Finding Dory

• Gabriel Turcu, Anna Ushenina a câștigat Campionatul European feminin de șah de la Mamaia (Anna Ushenina wins the 17th European Women’s Individual Chess Championship in Mamaia), Telegraf, June 7, 2016

14th Women’s World Chess Champion Anna Ushenina from Ukraine showed to anyone that ”being European” is worth the whole world. Photo: Telegraf.

Woman Grandmaster Sabrina Neide Vega Gutiérrez from Spain – indeed, looking like a portrait of happiness! – won the silver medal. Photo: Telegraf.

10th Women’s World Chess Champion Antoaneta Stefanova from Bulgaria contented herself with the bronze medal, that after so many kingdoms conquered, is worth the crown of a queen. Photo: Telegraf.

One Shining Summer

Chess-News.ru (@Chess__News)

Anna’s shining summer. Did anyone expected it? Anna Ushenina is the new European Women’s Chess Champion! See http://chess-news.ru/node/21608.

Anna Ushenina
Photo: Chess-News.ru

Country Pie

Elisabeth Pähtz – Sabrina Neide Vega Gutiérrez
17th European Women’s Individual Chess Championship; Mamaia, June 7, 2016
Sicilian Defence B23

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nd4 4. Bc4 a6 5. d3 e6 6. a4 Nf6 7. Bg5 h6 8. Bh4 Qb6!? The old try was 8. ... g5 9. Bg3 d5 10. Ba2 Bg7 11. Nge2 dxe4 12. dxe4 0-0 13. Be5 Nc6 ½ : ½ Cooper – S. K. Williams, Four Nations Chess League, West Bromwich 2002. 9. Ra2? This looks very artificial. 9. ... d5! 10. a5 Qc6 11. Bxf6 dxc4 12. Be5 f6 13. Bg3 cxd3! 14. cxd3 e5 15. Qh5+ Kd8 16. Nf3 Be6 17. b3

Europe Échecs’ editor-in-chief Grandmaster Bachar Kouatly writes: “Black has a great advantage due to Black’s badly-placed pieces. In the position of diagram, Komodo recommends 17. ... c4! with the threat of 18. ... Bb4 19. Kd2 Bxc4! 20. dxc4 Qxc4 winning. But Sabrina Vega Gutiérrez is not a machine and thus preferred:” 17. ... Qd7. Threatening ... Be6-f7. 18. h3 Bxb3. 18. ... c4! was still very strong. 19. Rb2 Bf7 20. Qg4 Qc7 21. Nd2 Qxa5. Black now has two Pawns to the good, the Bishop pair and an excellent position. Black should easily win, but Sabrina – not a professional – got very excited and, after a crazy roller-coaster ride, ended up winning in extremis to become Vice European Women’s Chess Champion! 22. Nd5 h5 23. Qd1 Bxd5 24. exd5 Qc3 25. Qb1 b5 26. 0-0 Ne2+ 27. Kh1 Nxg3+ 28. fxg3 Qd4 29. Qa2 Rc8 30. Qa5+ Rc7 31. Nc4 Qxd5 32. Qxa6 Qc6 33. Qxb5 Qxb5 34. Rxb5 h4 35. g4 Rd7 36. g5 Rxd3 37. gxf6 gxf6 38. Rxf6 e4 39. Rf7 Ke8 40. Ra7 Rd1+ 41. Kh2 Rh6 42. Rb8+ Rd8 43. Rxd8+ Kxd8 44. Rf7 Ke8 45. Rf4 Re6 46. Rf2 Bh6 47. g3 Kd7 48. Kg2 Kc6 49. Rf5 hxg3 50. Kxg3 e3 51. Re5 Rxe5 52. Nxe5+ Kd5 53. Nd3 c4 54. Ne1 Ke4 55. h4 Bg7 56. h5 Bc3 57. Nf3 Kd3 58. h6 Bh8 59. Kg2 c3 60. Kf1 Bf6 61. h7 Bh8 62. Ng1 c2 63. Ne2 Kd2 0 : 1.

Sabrina Neide Vega Gutiérrez
Photo: bienvenidoalclub.es

Chesspain (‏@chesspain)

Theory of footnotes

Olga Girya – Marina Brunello
17th European Women’s Individual Chess Championship; Mamaia, June 6, 2016
Semi-Slav Defence D44

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4 b5 7. e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Nxg5 hxg5 10. Bxg5 Nbd7 11. exf6 Qb6 12. g3 Bb7 13. Bg2 c5 14. d5 0-0-0 15. 0-0 b4 16. Rb1 Qa6 17. dxe6 Bxg2 18. e7 Bxf1. Clearly not 18. ... Qc6? on account of 19. Nb5! Qxb5 20. exd8=Q+ Kxd8 21. Kxg2 Qc6+ 22. f3+- Girya – Novikova, Russian Women’s Rapid Chess Championship, Olginka 2011. 19. Kxf1 Qc6 20. exd8=Q+ Kxd8 21. Nd5 Rxh2 22. Kg1 Rh8 23. Rc1 Bd6 24. Bh4 Be5 25. Ne7 Qe4? Incidentally Marina’s first new move is also very controversial. The accepted continuation was 25. ... Qd6 26. Qxd6 Bxd6 27. Rxc4 Ne5 28. Re4 Nf3+ 29. Kg2 Nxh4+ 30. gxh4 Kd7 31. Nf5 ½ : ½ Gozzoli – Solodovnichenko, 16th International Chess Open, Creon 2011.

26. Rxc4! A pretty petite combinaison. 26. ... Qxc4 27. Nc6+ Kc7 28. Qxd7+ Kxd7 29. Nxe5+ Ke6 30. Nxc4. White emerged with Bishop, Knight and Pawn against a Rook – a clear advantage but far from easy to convert. Black will very likely try to exchange as many Queenside pawns as possible. 30. ... Rd8 31. Kg2 a5 32. Bg5. If 32. Nxa5 then 32. ... Rd2 33. Nc4 Rc2 and Black would regain her Pawn with some vague hope of survival. 32. ... a4 33. Be3 Rd3 34. Kf1. We suspect this to be a slip that could have costed dearly to Olga. Among others, consideration deserved 34. a3! bxa3 35. Nxa3 Rb3 36. Bc1 Kxf6 37. Bd2! Ke5 38. Bc3+ Ke4 39. g4! c4! 40. g5! (not 40. Nxc4? Kd3=) 40. ... Kf4 41. Nxc4 Kxg5 42. Kf3 retaining excellent winning chances. 34. ... a3! 35. bxa3 bxa3. 35. ... Rc3! 36. Nd2 bxa3 forcibly transposes into next variation. 36. Nd2 Kd5? Marina misses her big chance. Correct was 36. ... Rc3! 37. Ke2 Rc2 followed by ... Rc2xa2 with excellent drawing chances. 37. Ke2 c4. Now 37. ... Rc3 is simply met by 38. Kd1. 38. g4 Rc3 39. Kd1 Kc6 40. g5 Kd7 41. Ne4 Rd3+ 42. Kc2 Ke8 43. Nd2 1 : 0.

Olga Girya vs. Marina Brunello
Photo: Federația Română de Șah

Stone staircases

Anna Ushenina – Monika Soćko
17th European Women’s Individual Chess Championship; Mamaia, June 5, 2016
Nimzo-Indian Defence E39

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 0-0 5. Nf3 c5 6. dxc5 Na6 7. g3 Nxc5 8. Bg2 d5 9. 0-0 dxc4 10. Rd1. For 10. Ne5 Nd5 11. Nxc4 Bxc3 12. bxc3 b6 see Lysyj – Dragun, European Blitz Chess Championship, Warsaw 2013. 10. ... Qa5 11. Bd2 Bd7 12. Ne5 Rfd8 13. Nxc4 Qa6 14. Ne5 Be8 15. Ne4 Ncxe4 16. Bxb4 Rdc8? It looks to me that Black uses the wrong Rook to occupy the open c-file, but I have no objective argument demonstrating it – just an impression. If it was right, then 16. ... Rac8 should be preferred. 17. Qd3 Qa4 18. Be7 Rc7 19. Bd8 Bb5 20. Qd4 Rc2 21. Qxa4 Bxa4 22. b3 Bb5 23. Bxf6 Nxf6 24. e3 Ba6? After all, Black somehow managed to hold together her own, and without this fearful move she could have hoped to survive: 24. ... Rc5! 25. f4 Nd5 indeed appears tenable. 25. a4 Rac8? Humanum est peccare, diabolicum perseverare. Black was still in time for 25. ... Rc5 26. f4 Nd5. 26. b4! Now Black’s Queenside miserably collapses and the two White connected passed Pawns won’t be stoppable. 26. ... Be2 27. Bxb7 Rb8 28. Nc6 Bxd1 29. Nxb8 Be2 30. Nc6 Bg4 31. b5 Kf8 32. a5 Nd7 33. b6 a6 34. Nb4 Rb2 35. Nxa6 Ke7 36. Bg2 Be2 37. Nc7 Rc2 38. Be4 Rc5 39. Bg2 h5 40. h3 g5 41. Re1 Rc2 42. b7 Ra2 43. Na8 Ba6

44. Nb6! Very pretty. Black ended up in a comical Zugzwang. 44. ... Nb8 45. Rd1 Bb5. Also after 45. ... Rxa5 46. Nd7! White must win. 46. Rc1 Rd2 47. Rc7+ Ke8 48. Rc8+ Rd8 49. Bf1 Ba6 50. Bxa6 Nxa6 51. Ra8 1 : 0.

Anna Ushenina
Photo: dynamo.ua

Walls and Bridges

Antoaneta Stefanova – Anna Ushenina
17th European Women’s Individual Chess Championship; Mamaia, June 4, 2016
Réti Opening A06

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. b3 d5 3. Bb2 c5 4. e3 e6 5. Ne5 Nbd7 6. f4 Be7 7. Bd3 Qc7 8. 0-0 b6 9. Qf3 0-0 10. c4. For 10. Qh3 Ne4 see Fauland – Sandhöfner, 56th Austrian Chess Championship, Feldkirch 2013. 10. ... Bb7 11. Qh3 dxc4 12. bxc4 Be4 13. Be2 Nxe5 14. Bxe5 Qd7 15. d4 cxd4 16. exd4 Bb7 17. Nc3 g6 18. Rad1 Rfd8 19. Qh6. Here, probably, Stefanova misses her golden time. 19. Rd3! appeared very, very strong, causing Ushenina to face a plethora of powerful threats. 19. ... Ne8 20. d5 Bf8 21. Qh4 Qe7 22. Qg3 f6 23. Bd4 Bg7 24. Bf3. Another major error. 24. Qe3 still seems good enough for claiming an advantage. 24. ... Nd6 25. Bg4. And this is decidly a serious mistake, allowing Unshenina to liquidate for maximum positional gain. 25. ... f5 26. Be2 exd5 27. cxd5 Bxd4+ 28. Rxd4 Rac8 29. Ra4 Ba8 30. Ba6 Rc5 31. Qd3 Kg7 32. h3 Re8 33. Rf3 Kh6 34. Kh2 Ne4 35. d6. The first fallen Pawn. 35. ... Nxd6 36. Rg3

Europe Échecs’ editor-in-chief Grandmaster Bachar Kouatly writes: “It’s not always necessary to play the strongest move, but the move most suitable for your own goal. Thus Anna Ushenina defeated Antoaneta Stefanova. In the position shown in diagram (after 36. Rg3), both 36. ... Qc7! and 36. ... b5! are regarded as very strong by computer, but Ushenina prefers the liquidation by 36. ... Rxc3 37. Qxc3 Ne4 38. Qe1 Nxg3 39. Qxg3 Rd8 to combine her Queenside majority with a direct attack on the Kingside, finally forcing her opponent’s resignation at move 59”. 36. ... Rxc3 37. Qxc3 Ne4 38. Qe1 Nxg3 39. Qxg3 Rd8 40. Be2 Rd2 41. Bf3 Bxf3 42. Qxf3 a5 43. Qg3 Qc7 44. Ra3 Rd4 45. Rf3 Kg7 46. h4 h5 47. Qf2 Qd6 48. a3 Kh7 49. Qe3 b5 50. Kg3 b4 51. axb4 axb4 52. Qe8 Qc7 53. Kh3 Re4 54. Qf8 Qe7 55. Qc8 Re1 56. g3 Qe2 57. Qb7+ Kh6 58. Rb3 Qd1 0 : 1.

Antoaneta Stefanova vs. Anna Ushenina
Photo: Federația Română de Șah

The Way to Rainy Mountain

Natalia Andreevna Pogonina – Marina Brunello
17th European Women’s Individual Chess Championship; Mamaia, June 3, 2016
Sicilian Defence B92

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 e5 7. Nb3 Be7 8. Be3 Be6 9. Nd5 Nxd5 10. exd5 Bf5 11. 0-0 0-0 12. Qd2 Nd7 13. Na5 Qc7 14. c4 Bd8? Very involuted. For 14. ... Bg6 15. b4 Rfe8 16. c5 see 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) – 高睿 (Gāo Ruì), Chinese Team Chess Championship, 天津 (Tiānjīn) 2012. 15. b4 Qb8. No better is 15. ... Nf6 16. f3 Qd7 17. Nb3 b5 18. c5 dxc5 19. Bxc5 Re8 20. d6 Qb7 21. Bf2 Bb6 22. Nc5 Qd5 23. Qg5 Be6 24. Rfd1 Qc6 25. Rac1 h6 26. Qd2 Bd5 27. Kh1 Qxd6 28. Bh4 g5 29. Bxg5 hxg5 30. Qxg5+ Kf8 31. Ne4 Nxe4 32. fxe4 1 : 0 Manakova – Živković, Yugoslav Women’s Team Chess Championship, Herceg Novi 2001. 16. Nb3 b6 17. f4 exf4 18. Bxf4 Bg6 19. Rac1

19. ... Be7? On the wrong track. Consideration deserved 19. ... a5! (Stockfish) in order to answer 20. c5 by 20. ... bxc5 21. bxc5 Bc7. 20. Kh1 Qd8 21. Nd4. White obtained a crushing advantage with no particular effort. Therefore, Marina decides to sacrifice a Pawn for some freedom. 21. ... Nf6 22. Nc6 Qd7. In fact, after 22. ... Qc7 23. Bf3 Natalia Andreevna would inexorably strengthen her own position before breaking through by c4-c5. 23. Qd4 Rfe8 24. Qxb6 Bd8 25. Qf2 Ne4 26. Qg1 Bf6 27. Bf3 Ng5 28. Bxg5 Bxg5 29. Rc3 Bd2 30. Ra3 Qf5. Not the most comfortable throne for Her Majesty. 31. b5! axb5?? A tremendous blunder, but after b5-b6 Black was doomed anyway. 32. Rxa8 Rxa8 33. Ne7+ 1 : 0. Okay for now, it will be for next time.

Natalia Andreevna Pogonina vs. Marina Brunello
Photo: Federația Română de Șah

Brunello di Montalcino

Marina Brunello – Nino Khurtsidze
17th European Women’s Individual Chess Championship; Mamaia, June 1, 2016
Sicilian Defence B85

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be2 Nf6 7. 0-0 Be7 8. f4 d6 9. Be3 Nc6 10. Qe1 0-0 11. Qg3 d5 12. e5 Nxd4 13. Bxd4 Bc5 14. Qe3 Nd7 15. Bd3 Bxd4 16. Qxd4 Qc5 17. Ne2 Qxd4+ 18. Nxd4 Nc5 19. Rfd1. For 19. b4 Na4 20. g4 Bd7 21. f5 see Navara – Movsesian, 1st IMSA Élite Mind Games, Rapid Chess Event, 淮安 (Huái’ān) 2016. 19. ... Bd7 20. c3 f6 21. exf6 gxf6 22. Bc2 Rae8 23. Nf3 Bc6 24. Re1 Rf7 25. Re3 b6 26. Rae1 Bb7 27. Nd2 Rg7 28. g3 Rge7 29. b4 Nd7 30. Bf5 Kf7 31. Bg4 Nf8 32. Nf3 Ng6 33. Nd4 Bc8 34. Bh5 Kf8 35. Nf3 Bd7 36. Kf2 Rc8 37. h4 Kf7

38. f5! A well-calculated breakthrough, that ultimately wins a (very hard to convert) Pawn. 38. ... e5 39. Nd4! 39. fxg6+ hxg6 leads nowhere. 39. ... Ree8 40. fxg6+ hxg6 41. Bf3 exd4 42. Bxd5+ Kf8 43. cxd4 Rxe3 44. Rxe3 Rc2+ 45. Re2 Rc3 46. Bb3 Rd3 47. d5 Rd4 48. a3 a5 49. bxa5 bxa5 50. Re3 a4 51. Bc2 f5 52. Rd3 Rc4 53. Bd1 Ke7 54. d6+ Ke6 55. Bf3 Rc2+ 56. Ke3 Bb5 57. Rd4 Rc3+ 58. Kf4 Rxa3 59. g4 Ra1 60. gxf5+ gxf5 61. h5 Bd7? Khurtsidze ultimately loses the thread. Also 61. ... Rf1? 62. h6 Kf7 63. d7 gives no hope at all. Black’s last chance appears to be 61. ... Rg1 striving for less bad rather than worse. 62. h6 Rb1 63. h7 Rb8 64. Kg5 Kf7 65. Kh6 a3 66. Bd5+ Be6 67. Bxe6+. 67. d7! was even more to the point. 67. ... Kxe6 68. d7 a2 69. d8=Q Rxd8 70. Rxd8 a1=Q 71. h8=Q Qh1+ 72. Kg6 Qg2+ 73. Kh7 Qh2+ 74. Kg8 Qxh8+ 75. Kxh8 f4 76. Rf8 Ke5 77. Kg7 Ke4 78. Kg6 f3 79. Kg5 Kd5 1 : 0. Bravo, Marina!

Marina Brunello. Photo: sport24h.it.

The Quickest Kid

Marina Brunello – Jolanta Zawadka
17th European Women’s Individual Chess Championship; Mamaia, May 30, 2016
Sicilian Defence B22

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 Nf6 4. e5 Nd5 5. d4 cxd4 6. cxd4 d6 7. Bc4 dxe5 8. Nxe5 e6 9. 0-0 Be7 10. Nf3 0-0 11. Nc3 Nxc3 12. bxc3 b6 13. Bd3 Bb7 14. Qc2 g6 15. Qe2. For 15. Bh6 Re8 16. Qd2 Bf6 see Pap – Atakisi, 3rd Turbo GM tournament, Novi Sad 2009. 15. ... Rc8 16. Bh6 Re8 17. Rad1. For 17. Rfe1 Bf6 18. Bf4 Na5 19. Rac1 Qd5 see Vaitonis – Witkowski, 13th Chess Olympiad, Munich 1958. 17. ... Bf6 18. Rfe1 Na5 19. c4. A very adventurous Pawn sacrifice, but as they say, audaces fortuna iuvat. On the other hand, on 19. Ne5 Bg5 Black more than equalizes matters. Therefore I guess that the White Rook on d1 is not exactly well placed 19. ... Bxf3 20. Qxf3 Bxd4 21. Bf1. “Marina Brunello is a Pawn down and stands badly with a weak Pawn on c4. However, her opponent gives her an awful blunder as a gift”, Europe Échecs’ editor-in-chief Grandmaster Bachar Kouatly wrote.

21. ... e5?? Black should have played 21. ... Qh4!, of course. 22. Rxd4! 1 : 0. In fact, after 22. ... exd4 (else 22. ... Qxd4 23. Qf6 leads to mate) 23. Rxe8+ Qxe8 24. Qf6 Black must give up her Queen to avoid mate.

Italian Woman Grandmaster Marina Brunello poses in front of a chessboard in a stylish hall at the Centro Congressi of the Industrial Union in Turin, Italy, on November 29, 2008. Photo: Mondadori Portfolio/Getty Images.

Head Over Feet

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Olga Zimina
17th European Women’s Individual Chess Championship; Mamaia, May 30, 2016
Queen’s Indian Defence E15

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 5. b3 b5 6. cxb5 Bxb5 7. Bg2 d5 8. 0-0 Bd6 9. Bb2 0-0 10. Nc3 Ba6 11. Rc1 Nbd7 12. Na4 Qb8!? For 12. ... Rc8 13. Ne5 c5 see Sachdev – 赵雪 (Zhào Xuě), 1st World Mind Sports Games, Women’s Rapid Team Chess Event, 北京 (Běijīng) 2008. 13. Rc2 Bb5 14. Nc5 a5 15. Ne5 a4 16. Qc1 axb3 17. axb3 Ra2 18. f4 Qa7 19. Kh1 Nxc5 20. dxc5 Rxb2. Russian-born Italian Woman Grandmaster Olga Zimina goes for an interesting, but unnecessary Exchange sacrifice (20. ... Bxe5 seemed just as good as natural). The Bishop pair and a Pawn nearly compensate Black for her little deficit. 21. Qxb2 Bxc5 22. Qc3 Bd6 23. Ra1 Qb8 24. b4 Qb6 25. Bf3 Nd7 26. Nxd7 Bxd7 27. Kg2 Rb8 28. Rb1 g6 29. h4 h5 30. Qf6 c5 31. b5 Bf8

32. f5! Giving Black the aimed second Pawn as compensation for the Exchange, but the initiative is always more important than material. 32. ... exf5. If 32. ... gxf5 there might follow 33. Qg5+ Kh7 34. Qxh5+ Kg7 35. Qg5+ Kh7 36. g4! keeping the initiative in her own hands. 33. Qxb6 Rxb6 34. Bxd5 Rxb5 35. Rxb5 Bxb5 36. Rb2 Bd7 37. Rb6 Kg7 38. Kf3 Ba4 39. Ra6 Bb5 40. Rb6 Ba4 41. Kf4 Be7 42. Ke5 Kf8 43. Bc4 Bc2 44. Rb8+ Kg7 45. Re8 Bf8. 45. ... Bf6+ 46. Kd6 Bd4 seems to offer more balanced prospects. 46. Bd5 Bd1 47. Rd8 Bxe2 48. Rd7 Kh6 49. Kf6 c4? The move that loses the game. After 49. ... Bg7+ 50. Kxf7 Kh7 51. Rd6 White hits hard, but it’s not easy to break through the Black’s barricade. 50. Kxf7! Catching the Black King in a mating net. 50. ... Ba3. Both 50. ... c3 and 50. ... Bg7 are also met by 51. Kg8. 51. Kg8 g5 52. Rg7! gxh4 53. Bf7 1 : 0. Because mate follows by Rg7-g6.

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
Photo: vesti-yamal.ru.

Eye of the Storm

Petra Papp – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
17th European Women’s Individual Chess Championship; Mamaia, May 28, 2016
Sicilian Defence B33

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 Bg7 11. Bd3 Ne7 12. Nxe7 Qxe7 13. 0-0 0-0 14. c4 Rd8!? A novelty, as far as I know. For 14. ... f5 15. Qf3 Qb7 see Nakamura – Radjabov, 74th Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2012. 15. Qh5 Rb8 16. cxb5 f5 17. exf5. Stronger seems 17. Nc4 and if 17. ... axb5 then 18. Ne3! f4 19. Nd5 with a clear edge. 17. ... e4 18. Rae1 d5

19. bxa6 Rxb2 20. Re3. A wild way to start to attack. 20. ... Qf6. Goryachkina was afraid to accept the gift with 20. ... Qxa3 because of 21. f6!? Bxf6? (this, however, is not forced) 22. Bxe4 with unclear complications. 21. a7 Bb7. If 21. ... Bxf5 then 22. Rf3! with some firework effects. 22. Bb1? Petra does not succeed to coordinate her shattered forces. It seems that 22. Bc2 Ra8 23. Bb3 Rxa7 24. Nc2 h6 25. Rg3 may still offer some ground for initiative. 22. ... Ra8 23. g4? Further worsening her own situation. Deserving consideration is 23. Rd1 Rxa7 24. Nc2 Qb6 and Black stands better. 23. ... Rxa7 24. Rd1 h6 25. Nc2 Bc6 26. Nd4 Ba4 27. Nb3 Qb6 28. g5 Bxb3 29. axb3 Ra1. White has a Pawn more, but her light-squared Bishop is doomed. 30. Bc2. More tenacious is 30. Bxe4, alhough after 30. ... Rxd1+ 31. Qxd1 dxe4 32. f6 Bf8 33. Qg4 h5! 34. Qxe4 Qb4 Black should win anyway. 30. ... Rxc2 31. Rxa1 Bxa1 32. f6 Bxf6! The simplest way. 33. gxf6 Qxf6 34. Qg4+ Kh7 35. Qg3 Qf5 36. Rc3 Ra2 37. Rc6 d4 38. Rc1 Ra6 39. Kf1 Rg6 40. Qc7 Qf3 41. Qd7 d3 0 : 1.

Petra Papp vs. Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
Photo: Federația Română de Șah (Facebook)

The Matrix Reloaded

Anastasia Mikhailovna Bodnaruk – Nataliya Igorivna Buksa
17th European Women’s Individual Chess Championship; Mamaia, May 27, 2016
Spanish Game C83

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9. c3 Be7 10. Be3 0-0 11. Nbd2 Qd7 12. Bc2 Nxd2 13. Qxd2 Bg4. Curiously enough, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv Law Faculty student Nataliya Igorivna Buksa is on the footsteps of her countrywoman Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk. 14. Qd3. It “promise[s] nothing”, Grandmaster Adrian Bohdanovych Mikhalchishin said. In the 2nd game of the Women’s World Chess Championship match in Lviv between 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) and Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk, Chinese Grandmaster preferred 14. Bf4 Bxf3 15. gxf3 Rad8 16. Rfd1 Qe6 17. Qe3 when, rather than 17. ... Rd7, Black should have played 17. ... Na5!? 18. b3 c5 as 19. a4?! c4! would give Black a satisfactory play. 14. ... g6 15. Bh6 Rfe8 16. Rad1. Also after 16. Rfe1 Bf5 17. Qd2 Bxc2 18. Qxc2 Nd8 19. Rad1 Ne6 20. h4 c5! Black gets excellent chances, Kokarev – Short, 2nd International Chess Open, Kolkata 2015. 16. ... Bf5 17. Qd2 Bxc2 18. Qxc2 Nd8 19. Nd4 f6 20. exf6 Bxf6 21. Nb3 Nb7 22. f4. Less committal seems 22. Be3 a5 with approximate equality.

22. ... Qg4. With the threat of ... Re8-e2. 23. Qd3 Rad8 24. f5? After 24. Rde1! the game was still quite even. 24. ... g5. Cutting off the White Bishop. Bodnaruk will pay very dearly for its liberation. 25. Nd4 Nc5 26. Qh3 Qxh3 27. gxh3 Kf7 28. Nf3 Ne4 29. Kg2 c5 30. h4. Finally! But it’s too late. 30. ... gxh4 31. Kh3 d4. Black’s preponderance is overwhelming. 32. cxd4 cxd4 33. Ne1 Rd5 34. Nd3 Nd6 35. Bf4 Nc4 36. Bc1 Ne3 37. Bxe3 dxe3 38. Nf4 Rxf5 39. Kg4 h5+! A pretty conclusion. 40. Nxh5. Not 40. Kxf5 Re5 mate. 40. ... Rxh5 41. Kxh5 e2 42. Rxf6+ Kxf6 43. Re1 Kf5 44. Kxh4 Kf4 45. Kh3 Ke3 0 : 1.

Nataliya Igorivna Buksa. Photo: Chess-News.ru.