qxf4 Rxf4 37. Rd7! and wins”.
34. Qxg4 Bf6 35. Qc4. Editor’s note: Threatening e6-e7 followed by the Queen invasion to f7.
35. ... Qe7 36. Kg2 Kg8. “It is obvious what thorns the Pawn on e6 and g6 are in Black’s position. Black cannot move a muscle”.
37. Bc6. “Intending Bc6-d7, with Black almost completely boxed in”.
37. ... Rd6. “It is understandable that Black wants to prevent the Rook from being paralysed, but now the back rank is no longer adequately guarded, which hastens the end”.
38. Bd7 Kf8 39. Qe4. “Thus White takes advantage of the position of the Black Rook on d6. Black must now worry about the threat of invasion by the White Queen on a8”.
Editor’s note: White is actually threatening 40. Qa8+ Qd8 41. e7+ Bxe7 42. Qxd8+ Bxd8 43. Re8#.
39. ... Qd8 40. Re3. “The Rook is heading to the f-file”.
40. ... a5 41. Qb7 Bg5. Editor’s note: If 41. … Rd2 then 42. e7+! Bxe7 43. Qf3+ and game over.
42. Qf3+. “Decisive, as Black cannot prevent the invasion. On 42. ... Bf6 or 42. ... Qf6 there follows 43. e7+”.
42. ... Kg8 43. Qf7+ Kh8 44. e7 Bxe7 45. Rxe7 Rxg6+ 46. Kf1! “Leads to significant material advantage, because on 46. ... Kh7 there now follows 47. Bf5 Qd1+ 48. Re1 etc.”.
Editor’s note: 46. ... Kh7 47. Re8 is also convincing.
46. ... Qxe7 47. Qxe7 Rf6 48. Bb5 1–0.
23. ... Rcd8 24. Rad1 Kh7 25. h4! “Very enterprising, White is going to increase the pressure on Black’s position through the advance of the Kingside Pawns, which also puts the g6-Bishop under pressure”.
Editor’s note: The attacking threat is g2-g4.
25. ... f6. “The enterprising, lusty Italian Women’s Champion doesn’t want to wait anymore, and concedes her opponent a magnificent passed Pawn. On the other hand, she had only a choice between evils”.
26. e6 Kh8 27. g4 Bh7? Editor’s note: 27. ... h5! seems to be more resistant.
28. h5 Bg8 Editor’s note: (28. ... f5? 29. Ne5+−).
29. Nh4 Bh7 30. Ng6+. “Black threatened to free herself with ... f6-f5. The exchange that follows puts emphasis on Black’s back rank difficulties”.
30. ... Bxg6 31. hxg6 f5 32. Bf3. “The Bishop has fulfilled its task and White now clears the d-file in order to benefit from Black’s back rank problems”.
32. ... fxg4 33. Rxd8! “Very importantly, White exchanges some pieces, so that the remaining Black figures will have to strictly limit themselves to protecting the back rank and defending the King”.
33. ... Rxd8. “On 33. ... Qxd8 there follows the Zwischenzug 34. Rd1, after which 34. ... Qc7 35. Qxg4 Qf4 fails to 36. Qxf4 Rxf4 37. Rd7! and wins”.
34. Qxg4 Bf6 35. Qc4. Editor’s note: Threatening e6-e7 followed by the Queen invasion to f7.
35. ... Qe7 36. Kg2 Kg8. “It is obvious what thorns the Pawn on e6 and g6 are in Black’s position. Black cannot move a muscle”.
37. Bc6. “Intending Bc6-d7, with Black almost completely boxed in”.
37. ... Rd6. “It is understandable that Black wants to prevent the Rook from being paralysed, but now the back rank is no longer adequately guarded, which hastens the end”.
38. Bd7 Kf8 39. Qe4. “Thus White takes advantage of the position of the Black Rook on d6. Black must now worry about the threat of invasion by the White Queen on a8”.
Editor’s note: White is actually threatening 40. Qa8+ Qd8 41. e7+ Bxe7 42. Qxd8+ Bxd8 43. Re8#.
39. ... Qd8 40. Re3. “The Rook is heading to the f-file”.
40. ... a5 41. Qb7 Bg5. Editor’s note: If 41. … Rd2 then 42. e7+! Bxe7 43. Qf3+ and game over.
42. Qf3+. “Decisive, as Black cannot prevent the invasion. On 42. ... Bf6 or 42. ... Qf6 there follows 43. e7+”.
42. ... Kg8 43. Qf7+ Kh8 44. e7 Bxe7 45. Rxe7 Rxg6+ 46. Kf1! “Leads to significant material advantage, because on 46. ... Kh7 there now follows 47. Bf5 Qd1+ 48. Re1 etc.”.
Editor’s note: 46. ... Kh7 47. Re8 is also convincing.
46. ... Qxe7 47. Qxe7 Rf6 48. Bb5 1–0.
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