Chess (December): Magnus unofficially surpasses Kasparov, leads in London

[Jack Rabbit]

6. Stefanova - Harika, Semi-Final Round/Game 1

[center]


Antoaneta Stefanova
[/center][font size="1"]Photo by Frank Hoppe (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Samson1964) in Wikimedia Commons (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Antoaneta_Stefanova)
(Public Domain)
[/font]

Antoaneta Stefanova - Dronavalli Harika
FIDE Women's Knock-Out, Semifianl Round, Game 1
Khanty-Mansiysk, 23 November 2012

Orthodox Queen's Gambit: London Opening

1.d4 e6 2.c4 d5 3.Nc3 Be7 4.Bf4 Nf6 5.e3 0-0 6.a3

• This is a very rare move. Most common is
• [font color="red"]6.Nf3.[/font] See Vitiugov-Nakamura, IT 1112, Reggio Emilia, 2011.

6...Nbd7 7.Nb5 Ne8 8.Nf3 c6

• [font color="red"]8...Ndf6 9.Rc1 Nh5 10.Bg3 g6 11.Be2 dxc4 12.Bxc4[/font] is equal (Fressinet-Aleksandrov, Euro Ch, Rijeka, 2010).

9.Nc3 f5

• If [font color="red"]9...Nef6 10.h3 b6 11.cxd5[/font] then:
• If [font color="red"]11...exd5 12.Bd3 Bb7 13.0-0 c5[/font] then:
• [font color="red"]14.Qb1 a6 15.dxc5 bxc5 16.Be2 Qb6 17.Rd1[/font] gives White stronger pawns (Fedoseev-Klyuev, Polugaevsky Mem, Samsara, 2012).
• [font color="burgundy"]14.Ne5 Nxe5 15.Bxe5 Bd6 16.Bxd6 Qxd6 17.Be2 Rac8[/font] is equal (Roos-Goloshchapov, Bundesliga 0809, Dresden, 2008).
• If [font color="darkred"]11...Nxd5 12.Nxd5 exd5[/font] then:
• [font color="darkred"]13.Bd3 Bb7 14.Qc2 Nf6 15.Be5 h6 16.g4 Ne4[/font] is equal (Nielsen-Sethuraman, Politiken Cup, Helsignør, 2009).
• [font color="magenta"]13.Be2 Bb7 14.Qa4 c5 15.0-0 a6 16.dxc5 Nxc5[/font] is equal (Ivanchuk-And. Volokitin, IT, Foros, Ukraine, 2008).

10.h3 Nd6 11.cxd5 exd5

• The game transposes into the exchange opening. For the main lines of this opening, see Korchnoi-Karpov, World Ch Match, Baguio City, 1978.

12.Bd3 Nf6 13.Ne5 Nfe4

• Up to here, the players were following a game played just the day before in the FIDE Grand Prix.
• [font color="red"]13...Be6 14.0-0 Nd7 15.Ne2 a5 16.Qc2 a4 17.Bh2[/font] gives White a small advantage in space (Mamedyarov-Kasimdzhanov, Grand Prix 1213, Tashkent, 2012).

14.Ne2 (N)

• [font color="red"]14.0-0 Nf7 15.Qc2 Bd6 16.Bh2[/font] then:
• [font color="red"]16...Nxe5!? 17.Bxe5 Bxe5 18.dxe5[/font] is equal (Gelfand-Aronioan, IT A, Wijk aan Zee, 2012).
• [font color="darkred"]16...Qe7 17.Nxf7 Bxh2+ 18.Kxh2 Rxf7[/font] is equal.

14...Nf7!?

• Black suggests an exchange of Knights.
• [font color="red"]14...Qa5+ 15.b4 Qb6 16.0-0 a5 17.b5 Nxb5 18.f3[/font] is equal.

[center]BLACK: Dronavalli Harika[/center]

[center][/center]

[center]WHITE: Antoaneta Stefanova[/center][center]Position after 14...Nd6f7[/center]

15.0-0!

• White has a slight advantage in space
• [font color="red"]15.Nxf7! Rxf7 16.Qc2 Be6 17.0-0 Qb6 18.f3[/font] also gives White a slight advantage.

15...Bd6 16.Qc2 Qf6!? 17.f3!

• White has a small advantage in space.

17...Neg5 18.h4!?

• The pawn becomes a target after Black withdraws the Knight.
• [font color="red"]18.Bg3 Bb8 19.h4 Ne6 20.f4 Nd6 21.Nc3[/font] continues to give White a slight edge.

[center]BLACK: Dronavalli Harika[/center]

[center][/center]

[center]WHITE: Antoaneta Stefanova[/center][center]Position after 18.h3h4[/center]

18...Ne6!

• The game is equal.

19.Bxf5 Nxe5

• If [font color="red"]19...Bxe5!? 20.Bxh7+ Kh8 21.dxe5[/font] then:
• [font color="red"]21...Nxe5 22.b3 Nxf4 23.exf4 Qxh4 24.fxe5 Qxh7 25.Qc3[/font] gives White a passed pawn that for now is going nowhere.
• If [font color="darkred"]21...Qxh4? 22.Bg6![/font] then:
• If [font color="darkred"]22...Kg8 23.Bg3[/font] then:
• [font color="darkred"]23...Qh6[/font] then White wins easily after [font color="darkred"]24.Kf2 Qh8 25.Rh1 Nh6 26.Bh4 Bd7 27.Be7.[/font]
• If [font color="darkorange"]23...Qe7 24.f4[/font] then:
• If [font color="darkorange"]24...Nc7[/font] then White wins after [font color="darkorange"]25.Nd4 Bg4 26.Nf5 Qd8 27.Bxf7+ Rxf7 28.Nd6.[/font]
• [font color="purple"]24...Nc5 25.Nd4 Nh6 26.Be1 a5 27.Rc1 Ne4 28.Bxe4[/font] nets another pawn.
• [font color="magenta"]22...Nxf4 23.exf4 Kg8 24.Rf2 Nh6 25.g3 Qd8 26.Rh2[/font] gives White an extra pawn, command of attacking lanes and a huge advantage in space.

20.Bxh7+ Kh8

• The King is far safer here that moving toward the center.
• [font color="red"]20...Kf7?! 21.Bxe5! Bxe5 22.dxe5 Qxe5 23.f4 Qxe3+ 24.Kh1[/font] gives White a safer King and the initiative

21.dxe5 Bxe5 22.Bxe5 Qxe5 23.Kf2 d4?!

• The pawn is more useful at d5, where it discourages White to advance her e-pawn and could possible aide a queenside under favorable circumstances.
• If [font color="red"]23...c5 24.Bd3[/font] then:
• [font color="red"]24...Bd7 25.Qd2 Rad8 26.Rae1 Qf6 27.h5 d4 28.Kg1[/font] gives Black an extra pawn and White more space.
• [font color="darkred"]24...c4?! 25.Bg6! Bd7 26.Rh1 Rf6 27.h5 Qg5 28.Qc3[/font] gives White an extra pawn and pressure on Black's King; Black holds more space.

24.exd4!

• White is accumulating small advantages to the point of being quite comfortable. She has an extra pawn, solid command of of the b1/h7 diagonal and a 3:1 pawn majority on the kingside; After recapturing at d4, Black will have a 3:2 majority on the queenside and more space.

24...Nxd4 25.Qe4 Nxf3

• If [font color="red"]25...Qxe4 26.Bxe4 Nxe2 27.Kxe2 Bf5[/font] then:
• [font color="red"]28.g4 Bh7 29.Bxh7 Kxh7 30.Rad1 Rf7 31.Kf2 Raf8 32.Rd3[/font] gives White an extra pawn.
• [font color="darkred"]28.Rad1 Rae8 29.Kd3 Kh7 30.g4 Bg6 31.Rde1[/font] gives White an extra pawn and a centralized King.

26.gxf3 Qh2+!

• Black must resist the temptation to grab a pawn.
• [font color="red"]26...Qxb2? 27.Bg6! Qf6 28.Rad1 Bf5 29.Bxf5 Rae8 30.Qf4[/font] assures White of invading the seventh rank by way of the d-file.

[center]BLACK: Dronavalli Harika[/center]

[center][/center]

[center]WHITE: Antoaneta Stefanova[/center][center]Position after 26...Qe5h2+[/center]

27.Ke3!

• This may seem counterintuitive, but White is correct to bring the King to the center, where it protect more vital points, keeps the Rooks connected on the back rank and readies itself for the endgame.
• [font color="red"]27.Ke1?! Bh3 28.Bg6 Rf6 29.Rc1 Bxf1 30.Kxf1 Raf8[/font] is a level game.

27...Bd7?

• This move threatens nothing and protects nothing that isn't already protected.
• Better is [font color="red"]27...Be6 28.Bg6[/font] when:
• [font color="red"]28...Bd5 29.Qe7 Rf6 30.Be4 Re6 31.Qb4 Rae8 32.Nc3[/font] leaves Black unable to capture the h-pawn because of 33.Rh1! winning the Queen.
• [font color="darkred"]28...Rf6? 29.Nf4! Bd5 30.Nxd5 cxd5 31.Qg4 Kg8 32.Rac1[/font] gives White an extra piece.

28.Rad1 Qc7

• [font color="red"]28...Rae8 29.Rxd7!! Qxh4 30.Rxb7 Qh5 31.Kd2 Rxe4 32.Bxe4[/font] gives White a Rook and two minor pieces for the Queen.

29.Qc2?!

• White understandingly doesn't want one of Black's Rooks moving to e8 while the Queen can be pinned, but exposing the King on e3 isn't the solution.
• If [font color="red"]29.Kd2![/font] then:
• If [font color="red"]29...Rae8 30.Qc2 Qe5 31.Be4 Bh3[/font] then:
• White wins after [font color="red"]32.Rf2! Bf5 33.Rg2 Bxe4 34.fxe4 Qxe4 35.Qxe4 Rxe4 36.Kc2[/font] when she has an extra piece.
• If [font color="darkred"]32.Rg1? Rxf3!![/font] then:
• If [font color="darkred"]33.Kc1 Qxe4 34.Nd4 Rf4 35.Qc3 Qe3+ 36.Qxe3 Rxe3[/font] gives Black an extra pawn and excellent winning chances owing to her active Rooks.
• If [font color="magenta"]33.Bxf3?[/font] then Black wins after [font color="magenta"]33...Qe3+! 34.Ke1 Qxg1+ 35.Kd2 Qe3+ 36.Ke1 Qxf3.[/font]
• If [font color="darkred"]29...Rad8[/font] then:
• White wins after [font color="darkred"]30.Kc1 Rfe8 31.Qc2 Bh3 32.Rxd8 Rxd8 33.Rg1.[/font]
• If [font color="magenta"]30.Ke1?[/font] then [font color="magenta"]30...Rfe8! 31.Qb1 Qg3+ 32.Rf2 Qg1+ 33.Rf1 Qg3+ etc.[/font] draws by repetition.

29...Bh3?

• Black wastes a critical tempo.
• Correct is the forcing variation [font color="red"]29...Qb6+ 30.Kd2 Be6 31.Bd3[/font] then:
• If [font color="red"]31...Rad8[/font] then:
• [font color="red"]32.Qc3 Bh3 33.Kc2 Bxf1 34.Rxf1 Qe3 35.Rg1 Rf7 36.Rg5[/font] allows Black to continue, although her chances of survival are not good.
• [font color="magenta"]32.Nc1 Bh3 33.Qc3 Rfe8 34.Kc2 Bxf1 35.Rxf1[/font] doesn't leave Black any room for error, but his game is still playable.
• If [font color="darkred"]31...Bb3?[/font] then White wins after [font color="darkred"]32.Qc3 Bxd1 33.Rg1! Rf7 34.Kxd1 Re8 35.Rg5.[/font]

[center]BLACK: Dronavalli Harika[/center]

[center][/center]

[center]WHITE: Antoaneta Stefanova[/center][center]Position after 29...Bd7h3[/center]

]30.Rg1

• White's winning plan is to build direct pressure on the Black King.

30...Qb6+ 31.Kd2 Be6 32.Qc3 Rf7 33.Bg6

• White wins quicker after [font color="red"]33.Bc2 Rd8+ 34.Kc1 Rxd1+ 35.Rxd1.[/font]

33...Rf6 34.Kc1 Qf2

• A more stubborn resistance is [font color="red"]34...Qb3 35.Qxb3 Bxb3 36.Rd7 Bc4 37.Nd4 c5 38.Rc7,[/font] but it no longer matters.

[center]BLACK: Dronavalli Harika[/center]

[center][/center]

[center]WHITE: Antoaneta Stefanova[/center][center]Position after 34...Qb6f2[/center]

35.Qe5!

• White sacrifices a pawn.

35...Kg8

• If [font color="red"]35...Qxh4[/font] then White wins after [font color="red"]36.Rh1 Bh3 37.Rd4 Qh6+ 38.Nf4.[/font]

36.Nd4 Ba2 37.Bb1

• Also good is [font color="red"]37.Nf5 Bb1 38.Ne7+ Kf8 39.Bxb1 b6 40.Ng6+,[/font] leading to mate.

37...Bd5 38.Rdf1 Qxh4 39.Rxg7+!! 1-0

• Black cannot escape mate.
• If [font color="red"]39...Kxg7 40.Nf5+ Kg8 41.Rg1+[/font] then:
• If [font color="red"]41...Kh8[/font] then [font color="red"]42.Nxh4 Be4 43.Qxf6+ Kh7 44.Qg7#.[/font]
• If [font color="darkred"]41...Kf8[/font] then [font color="darkred"]42.Qe7#.[/font]
• If [font color="blue"]39...Kh8[/font] then [font color="blue"]40.Rh7+ Kg8 41.Rg1+ Kf8 42.Qe7#.[/font]
• Sushri Harika resigns.