俄罗斯帝国

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Brief notes by Miss Lonelyhearts

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Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk – Adriana Nikolova
41st Women’s Chess Olympiad; Tromsø, August 14, 2014
Sicilian Defence B60

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bg5 a6 7. Qd2 Nxd4 8. Qxd4 Qa5 9. h4!? Strangely enough, this move could be a novelty! 9. ... h6 10. Bd2 Qc7 11. Bc4 e6 12. Bb3 Bd7 13. 0-0-0 Bc6 14. Rhe1 e5. A committal move. I would have preferred 14. ... Be7 15. g4 Nd7 in order to answer 16. g5 by 16. ... 0-0-0 with some surviving chances. 15. Qd3 b5 16. f4 Nd7. After which White has an easy play. In any case, on 16. ... Be7 17. Qg3 White holds a powerful initiative. 17. Nd5 Bxd5 18. Bxd5 Rc8 19. Rf1 Be7

20. g4 exf4 21. Bxf4. Threatening Bd5xf7+. 21. ... Rf8. And not 21. ... 0-0 on account of 22. g5 with a destructive attack. 22. Rf3 g5. Black goes for radical countermeasures! Of course the silly 22. ... Bxh4? is refuted by 23. Bxd6!, while if 22. ... Nf6 may follow 23. e5! Nxd5 (or 23. ... dxe5 24. Bxe5! Qxe5 25. Bb7! Rc7 26. Bxa6 with an easy win) 24. exd6! Nxf4 25. d7+! Kd8 26. dxc8=Q+ Kxc8 27. Qe4 with a winning game. 23. hxg5 Bxg5 24. Kb1 Bxf4 25. Rxf4 Ne5 26. Qd2 Qe7 27. Rh1 Rg8. Anything but good, but also after 28. ... Rh8 29. Rf5 Black is overloaded. 28. Rxh6 Rxg4 29. Bxf7+ Nxf7 30. Rxg4 Nxh6 31. Qxh6 Qf7 32. Rg1. White has only a Pawn more, but her attack is irresistible. 32. ... Qc4 33. Qh8+ Kd7 34. Rg7+ Ke6 35. Qh6+ Ke5 36. Rg5+ Kd4 37. c3+ Kd3 38. Qh3+ Kxe4 39. Qh4+ Kd3 40. Rg3+ Kd2 41. Qh2+ Qe2 42. Rg2 1 : 0.

Tsaritsa of Russia

From the left: Valentina Gunina, Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk, Natalia Andreevna Pogonina and Olga Girya.

Bad girls don’t cry

Aleksandra Konstantinovna Kostenjuk
“Le ragazzacce non piangono”
Foto: Alina l’Ami

[Event "FIDE Women's Grand Prix"]
[Site "Lopota GEO"]
[Date "2014.06.25"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Muminova, Nafisa"]
[Black "Kostenjuk, Aleksandra Konstantinovna"]
[ECO "C45"]
[Result "0-1"]
[PlyCount "74"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nb3 Bb6 6. Nc3 Nf6 7. Qe2 O-O 8. Be3 Re8 9. f3 d6 10. O-O-O Be6 11. Nc5 Bxc5 12. Bxc5 Qb8 13. Be3 a6 14. g4 b5 15. g5 Nd7 16. f4 Bc4 17. Qf3 Bxf1 18. Rhxf1 b4 19. Nd5 Ne7 20. Nf6+ gxf6 21. gxf6 Ng6 22. f5 Re5 23. fxg6 hxg6 24. Bh6 Rh5 25. Be3 Ne5 26. Qg3 Qc8 27. Bf4 Qe6 28. Bxe5 Rxe5 29. Rd5 Re8 30. Rxe5 Qxe5 31. Rf4 Qd4 32. Qh4 Re6 33. a3 bxa3 34. bxa3 c5 35. Kb1 d5 36. exd5 Rb6+ 37. Kc1 Qe3+ 0-1

Gruppo di famiglia in un interno

• Frederic Friedel, Retrospect: Khanty-Mansiysk Women’s Grand Prix, Chess News, 25 aprile 2014

Photo: Nikolay Bochkarev

時裝表演

侯逸凡 (Hóu​ Yì​fán) (gold)

Olga Girya (silver)

Aleksandra Konstantinovna Kostenjuk (bronze)

Khanty-Mansiysk, April 2014, 21
Photos: Nikolay Bochkarev

Without jacket and tie

• 国象女子大奖赛第四站收兵 侯逸凡绝对优势问鼎, sports.sina.com.cn, April 22, 2014
• Alejandro Tadeo Ramírez Álvarez, Khanty Final: Leaders intact, ChessBase.com, April 21, 2014

领奖台 (from left): Aleksandra Konstantinovna Kostenjuk (bronze), 侯逸凡 (Hóu​ Yì​fán) (gold) and Olga Girya (silver)

侯逸凡 (Hóu​ Yì​fán) 和 王茜 (Wáng Qiàn)

庆祝晚宴

Photos: Nikolay Bochkarev

凯旋门

侯逸凡 (Hóu​ Yì​fán) – Aleksandra Konstantinovna Kostenjuk
Khanty-Mansiysk, April 21, 2014
Queen’s Pawn Game A46

1. g3 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bg2 e6 4. d4 b5!? 5. a4. Another try is 5. Nbd2 Bb7 6. Nb3 a5 7. Bd2 Nc6 8. Nc1 Bd6 9. Nd3 0-0 10. 0-0 Ne4 11. Be3 b4 12. Re1 Ba6 13. Nfe5 Ne7 14. f3 Nf5 15. Bf4 Nf6 16. c3∞ Ivanchuk – Carlsen, Morelia/Linares 2007. 5. ... b4 6. a5!? The spur of the moment. On 6. 0-0 Nbd7 7. c4 bxc3 8. Nxc3 Bb7 9. Bf4 a6 10. Rc1 c5 11. dxc5 Bxc5 12. e4 Qb6 13. a5 Qxa5 14. exd5 Nxd5 15. Ne5 N7f6? (15. ... Nxe5 16. Bxe5 Ne3! 17. fxe3 Bxe3+ 18. Kh1 Bxg2+ 19. Kxg2 0-0! 20. Bd6 Bxc1 21. Bxf8 Bxb2 is roughly even) 16. Bd2+- Radu Cosma – M. Brunello, 9th European Women’s Team Championship, Porto Carras 2011. 6. ... c5 7. c4 bxc3 8. Nxc3 Nc6 9. 0-0 Ba6 10. Bg5 Rc8 11. Qa4 Qd7 12. dxc5 Bxc5 13. Rfc1 Nb4 14. Ne5 Qxa4 15. Nxa4 Bd6 16. Rxc8+ Bxc8 17. Rc1 Ke7! Well conceived: Black doesn’t need to castle!

18. Bd2 Bxe5 19. Bxb4+ Bd6 20. Bxd6+ (20. Nc5 Nd7=) 20. ... Kxd6 21. Nc5 Nd7 22. Nb3 Ne5 23. Nd4. Or 23. f4 Nc4 24. e4 f6 with equality. 23. ... Bd7 24. f4 Nc4 25. b3 Ne3. After 25. ... Nxa5 26. Ra1 White recovers the Pawn with even prospects. 26. Bh3 h5 27. Rc3 Ng4 28. Bg2 Rb8 29. h3 Nf6 30. e3 Ne8 31. Kf2 f6 32. Nc2 Nc7 33. e4 Nb5 34. Rd3 Rc8 35. Rd2 Nc3 36. Ne3 Nb1 37. Rd1 Nc3 38. Rd2 Nb1 39. Rb2 Nc3 40. exd5 Nxd5 41. Rd2 Bc6 42. f5 Ke7 43. Bxd5 Bxd5 44. Nxd5+ exd5 45. Rxd5 Rb8 46. Rd3 Rb5. It’s a dead draw! 47. Re3+ Kd7 48. g4 hxg4 49. hxg4 Rxa5 50. Kg3 Ra1 51. Rd3+ Ke7 52. Re3+ Kd7 53. Rd3+ ½ : ½.

侯逸凡 (Hóu​ Yì​fán) vs. Aleksandra Konstantinovna Kostenjuk
Khanty-Mansiysk, April 21, 2014
Photos: Nikolay Bochkarev

HAL 9000

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Especially annotated by HAL 9000

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Olga Girya vs. Aleksandra Konstantinovna Kostenjuk
Khanty-Mansiysk, April 16, 2014
Download PGN

• Alejandro Ramírez, Khanty 07: Leaders advance, Chess News, April 16, 2014

Temporary like Achilles

Aleksandra Konstantinovna Kostenjuk – Tuvshintugs Batchimeg
Khanty-Mansiysk, April 12, 2014
Spanish C65

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3. Alina l’Ami: “The Mongolian had to defend as Black for the second time in a row and (again!), in the same Berlin with 4. d3, just like in her yesterday’s game against Tatiana Kosintseva. It is a common occurrence in top level chess, especially in round robin tournaments, that players are trying to hit in the same weak spot; in short, this is called ‘seeking for Achilles’ heel’. Since during a tournament one doesn’t have the time nor the energy to correct the eventual errors of his (or her) repertoire, it does happen once in a while that a player is caught on the wrong foot more than once, thanks to this strategy”. 4. ... Bc5 5. 0-0 Nd4 6. Nxd4 Bxd4 7. Nd2 c6 8. Ba4 d6 9. c3 Bb6 10. Bb3 h6 11. Nc4 Bc7 12. Qf3. An alternative is 12. Ne3 0-0 (but 12. ... Bc7 13. Qf3 g6 14. g4 h5 is unclear, Nepomniachtchi – Sargissian, Wijk aan Zee 2008) 13. Qf3 g6 14. Bd2 Kg7 15. Rad1 Qe7 16. Rfe1 a5 17. a4 Be6 18. Bxe6 fxe6 19. Ng4 Ng8 20. Qh3 h5 21. Ne3 Rf7 22. d4 Nf6 23. f3 and I prefer White, Pogonina – 阮露斐 (Ruǎn Lùfěi), China vs. Russia, 宁波市 (Níngbō) 2008. 12. ... Be6 13. Ne3 Qd7 14. d4 Bg4. Perhaps the losing move! We would have preferred 14. ... exd4 15. cxd4 0-0. 15. Qg3 0-0 16. f4 h5 17. Bc2 Rfe8. Just one remark: 17. ... exd4 18. cxd4 d5 was worth considering (if 19. e5 then 19. ... Ne4) and possibly better than the text. 18. fxe5 dxe5 19. d5 Qd6 20. Nxg4 hxg4 21. Bg5 Nh7 22. Bh4 g5 23. Qxg4 Qg6 24. Bf2 cxd5 25. Qe2. One of my beloved students suggests the greedy, purely Chinese move 25. Qd7, but I much prefer – even without any in-depth – the modest text move. Life is often a bargain and not everyone in the world are Chinese! 25. ... Nf6 26. exd5 e4 27. Rad1 Rad8 28. c4 Qh6 29. g3 e3 30. Be1. Of course 30. Bxe3?? fails to 30. ... Bb6. 30. ... Be5 31. Ba4 Re7 32. Bb4 Bd6. After 32. ... Rc7 33. d6 Rcc8 34. d7 Black can resign. 33. c5 Re4 34. Bc3 Be5 35. Bc2 Bxc3 36. Bxe4 Bb4 37. Bf3 Bxc5 38. b4 Bxb4 39. Qxe3 b6 40. Rc1 Re8. The big skewer 40. ... Bc5 41. Rxc5 bxc5 42. Qxc5 is useless as White’s preponderance is decisive. 41. Qd4 Bd6 42. Rc6 Nd7 43. Qa4 Re3 44. Rc8+ Nf8 45. Qxa7 Be5 46. Bg4 Qh7. On 46. ... Qg7 47. Rxf7! wins. 47. Qe7 1 : 0. Alina l’Ami: “As for the Russian former women world champion... she was not pleased with her technique: ‘I was surprised that Black was able to hold on to the game for so long, I am sure I missed some things, since I thought I should have won before the time control’. Nevertheless, a point is a point and Alexandra [Aleksandra] is back in town with 50%”.

Sašenka Kostenjuk watching the wheels
Khanty-Mansiysk, April 12, 2014
Photo: Kirill Merkuriev

The Sheltering Sky

Aleksandra Konstantinovna Kostenjuk – Tatiana Kosintseva
Khanty-Mansiysk, April 10, 2014
Two Knights C58

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5. As Bobby Fischer wrote in “My 60 Memorable Games”, New York, Simon and Schuster, 1969, p. 280: “Tarrasch branded this a ‘duffer’s move’ and Panov called it ‘primitive’. But there is no other way for White to try for an advantage”. 4. ... d5 5. exd5 Na5 6. Bb5+ c6 7. dxc6 bxc6 8. Bd3? A very old move, originally conceived by Isidor Gunsberg and, in my opinion, scarcely to be commended, for it doesn’t assist at all the development of White’s game. I much prefer 8. Be2. 8. ... Nd5 9. h4!? Another old idea, first introduced by Shimon Kagan in 1965. After 9. Nxf7? Kxf7 10. Qh5+ g6 11. Bxg6+ hxg6 12. Qxh8 Qg5 Black’s attack is nearly decisive. A very infamous game – at least regarding Italy’s chess history – is the following: 9. Ne4?! f5!? (Stellwagen prefers 9. ... Nf4! 10. Bf1 f5, but... it’s just a matter of taste) 10. Ng3 Nf4 11. Bf1 Bc5!? (again Stellwagen prefers 11. ... Bd6!) 12. c3 Bb6 13. d4 Ng6 14. Bd3 0-0 15. b4 Nb7 and Black is much better; it followed: 16. Bc4+ Kh8 17. d5? Nd6 18. Bb3 f4 19. Nf1 Ne4 0 : 1, Castaldi – Keres, 7th Olympiad, Stockholm 1937. Castaldi resigned in a paradoxal position: almost all of his pieces are at home! 9. ... Nf4 10. Bf1. À la Castaldi! Probably, only Wilhelm Steinitz and Bobby Fischer could afford something like that! 10. ... h6 11. Ne4. Alina l’Ami: “After the game, Kostenjuk shared in the press conference that: ‘11. Nf3 was better than my 11. Ne4. Later on it became very sharp, I didn’t play accurate and I used a lot of time. Besides, I missed Black’s 22. ... f5’”. 11. ... Ne6 12. Ng3. An alternative is 12. a3 Be7 13. b4 Nb7 14. Bb2 O-O 15. Bc4 f5?! 16. Bxe5! Kh7 (After 16. ... fxe4 17. Qg4 White recaptures the piece) 17. Ng3 Bf6 18. Bxf6 Qxf6 19. Nc3 Nd4 20. Nge2 a5 21. Bd3 c5 22. Nxd4 cxd4 23. Ne2 Nd6 24. c4 (Clearer is 24. b5 Bb7 25. 0-0 Qxh4 26. f3) 24. ... Bb7 25. f3 Nf7 (The computer finds 25. ... Be4! 26. Qb1 Bxd3 27. Qxd3 axb4) 26. b5 Ne5 27. Qc2 Rae8 28. 0-0 (Too early, after 28. c5 Black has nothing against the white King in the center) 28. ... Qxh4 29. c5? (29. Rf2 was necessary) 29. ... Nxf3+! 30. Rxf3 (Not 30. gxf3 Rxe2! 31. Bxe2 Qg3+ 32. Kh1 Qh3+ 33. Kg1 Rf6) 30. ... Bxf3 31. gxf3 Rxe2 (After 31. ... Kh8 White has no defence against ... Rf8-f6-g6+) 32. Bxe2 Qg3+ 33. Kf1 Qh3+ 34. Kg1 Qg3+ 35. Kf1 Qh3+ 36. Kg1 Qg3+ ½ : ½ Ten Hertog – S. Ernst, Amsterdam 2012. Comments by Gert Ligterink. 12. ... Bc5 13. c3 Nb7 14. b4 Bb6 15. Na3. In order to... begin the development. 15. ... a5 16. Nc4. Perhaps 16. b5 was better. 16. ... Bc7 17. bxa5 Nxa5 18. Ne3 0-0 19. Ba3 c5 20. Bb5 Nb7 21. Bb2 Nd6 22. Be2 f5. Black’s position is already ideal. 23. Nc4 f4 24. Nxd6 fxg3 25. Nxc8 gxf2+ 26. Kf1 Qxc8 27. Bc4 Kh8 28. Qg4. If 28. d3 then 28. ... Nf4 (threatening ... Qc8-b7) 29. Bc1 Nxg2! 30. Kxg2? Qb7+ with an irresistible attack. 28. ... Qb7 29. Bc1. It does not make a good impression, but even after 29. Bxe6 Qxb2 30. Rd1 e4 White cannot survive for long.

29. ... Nf4! The coup de grâce. 30. d3. If 30. Kxf2? Qe4! wins at once. 30. ... e4 31. Be3. Also 31. Bxf4 is refuted by the “zwischenzug”. 31. ... Qb2! and so on. 31. ... Qb2! 32. Rd1 h5! 33. Bc1 Qxc1 34. Rxc1 hxg4 35. dxe4 Nh5 0 : 1.

Sašenka Kostenjuk vs. Tatiana Kosintseva
Khanty-Mansiysk, April 10, 2014
Photo: Kirill Merkuriev

加时赛 (Overtime)

Aleksandra Konstantinovna Kostenjuk – 侯逸凡 (Hóu​ Yì​fán)
Rodi, 23 ottobre 2013
Commenta il Maestro Internazionale Anton Sitnikov
ChessZone Magazine, n. 10. ottobre 2013, pp. 16-17

Il mondo di Alexandra

La Campionessa del Mondo tout court di scacchi (classici e Fischerandom) Alexandra Kosteniuk ha inaugurato il suo blog personale, specialmente dedicato agli scacchi femminili: ALEXANDRA KOSTENIUK’S WOMEN’S CHESS BLOG.

Alexandra con la figlia Francesca
Foto: ALEXANDRA KOSTENIUK’S WOMEN’S CHESS BLOG

Regina globale

Dopo la trionfale riconferma al Campionato del Mondo femminile di scacchi960 (Fischerandom) a Magonza (28 luglio-3 agosto 2008), per Alexandra Kosteniuk si apriranno (forse) anche le porte del regno degli scacchi classici, in programma a Nalchik dal 28 agosto al 18 settembre). Al titolo eterodosso la Kosteniuk ha dedicato un circostanziato articolo (in inglese): “How I kept my FiNet Chess960 World Champion title”. Dalla “roulette russa” di Nalchik ecco una scintilla di Sashenka:

A. Kosteniuk (2510) – A. Pourkashiyan (2269)

Nalchik, 29 settembre 2008 Russa C43

Il virgolettato è del Grande Maestro Vladimir Belov, Bulletin, n. 1, p. 28. 1. e4 e5 2. Cf3 Cf6 3. d4 Cxe4 4. Ad3 d5 5. dxe5 Ae7 6. 0-0 Cc6 7. Cc3 Cxc3 8. bxc3 Ag4 9. Te1 Dd7 “In precedenza il Nero aveva optato per l’arrocco corto, che pare più saggio”. 10. h3 Ae6? “Non credo che l’Alfiere sia stato sviluppato in g4 per provocare h2-h3. Il Nero avrebbe dovuto giocare in modo più consono 10. ... Ah5”. 11. Tb1 Tb8 12. Cg5 Axg5 13. Axg5 0-0 14. Df3 “Coppia degli Alfieri, pezzi attivi e buone prospettive di matto – l’esito dell’apertura sembra favorire il Bianco. Nel prosieguo Alexandra sfrutta con successo questi vantaggi”. 14. ... Tfe8 15. Tbd1 Ce7 Esalta l’iniziativa avversaria. Più riottosa era 15. ... b5 onde rispondere a 16. c4 con 16. ... bxc4 17. Axc4 d4. 16. c4! Dc6 Se 16. ... h6 allora 17. Axe7 Txe7 18. cxd5 Axd5 19. Ae4 Axe4 20. Txd7 Axf3 21. Txe7 +-. 17. cxd5 Axd5 18. Dg3 Cg6 18. ... Rh8 è confutata da 19. Axe7 Txe4 20. Dh4. 19. h4 h5 20. f4! Dc5 Improponibile 20. ... Cf8 21. Af6 g6 22. f5 +-. 21. Rh2 Axa2 “Il frutto è maturo, coglilo!”. 22. Af6! gxf6 Se 22. ... Df8 allora 23. Axg6 fxg6 24. Td7 Af7 25. e6 +-. 23. Axg6 fxe5 Dopo 23. ... fxg6 24. Dxg6+ Rf8 25. Dh6+ Rg8 26. exf6 Df8 27. Dg6+ Rh8 27. Td7 il Nero è in ginocchio, ma “23. ... Df8 resisteva un po’ di più”. 24. Td7! Rh8 Oppure 24. ... Te7 25. Txe7 Dxe7 26. Txe5 Df6 27. Ah7+ Rxh7 28. Th5+ +-. 25. Dg5 Df8 26. Dxh5+ Rg7 27. Dh7+ Rf6 28. fxe5+ Txe5 29. Tf1+ Re6 30. Tfxf7 1 : 0.

Mind Games

La Campionessa del Mondo di scacchi960 (Fischerandom) Alexandra Kosteniuk e l’ex Campione del Mondo di scacchi classici Anatolij Karpov hanno partecipato a Perm (Russia) alla I Coppa IMSA, acronimo di International Mind Sports Association, associazione che riunisce scacchi, dama, bridge e Go. La kermesse è stata l’anteprima ai primi World Mind Sports Games in programma a Pechino nell’ottobre del 2008.

Alexandra Kosteniuk

Foto: Chesspics