Reply #7: Baginskaite - Orton, North American FIDE Open, Round 4, Stillwater

[Jack Rabbit]

Camilla Baginskaite was a member of last year's US women's team in Torino. She was born in Soviet Lithuania and is married to another Soviet expatriot, grandmaster Alex Yermolinsky. They live in San Francisco with their two children.



Camille Baginskaite
Photo: ChessBase.com

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Camilla Baginskaite vs. Bill Orton
North American FIDE Open, Round 4
Stillwater, Oklahoma, February 2007

Open Queen's Gambit: Alekhine Opening (Queen's Gambit Accepted)

1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bg4

• 4. -- e6 is the main line: 5. Bxc4 c5 6. 0-0 a6.

5. Bxc4 e6 6. h3

• If 6. Nc3 then:
• 6. -- Nbd7 7. 0-0 Bd6 8. h3 Bh5 9. e4 e5 10. Be2 0-0 11. dxe5 Nxe5 12. Nd4 Bxe2 13. Qxe2 Ng6 14. Rd1 Qc8 15. Bg5 Be5 16. Qe3 Nh5 17. Qf3 Nhf4 18. Nf5 Re8 is level (Portisch-Miles, IT, Tilburg, 1978).
• 6. -- a6 7. h3 Bh5 8. g4 Bg6 9. Ne5 Nbd7 10. Nxg6 hxg6 11. Bf1 c6 12. Bg2 Qc7 13. 0-0 Rd8 14. g5 Nh5 15. Qg4 Nb6 16. Rd1 Be7 17. Ne4 Nd5 18. Bd2 0-0 19. Rac1 Qb6 gives White a spatial edge (Doettling-Conquest, Fraenkische Grossmeistertage, Pulvermuehle (Germany) 2004).

6. -- Bh5 7. Nc3 a6 8. g4 Bg6 9. Ne5 Nbd7 10. Nxg6 hxg6 11. g5

• 11. Bf1 c6 12. Bg2 Qc7 13. 0-0 Nd5 14. f4 Be7 15. g5 0-0-0 16. Bd2 N7b6 17. Qe2 f6 gives White more kingside space (Doettling-Romanishin, IT, Hockenheim Willingen (Germany), 2006).

11. -- Nd5 12. Nxd5 exd5 13. Bxd5 c6 14. Bc4!?

• This seems like a peculiar place to move the Bishop insofar as it will be chased away.
• If 14. Bb3 Qxg5 15. Qf3 then:
• 15. -- Bb4+ 16. Bd2 Bxd2+ 17. Kxd2 Qf5 18. Qxf5 gxf5 19. Ke2 Nf6 20. Rac1 Rd8 21. Rc5 g6 22. Kf3 Kf8 23. Kg2 Kg7 24. Bd1 is equal and already drawish (Petrosian-Dzindzichasvili, Buenos Aires 1978).
• 15. -- Qf5 16. Qxf5 gxf5 17. Bd2 g6 18. 0-0-0 Rh4 19. f3 Bd6 20. Kb1 Kf8 21. e4 Re8 22. Bc2 Rh5 is unclear (Tal-Romanishin, Soviet Ch, Tbilisi 1978).

14. -- b5?!

• Drawing the pawn forward was perhaps what White wanted. It creates weaknesses at a5 and c5.
• Better is 14. -- Nb6 15. Bf1 Qxg5 16. Qb3 Qd5 17. Qxd5 Nxd5 with equality.

15. Bb3 Qxg5 16. Qf3 Bb4+ 17. Ke2

• White elects to reatin her Bishop pair.
• After 17. Bd2 Bxd2+ 18. Kxd2 Qf6 19. Qxf6 Nxf6 20. Rac1 Rc8 21. Kd3 White's pieces are more active and her King is well-placed for the endgame.

17. -- Qf6 18. a3

• White wants control of the queenside dark squares.
• If 18. Qxf6 Nxf6 19. a4 then:
• 19. -- Ke7 20. Bd2
• 20. -- Bxd2 21. Kxd2 c5 22. axb5 axb5 23. Rxa8 Rxa8 24. dxc5 Ne4+ 25. Ke2 Nxc5 is equal.
• White is more active after 20. -- Bd6 21. Rhc1 bxa4 22. Bxa4 Rab8 23. b4 Bxb4 24. Bxb4+ Rxb4 25. Rxc6 Rxh3 26. Bc2.
• After 19. -- Be7 20. axb5 cxb5 21. Bd2 Rh5 22. Kd3 b4 23. e4 a5 24. Ba4+ White is more active and in firm control of the center.

18. -- Be7 19. Bd2 Qxf3+ 20. Kxf3 c5

• Black theatens to imprison White's light-bound Bishop.
• If 20. -- a5 21. Rac1 a4 then:
• 22. Bd1 c5
• After 23. Kg2 Rd8 24. Rg1 Rh7 25. Bf3 Black's queeside pawns need protection.
• After 23. dxc5 Nxc5 24. Rc2 Rh5 25. Kg2 Rg5+ 26. Bg4 Nb3 Black has equalized.
• After 22. Ba2 c5 23. d5 Nf6 24. e4 Rd8 25. Bf4 c4 the queenside pawns are now a factor in Black's favor.

21. Bd5 Rb8 22. Bc6 cxd4?

• Black volutarily liquidates his queenside majority.
• If 22. -- Rb6 23. d5 Bf6 24. Ba5 then:
• 24. -- Rxc6 25. dxc6 Ne5+ 26. Ke4 Nxc6 27. Bc3 Bxc3 28. bxc3 Rh4+ 29. f4 Black is a pawn up, but White is more than compensated with her active King.
• 24. -- Rb8 25. Bc7 Rc8 26. d6 Bxb2
• 27. Rad1 Bxa3 28. Bb7 Rb8 29. Bxa6 gives White an advanced passed pawn and better piece activity.
• After 27. Rab1 Bxa3 28. Bb7 Rb8 29. Bxa6 Black must lose either the b-pawn or the exchange.

23. exd4 Bd6

Black: Bill Orton
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White: Camille Baginskaite
Position after 23. -- Be7d6

24. Ba5!

• White brings the Bishop to open lines in Black's queenside.
• White is still better after 24. Rae1+?! Kd8 25. Bg5+ f6 26. Re6 Bc7 27. Bf4 Bxf4 28. Kxf4 but there is no clear win.

24. -- Rc8

This is Black's best move. It does him little good.
• If 24. -- Be7 25. Rac1 Rh4 26. Bc7 then:
• After 26. -- Rc8 27. Bb7 Rxc7 28. Rxc7 White is an exchange up with an attack in progress.
• After 26. -- Rd8 27. Bxd8 Kxd8 28. Bb7 Nb6 29. Bxa6 White will soon invade and pillage Black's camp.

25. Rae1+ Be7 26. d5 1-0

• After 26. -- Rxc6 27. dxc6 Nc5 28. Bb4 Ne6 29. c7 Kd7 30. Rd1+ Kxc7 31. Bxe7 White is a Rook up.
• Mr. Orton resigns.