Lose to Win

Divya Deshmukh – Polina Sergeevna Shuvalova

1st Online Chess Olympiad Final India – Russia; Match 2; time control: 15 minutes plus 5 seconds per move. chess.com, August 30, 2020

King’s Indian Attack A07

Here is one of the two games India forfeited on time due to Internet connection shut down in yesterday’s Olympic Final, and that motivated the injured party to present an appeal to FIDE President Arkady Vladimirovich Dvorkovich, who, after a carefuly scrutiny, decided to split the gold medal among both finalists. 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 e6 4. 0-0 b5 5. d3 Be7 6. Nbd2 Bb7 7. c3 0-0 8. Qc2 c5 9. Re1 Nc6 10. e4 Qc7 11. Nf1 Rfd8 12. e5 Nd7 13. Bf4 a5 14. h4 a4 15. a3 h6 16. Ne3 Nb6? Rather than going West, Shuvalova ought to bring her Knight closer to the Kingside with 16. ... Nf8, as 17. Ng4 h5 18. Nf6+! gxf6 19. exf6 Bd6 20. Qd2 Nh7 (not 20. ... Bxf4?? because of 21. gxf4 followed by f4-f5) 21. Bh6 Ne5! 22. Nxe5 Bxe5 23. Bg7 Bxg3! 24. fxg3 d4∞ would result in a complex but rather balanced game. 17. Ng4 Bf8. The sense of this move may be questionable, for that does not prevent at all White from playing Bf4xh6. 18. Qd2. Of course, 18. Bxh6! was the most obvious move, but Deshmukh’s one is very strong as well. 18. ... Kh7 19. d4 Nd7 (19. ... Nc4? 20. Qc2+ Kh8 21. Bxh6!+−)

“The Nagpur girl was in the middle of this picturesque maneuver when she got logged out of the server! She was all set to launch a massive attack on the Kingside, piling up on the b1-h7 diagonal with Bg2-f1-e2-d1-c2-b1 and Qd2-c2!”, Satanick Mukhuty writes in his report for ChessBase India. 20. Bf1!! c4 21. Be2 Ne7. If 21. ... Na5 then 22. Bd1! Nb3 22. Bc2+ Kh8 23. Qe3 Nxa1 24. Rxa1 and, though the Exchange down, White has an overwhelming attack. 22. Bd1 Nf5 23. Bc2 Ra6 24. Kg2 Qc8 25. Rh1. Deshmukh, who was almost out of time, failed to spot 25. Nxh6! gxh6 26. g4 winning immediately. 25. ... Kg8 0 : 1. White dominates the board, but her time expired. “The first reaction was of disappointment and we did not know that server had crashed. I had a really good position”, Deshmukh finally told Asian News International (ANI).

The Year Without Summer

熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xiong) – Andrey Evgenyevich Esipenko

1st Online Chess Olympiad Semifinal Russia – United States; Match 2; time control: 15 minutes plus 5 seconds per move; chess.com, August 29, 2020

Nimzo-Indian Defence E32

And thus, after all, India e Russia are the two finalists of the 1st Online Chess Olympiad. However, both semifinals were tough and very hardly fought. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 0-0 5. e4 d5 6. e5 Ne4 7. Bd3 c5 8. Nf3 cxd4 9. Nxd4 Nd7 10. Bf4 Qh4. It should be noted that four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) preferred here 10. ... Ndc5 11. 0-0 Bxc3 12. bxc3 Bd7 13. Be2 Na4 14. cxd5 exd5 15. c4 Rc8 16. Qb3 dxc4! 17. Bxc4? Nac3! 18. a4 Bxa4! 19. Rxa4 Nxa4 20. Nf5 Nac3! 21. e6 Rxc4! 22. Qxc4 b5 23. Qb3 Qd3 24. exf7+ Rxf7 0 : 1 Ushenina – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 台州 (Tāizhōu) 2013, Women’s World Chess Championship match game 3. 11. g3 Qh5 12. h4 Nxe5 13. Be2 Ng4 14. Bxg4 Qxg4 15. f3 Qh5 16. g4 Qg6 17. fxe4 e5! Only this way! If, instead, 17. ... Qf6? then 18. Ne2! e5 19. Bg5 Qf3 20. 0-0-0 and Black’s game is desperate, Vallejo Pons – So, 31st Torneo Magistral de Ajedrez “Ciudad de León”, León 2018, match game 1 (time control: 20 minutes plus 10 seconds increment per move). 18. 0-0-0. 18. Bxe5 Bxg4 followed by ... Ra8-e8 provides Black with enough compensation for the Knight. 18. ... Bxc3 19. Nf5 Bxf5 20. gxf5 Qa6!? Here is finally the long awaited novelty. A recent game went instead 20. ... Qg4 21. Be3 Bd4 22. Bxd4 exd4 23. exd5 Rac8 24. Kb1 b5 25. c5 Rfd8 26. Rhg1 Qxh4? (“Yorkshire’s James Adair has been very close to the GM title for years now, but has not reached the required 2500 rating. His live rating was in the upper 2490s when he took on Howell, which explains Black’s ambitious opening. It was level until Black took a hot Pawn where 26. ... Qf3! 27. Rxd4 Rxd5 would draw. As played, White’s central Pawns overran the Black Rooks”, Leonard Barden wrote in his The Guardian chess column of August 3, 2018) 27. c6! g6 28. fxg6 hxg6 29. Qf5 Kg7 30. c7 Re8 31. d6 Re6 32. Rdf1 Rf8 33. c8=Q! 1 : 0 Howell – Adair, 105th British Chess Championship, Hull 2018. 21. Qxc3 d4 22. Qb3 exf4 23. Rxd4 Rad8 24. Qd3 Rxd4 25. Qxd4 Rc8 26. b3 Qxa2

27. Rd1!? Now 27. Rg1 g6 28. fxg6 hxg6 29. Rxg6+ fxg6 30. Qxd5+ is only a draw by perpetual check, while instead the team needs a win. 27. ... g6 28. f6??! 熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xiong) is in the same dilemma as before, and courageously goes on attacking. 28. Qf6 was probably safer, but 28. ... Qxb3 29. Rd8+ Rxd8 30. Qxd8+ Kg7 31. f6+ Kh6 32. Qf8+ Kh5 33. Qxf7 Qc3+ would end up with a draw. 28. ... h5 29. Rd3? White can no longer afford himself the luxury of such a “loss of time”. If nothing else, 29. Qd7 would be consistent with his previous choices, still hoping for 29. ... Rf8 (29. ... Ra8!!−+ is not a human obvious: if 30. Qxb7 there may follow 30. ... Re8−+) 30. Qe7 with tricky tactics (Δ Qe7xf8+), rather similarly to the game. 29. ... Qg2? This hasty move radically changes the balance of powers, as White can snatch the initiative from his opponent’s hands. Black should first have played 29. ... Re8−+ followed by the penetration of the Queen to the Kingside (if 30. e5 then 30. ... Qe2−+). 30. Qd7 Rf8 31. Qe7. Threatening Qe7xf8+ followed by mate. 31. ... Qg1+ 32. Kc2 Qb6 33. Rd6 Qa5 34. Rd5 Qb6 35. Rd6 Qa5 36. Rd5 Qb6

37. Rg5! Qf2+? And in the end, White’s bet succeeded, as His Majesty goes forward to conquer his enemy’s Kingdom. 37. ... Rc8! is the unanimous proposal of the engines, for after 38. Rxg6+ Kh8 39. Rg5 (38. Rg2!? is at least interesting) 39. ... Qf2+ 40. Kb1 Qe1+ 41. Ka2 Qd2+ 42. Ka3 Qc1+ 43. Ka4 Qa1+ 44. Kb4 Qe1+ 45. Kb5 any similarity with the position of the game after 43. Kb5 is a mere appearance, since Black would play 46. ... Qc3! (47. Rxh5+ Kg8=). 38. Kb1 Qe1+ 39. Ka2 Qd2+ 40. Ka3 Qc1+ 41. Ka4 Qa1+ 42. Kb4 Qe1+ 43. Kb5 a6+. Now it’s too late for 43. ... Rc8 44. Rxg6+ Kh8 45. Rg7 Qc3 on account of 46. Rh7+! with mate in two. 44. Kb6 Qe3+ 45. Kc7 Qc3 46. Rxg6+ Kh7 47. Rg7+. Or 47. Rh6+! Kg8 48. Qxf8+! followed by mate. 47. ... Kh6 48. Qxf8 Qe5+ 49. Qd6 1 : 0.

Back to Earth

Anna-Maria Botsari – Marina Brunello

1st Online Chess Olympiad Top Division Pool D; Italy – Greece; time control: 15 minutes plus 5 seconds per move; chess.com, August 23, 2020

Slav Defence D11

Italy took the fifth place in the Pool D, which was not enough to advance to the quarterfinals. However, International Master Marina Brunello may well be satisfied with her performance (10/14), including the draw with Anna-Maria Botsari in the disastrous Round 8 match against Greece (Italy lost 5–1). 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nbd2 Bf5 5. Nh4 Bc8 6. Nhf3 e6 7. g3 Nbd7 8. Bg2 Bd6 9. 0-0 0-0 10. Qc2 Qe7 11. e4 Nxe4 12. Nxe4 dxe4 13. Qxe4 e5 14. dxe5 Nxe5 15. Ng5 Ng6 (15. ... g6!?) 16. Be3!? A novelty which does not change the assessment of the position. After 16. Qc2 h6 17. Ne4 Bf5 18. Re1 Rfe8 19. Bd2 Rad8 20. Qb3 Be5 21. Bb4 Qc7 Black stands well, even though after 22. c5 a5 23. Bc3 Bxe4 24. Rxe4 Bxc3 25. Qxc3 Rxe4 26. Bxe4 Nf8 27. Re1 Ne6 28. Bf5 he gifted his illustrious opponent with a huge blunder: 28. ... Nd4?? (28. ... Nf8) 29. Qxd4! 1 : 0 Smyslov – Sehner, 8th Politiken Cup, Copenhagen 1986. 16. ... Re8 17. Qxe7 Bxe7 18. Ne4 Bf5 19. Rfd1 Ne5 20. Rd4 Rad8 21. b3 b6 22. h3 h5 23. Rad1 Be6 24. f4 Rxd4 25. Rxd4 Nd7 26. Nd6 Rd8

27. Nb7. If 27. f5 Black can reply 27. ... Bxd6 28. fxe6 Ne5 with reasonable drawing chances. 27. ... Rb8 28. Bxc6 Nc5 29. Nxc5 (29. Nd6 Bxh3=) 29. ... Bxc5 30. Rd3 Bf5 31. Rc3 Bb4 32. Rc1 Bxh3 33. Kf2 Rd8 34. Bd5 Bf5 35. Bf3 g6 36. Rd1 Rxd1 37. Bxd1 Bb1 38. a4 Kf8 39. Bd4 Ke7 40. Ke3 Bf5 ½ : ½.

Swimming Pools

Marina Brunello – Iweta Rajlich

1st Online Chess Olympiad Top Division Pool D; Poland – Italy; time control: 15 minutes plus 5 seconds per move; chess.com, August 22, 2020

French Defence C02

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Qb6 6. Be2 cxd4 7. cxd4 Nh6 8. Bxh6 (8. Bd3 Bd7 9. Bc2 g5 10. h3 Nf5 11. Bxf5 exf5 12. 0-0 h6 13. Nc3 Be6 14. Na4 Qb5 15. h4 g4 16. Ne1 Be7 17. g3 Rc8 18. Be3 b6 19. Ng2 Na5 20. Nf4 Nc4 21. Nc3 Qa5 22. Qb3 Kd7 23. Rfc1 Rc6 24. Rc2 Nxe3 25. fxe3 Rhc8 26. Rac1 Rc4 27. a3 R8c6 28. Kf2 a6 29. Nb1 Rxc2+ 30. Rxc2 Rxc2+ 31. Qxc2 Qb5 32. Nc3 Qc4 33. Qa4+ Qxa4 34. Nxa4 Kc6 35. Nc3 a5 36. Ke2 Bf8 37. Kd2 Be7 38. Kc2 Bf8 39. Kb3 b5 40. Na2 Be7 41. Kc2 Bf8 42. Nc1 Be7 43. Nb3 Bd8 44. Nc5 Bc8 45. Kd2 Be7 46. Kc3 Bf8 47. Nh5 Be7 48. Nf6 Be6 49. Nh5 Bc8 50. Nf4 Bd8 51. Kd3 Be7 52. Kc2 Bd8 53. Kd1 Be7 54. Nfd3 Bd8 55. Ke2 Be7 56. Kd2 ½ : ½ M. Brunello – E. Pähtz, 20th European Individual Women’s Chess Championship, Antalya 2019) 8. ... Qxb2. The alternative is 8. .... gxh6 9. Qd2 Bg7 10. Nc3 0-0 11. 0-0 f6 12. exf6 Rxf6 13. Rad1 Bd7 14. Ne1 Raf8 15. f4 R6f7 16. Nc2 Qxb2 17. Nb5 a6 18. Rb1 Qxa2 19. Ra1 Qb2 20. Rfb1 Qxa1 21. Rxa1 axb5 22. Rf1 b4 23. Nxb4 Nxb4? (23. ... Nxd4!) 24. Qxb4 Rxf4 25. Rd1 Bc6 26. Qb6 Kh8 27. Bf3 Ra8 28. h3 Ra4 29. Kh1 Rf8 30. Qc5 Rc4? (30. ... Raa8!) 31. Qd6 Ra8 32. Qxe6 Rxd4 33. Rxd4 Bxd4 34. Bxd5 Re8 35. Qf7 Re1+ 36. Kh2 Be5+ 37. g3 Re2+ 38. Kh1 Bxd5+ 39. Qxd5 Re1+ 1 : 0 Brunello – Osmak, 20th European Individual Women’s Chess Championship, Antalya 2019. 9. Nbd2 gxh6 10. Nb3 Bb4+ 11. Kf1 Qa3!? A novelty instead of 11. ... Bd7 12. a3 Bc3 13. Rb1 Qxa3 14. Nc5 Na5 15. Nxb7 Nxb7 16. Rxb7 Rc8 17. g3 Bb4 18. Kg2 Bc6 19. Bb5 Bxb5 20. Rxb5 0-0 21. Nh4 Be7 22. Qg4+ Kh8 23. Rhb1 Qd3 24. Nf3 Qe4 25. Qh5 Kg7 26. Rb7 Rfe8 27. Ra1 Ra8 28. Rc1 Qg6 29. Qxg6+ hxg6 30. Rcc7 Kf8 31. Rxa7 Rxa7 ½ : ½ M. Brunello – E. Di Benedetto, 79th Italian Chess Championship, Padua 2019. 12. h4 Bd7 13. Rh3 0-0-0 14. Rb1 Rhg8. Now 14. ... Qxa2?? would be at least inadvisable, as after 15. Ne1! Black’s Queen is doomed. 15. Nfd2 Rg7 16. Nc5 Qxa2

17. Ndb3 Rdg8? A grave oversight. Correct was 17. ... Bxc5 18. Nxc5 Rdg8 19. g4 transposing to the game. If White does not want to transpose, she can continue 19. Nxb7 (instead of 19. g4) with great complications; for instance: 19. ... Rxg2 20. Rh1 Qa3! (threatening both ... Qa3-h3 and ... Rg2-g1+) 21. Nd6+ Kd8 22. Nxf7+ Kc7! 23. Ng5 Rxf2+! 24. Kxf2 hxg5 25. Rb3 Qf8+ 26. Rf3 Qb4∞ — yet it is only a sample line. 18. g4? Brunello overlooks 18. Ra1 trapping the Queen (18. ... Qb2 19. Nd3 Rxg2 19. Rhh1). 18. ... Bxc5 19. Nxc5 b6? And this is the losing move. Best was 19. ... Rxg4! 20. Bxg4 Rxg4 with excellent compensation for the Exchange.

20. Rhb3! (Δ Rb1-a1) 20. ... bxc5 21. Ra1 Qxe2+ 22. Qxe2 Rxg4 23. Qa6+ Kd8 24. Rb7 Rg1+ 25. Ke2 Nxd4+ 26. Kd2 Rxa1 27. Rb8+ Kc7 28. Qd6# 1 : 0.