|
Analysis from the 5th round |
 Dear chess lovers, you can find some spectacular moments of the fifth round below;
Gunina, Valentina - Sebag, Marie
A leader’s game was very tense but finished undecided.
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6
White has chosen solid positional continuation, trying to make use of her space and development advantage. [I still believe 6.Bh4 is the critical test for the Black's setup, however one has to have some special preparation to play this line.] 6...Qxf6 7.e3 g6 [7...Nd7 is by far the most popular continuation.] 8.Bd3 Following the rock-solid policy! [White could try to underline the difference in move order by playing 8.e4!? dxe4 9.Nxe4 Bb4+ 10.Ke2 Qf4 11.Qd3 Be7 12.g3 Qc7 13.Bg2 Nd7 14.Rhe1 b6 15.Kf1 Bb7 16.c5 a5 17.Kg1 0–0 18.Qe3 Kg7 19.Ne5! and White obtained an advantage in Kramnik,V -Leko,P / Moscow 2009/] 8...Bg7 9.0–0 0–0
10.Re1 [In few games White had tried 10.e4 dxe4 11.Nxe4 Qd8 12.c5!? Bxd4 13.Nxd4 Qxd4 14.Qc2 with certain compensation for the pawn.] 10...Nd7 [10...dxc4!? 11.Bxc4 Nd7 getting the typical pawn structure for this line, and White has to prove e1 to be the proper place for the rook.] 11.e4 dxe4 12.Nxe4 Qf4 13.g3 Qc7 14.c5
14...b6 [14...e5!? looks dubious, as after 15.Nd6 exd4 16.Qc2 Qd8 17.Rad1! it's hard for Black to finish the development.] 15.Rc1 bxc5 16.Nxc5 Nxc5 17.Rxc5 Bb7 18.h4?! Not the best idea with center being unstable. [18.Be4 Rfd8 19.Qa4 Qb6 20.Rec1 seems more to the point. 20...Qxb2 21.Rb1 Qe2 22.Rxb7 Qxe4 23.Qxc6 Qxc6 24.Rxc6=] 18...Rad8! 19.h5
19...Rxd4! 20.hxg6 [Of course not 20.Nxd4? Bxd4 and both c5 and g3 are hanging.] 20...Rd5 [20...Qd6!? 21.Rc3 Rd5 22.Ra3 Bxb2 23.Rb3 Ba6 24.gxf7+ Rxf7 25.Re3 Bg7 26.Qe2 and an army of Black's weak pawns compensates White's minimal material deficit.] 21.Rxd5 cxd5 22.Nh4 [22.Qe2!?, stopping the advance of Black's center, would have been more precise.] 22...Qb6 23.Qe2 e5! Now black has an initiative, however White should be able to hold the balance. 24.gxf7+ Rxf7 25.Bf5 e4 26.Qg4 Bc8 27.Re2 Bxf5 28.Nxf5 Qe6 29.Ne3 Qxg4 30.Nxg4
The endgame is just marginally better for Black. 30...Rc7 [30...Rd7! 31.Ne3 Kf7 bringing the King into play would be the best try for Black.] 31.Ne3 Rc5 32.Kg2 a5 33.Nf5 h5 34.f3 exf3+ 35.Kxf3 Now the game is completely leveled, and after 35...Bf6 36.Rh2 Kf7 37.Rxh5 Bxb2 38.Ne3 Rc3 39.Ke2 Bc1 40.Nxd5 Rxg3 41.Nb6 Rg2+ 42.Kd1 Bg5 43.a4 Kg6 44.Rh8 Rd2+ 45.Ke1 Rd8 a draw was agreed. 1/2
Borosova, Zuzana - Zhukova, Natalia
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 0–0 6.0–0
6...d5! Most principle and, I believe, the strongest, this move is connected with pawn sacrifice. [It has to be said there is nothing wrong with 6...d6 ] 7.exd5 Nxd5 8.Re1 Bg4 Logical follow up of 6...d5. 9.h3 Bh5
10.g4?! Brave decision, which turns to be a dubious one! [In a few games White chose 10.Nbd2 but failed to prove any advantage. Perhaps the whole opening line is harmless for Black.] 10...Bg6 11.Nxe5 Nxe5 12.Rxe5 c6
This position reminds me Marshall defense in Ruy Lopez, however White has got some additional weaknesses on the kingside. 13.Bxd5 cxd5 14.Qf3 Qc7 15.Re2? [After relatively better 15.Rxd5 Rad8 16.Rxd8 Rxd8 17.d4 Bxd4 18.Nd2 Be5 Black's compensation is beyond any doubt.] 15...Rae8 16.Rxe8 Rxe8 17.Nd2 Re6! 18.Nf1 [18.d4 Re1+ 19.Kg2 Bd6 and White can't move at all - 20.b3 Be4 21.Nxe4 dxe4 22.Qf5 g6 23.Qf6 e3! 24.Qf3 (24.fxe3? Qc6+ 25.Kf2 (25.Qf3 Re2+–+) 25...Bg3+–+) 24...e2 25.Qe3 Qc6+ 26.f3 Bf4 , winning.] 18...Rf6 19.Qxd5
19...Bxf2+ [A bit faster way to win the game would have been 19...Rxf2! 20.d4 Rxf1+! 21.Kxf1 Qg3 22.Ke2 (22.Qd8+ Bf8 23.Ke2 Bd3+ 24.Kd2 Be4–+) 22...Bd3+ 23.Kd2 Bd6–+] 20.Kg2 h6! White is helpless. 21.Be3 Bxe3 22.Nxe3 Qb6 [22...Qf4–+] 23.Nd1 Rd6 24.Qc4 Rxd3 25.a4 Rd2+ 0–1 A nice aggressive game by Ukrainian GM.
Dzagnidze, Nana - Charochkina, Daria
Being one of the Elo-favorites, Georgian GM had suffered another upsetting loss:
Black just took a knight on e5... 30.c5?! Not a mistake itself, but connected with the wrong idea. [30.Rxe5 Rxc4 31.Qb3 Rcc6=] 30...Nc4 31.Qxb7?? missing Black's replay. [31.dxe5! Rxe5 32.Rce2 was the way to keep position balanced.(Not 32.Rxe5 Qxe5 33.Qxb7?? (Still White is fine after 33.Rc1 ) 33...Rb8 34.Qd7 Rb1+ 35.Bf1 Kh7! (35...Qe1? 36.Qd8+ Kh7 37.Qh4+=) 36.Qd8 f6!–+ , and White monarch is going to date Black queen quite soon.) ] 31...Rb8 32.Qxd5
32...Bc7! The move White had overlooked when played 31.Qxb7 33.Rd1 [33.Rxe6 Rb1+ 34.Bf1 Qh2#] 33...Rbe8! 34.Rcc1 Qh2+ 35.Kf1 Re1+! [35...Re1+ 36.Rxe1 Nd2#] 0–1
Let me finish with three examples in style of “no comment TV”, proving the fact participants really need a free day!
Khurtsidze, Nino - Foisor, Cristina-Adela
38.Rbb4?? c5 0–1
Kursova, Maria - Alexanian, Nelli
38...c3?? 39.Nxd5+ 1–0
Ziaziulkina, Nastassia - Hoang, Thanh Trang
37.axb5?? Ra1# 0–1
 Evgenij Miroshnichenko (born 28th of December 1978), or "Miro", as he likes to be called, is international Grandmaster since 2002, two times Ukrainian Champion (2003 and 2008) and a winner of numerous international tournaments. Growing expert of women chess, as you can remember his reports and comments during the World Women Team Championship. |
