Reply #9: Shukurova - Kachiani-Gersinkska, Round 9, Dresden

[Jack Rabbit]

Ketino Kachiani-Gerinska was born in Soviet Georgia. She now lives in Germany and represents the German Chess Federation in international events.



Ketino Kachiani-Gersinska
Photo: ChessBase.de (Germany)

Meihriban Shukurova vs. Ketino Kachiani-Gersinska
European Individual Championships, Round 9
Dresden, April 2007

Best Game of Round 9, Ladies' Competition

Spanish Grand Royal Game: Worrell Opening (Marshall Gambit)

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. Qe2

• 5. 0-0 Be7 6. Qe2 b5 7. Bb3 0-0 8. c3 is the same as the text by transposition.

5. -- b5 6. Bb3 Be7 7. c3 0-0 8. 0-0

Black: Ketino Kachiani-Gersinska
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White: Meihriban Shukurova
Position after 8. 0=0

8. -- d5!

• The Marshall Gambit seems to be the best way to handle the Worrell Opening.
• The mainline is 8. -- d6 9. d4 Bg4 10. Rd1 then:
• 10. -- exd4 11. cxd4 d5 12. e5 Ne4 13. Nc3 Nxc3 14. bxc3 Qd7 15. h3 Bh5 16. g4 Bg6 17. Ne1 Na5 is satisfactory for both sides (Spassky-Szab0, Goteborg 1955).
• 10. -- Qe8 11. h3 Bh5 12. a4 Rb8 13. axb5 axb5 14. d5 Nd8 15. c4 Nb7 16. cxb5 Nc5 17. Bc2 Qxb5 18. Qe3 Ra8 is even (Matikozian-S. Atalik, Western Pacific Op, Burbank, California 2005).

9. exd5

• Unlike the mainline Marshall Gambit, White is not compelled to accept the pawn here.
• If 9. d3 Re8 10. Nbd2 Bf8 then:
• 11. Re1 Bb7 12. a3 h6 13. Ba2 a5 14. exd5 Nxd5 15. d4 Na7 16. dxe5 Nf4 17. Qf1 Qd7 18. e6 Nxe6 19. Ne5 gives White a negligable edge (Poluljahov-Geller, Moscow 1992).
• 11. a3 h6 12. Ba2 Be6 13. Rd1 Qd7 14. exd5 Nxd5 15. Ne4 Nf4 16. Bxf4 exf4 17. Bxe6 Rxe6 18. Qc2 Rae8 is unclear (J. Polgar-Adams, Las Palmas 1994).

9. -- e4?!

• This move is risky, to say the least.
• Safer is9. -- Nxd5 10. Nxe5 Nf4 11. Qe4 Nxe5 12. d4 when:
• 12. -- Bb7!? 13. Qxb7?! Ne2+ 14. Kh1 Nxc1 15. dxe5 Nxb3 16. axb3 Qd3 17. Kg1 is level (Dimitrijevic-Fr. Lombardy, Op IT, New York 1987).
• 12. -- Ne2+? 13. Qxe2 Ng6 14. Nd2 Bb7 15. Nf3 Bd6 16. Ne5 Qh4 17. f4 Rae8 18. Bd2 c5 19. Qf2 White is up by a pawn and Black should decline the offer to trade Queens (Brinkmann-Schlage, Berlin 1928).

10. Ng5 Na5 11. Bc2 Nxd5!?

• The game is complicated and White is better. Black tries to remedy this by making it more complicated.
• 11. -- Bd6 12. Nxe4 Bxh2+ 13. Kxh2 Ng4+ 14. Kg3 f5 15. f4 fxe4 16. Bxe4 Qd6 17. d4 gives White two extra pawns, but lagging development and King safety are factors against her (Jacobs-Hebden, Britain 1989).
• 11. -- Bg4 12. Qe1 Qxd5 13. Nxe4 Rfe8 14. f3 Bf5 15. d3 c5 16. Nbd2 Nc6 17. Nxf6+ Bxf6 18. Ne4 Be7 19. Bf4 gives White a solid position; Black does not have sufficient compensation for the pawn (Kurniawan-Morrison, St. John's U, New York 2001).

12. Nxe4?!

• Whites misses a golden opportunity.
• 12. Nxh7 Re8 13. Bxe4 Bb7 14. d4 g6 15. Qf3 Bh4 16. g3 gives White two extra pawns and a better center; the Knight is safe because of 16. -- Kxh7 17. Qxf7+ Kh8 18. Qxg6 Rxe4 19. Qxe4.

12. -- f5 13. Ng3 f4!?

• Again, Black presents White with a choice.
• After 13. -- c5 14. d3 f4 15. Ne4 f3 16. gxf3 Bd6 17. Nxd6 Qxd6 18. Re1 White has two extra pawns and solid command of the e-file.

14. Ne4?!

• Again, White does not chose widely.
• After 14. Qd3 g6 15. Ne4 f3 16. gxf3 Nc6 17. Bb3 both King positions are weakened, but White has better positioned pieces and should exploits Black's weakness first.

Black: Ketino Kachiani-Gersinska
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White: Meihriban Shukurova
Position after 14. Ng3e4

14. -- f3!!

• Black sacrifices a second pawn to disrupt White's kingside. This sacrifice is possible because of Black's superior development.
• After 14. -- c5 15. d3 Bb7 16. Nbd2 Qd7 17. Re1 Rae8 18. Nf3 White still has her extra pawn and her pieces are coming to life.

15. gxf3 Nf4 16. Qe3 Nc4 17. Bb3 Kh8

• Black plays a prophylactic move to get her King out of the line of fire of White's Bishop.
• If 17. -- Be6 18. Bxc4 Bxc4 then:
• 19. Re1 Bg5 20. Qd4 Ne2+ 21. Rxe2 Bxe2 22. Qxd8 Bxd8 gives Black the exchange for her two pawns.
• 19. d3 Bxd3 20. Rd1 Qd7 21. Kh1 Rad8 22. Nbd2 Bxe4 gives Black an overwhelming edge in piece activity.

18. Bxc4 bxc4 19. d4?

• White could not have thought that Black would have allowed the pawn to advance, and she doesn't.
• White still had a move: 19. Kh1 Rb8 20. b4 cxb3 21. axb3 then:
• 21. -- Qd3 22. Rg1 Rxb3 23. Ba3 Bxa3 24. Nxa3 Bb7 maintains equality.
• After 21. -- Rxb3? 22. d4 Nd5 23. Qd3 Be6 24. Qxa6 White has winning chances.

19. -- cxd3 20. Nbd2

• If 20. Kh1 Bb7 21. Rg1 Qd5
  • 22. Nbd2 22. -- Rae8 23. b4 then:
  • 23. -- Qe5 24. Bb2 Ne2 25. Rg2 Bc8 26. Ng5 Bxg5 27. Rxg5 Qf6 Black will soon collapse from the pounding on her weak pawns.
  • 23. -- Ne2? is a mistake allowing Black to equalize by 24. Rg2 Nf4 25. Rg4 Ng6.
  • 22. Rg4 Ne2 23. Nbd2 then:
  • After 23. -- Bc8 24. c4 Qc6 25. Qxd3 Nxc1 26. Rxc1 Bxg4 27. fxg4 Rad8 28. Qe2 Black wins two Knights for the Rook starting with 28. -- Rxd2/
  • After 25. Rg3 Rd8 26. Ng5 Nxg3+ 27. fxg3 Bxg5 28. Qxg5 Re8 Black's Rook come shooting down into the back rank heralding the final assault.

Black: Ketino Kachiani-Gersinska
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White: Meihriban Shukurova
Position after 20. Nb1d2

20. -- Bh3!

• Black now reaps the harvest of the seeds sown on her 14th move.

21. Rd1 Bg2

• Also good is 21. -- Bd6 22. b3 Qh4 23. Ng3 Bg2 24. Nde4 Nh3+ 25. Kxg2 Nf4+ 26. Kg1 Qh3 when White must either lose the Queen or submit to mate.

22. Ng3 Qd7 23. Nc4 Qh3 24. 0-1

• 24. Qxe7 Bxf3 25. Ne3 Rfe8 26. Qxc7 Rxe3 is lights out.
• Ms. Shukurova resigns.