Reply #4: Lomineishvili - Vega, Round 7, Dresden

[Jack Rabbit]

Maia Lomineishvili
receiving her bronze medal for individual performance on baord 4
from FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov
Photo: ChessBase.com


Maia Lomineishvili (Georgia) - Sabrina Vega (Spain)
38th Olympiad (Women's Competition), Round 7/Board 3
Dresden, 20 November 2008

Semi-Slav Queen's Gambit: Meran Defense

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c6 4.e3 Nf6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 Bd6

• If 8...Bb7 9.0-0 a6 10.e4 c5 11.d5 Qc7 12.dxe6 fxe6 13.Bc2 c4 then:
• If 14.Qe2 Bd6 then:
• 15.Nd4 Nc5 16.f4 e5 17.Nf5 0-0 18.Rd1 Nd3 19.Nxd6 Qxd6 20.Bxd3 cxd3 21.Rxd3 Qc7 22.f5 b4 23.Nd5 Nxd5 24.exd5 Rxf5 25.Be3 e4 26.Rd4 Rxd5 27.Rxb4 is equal (Koneru-Stellwagen, Corus B, Wijk aan Zee, 2008).
• 15.Ng5 Nc5 16.f4 h6 17.Nf3 Nd3 18.Bxd3 cxd3 19.Qxd3 Rd8 20.Qe2 Bxf4 21.Kh1 0-0 22.Bxf4 Qxf4 gives Black the advantage in space (Hahn-Adamson, US ch, San Diego, 2004).
• 14.Nd4 Nc5 15.Be3 e5 16.Nf3 Be7 17.Ng5 0-0 18.Bxc5 Bxc5 19.Ne6 Qb6 20.Nxf8 Rxf8 21.Qe2 Qe6 22.h3 Bd4 23.Rab1 Qf7 24.Kh2 Nh5 25.Nd5 g6 26.Ne3 Nf4 draw (Korotylev-Dreev, Euro ChT, Fügen, 2006).
• 14.Ng5 Nc5 15.e5 Qxe5 16.Re1 Qd6 17.Qxd6 Bxd6 18.Be3 0-0 19.Rad1 Be7 20.Bxc5 Bxc5 21.Nxe6 Rfc8 22.h3 Rab8 23.Nxc5 Rxc5 24.Rd6 b4 25.Na4 Rd5 26.Rb6 Rb5 27.Rxb5 draw (Gelfand-Shirov, IT, Biel, 1995).

9.Qc2 Bb7 10.0-0 0-0 11.Rd1

• 11.a3 a5 12.e4 e5 13.dxe5 Nxe5 14.Nxe5 Bxe5 15.h3 Re8 16.Be3 Qc7 17.Rad1 Rad8 18.Ne2 Bd6 is equal (Anand-Kramnik, Rapid Match, Moscow, 2007).
• 11.e4 e5 12.dxe5 Nxe5 13.Nxe5 Bxe5 14.h3 Re8 15.Be3 Qe7 16.Ne2 Rad8 17.f4 Rxd3 18.Qxd3 Bxb2 19.Rab1 Qxe4 20.Qxe4 Rxe4 21.Rxb2 Rxe3 gives Black more activity (T. Kosintseva-Medic, Euro ChW, Warsaw, 2001).

11...Qb8!?

• 11...a6 12.a4 Qb8 13.h3 b4 14.Ne4 Nxe4 15.Bxe4 Nf6 16.Bd3 Rc8 17.Ng5 h6 18.Ne4 Nxe4 19.Bxe4 c5 20.dxc5 Rxc5 21.Qd3 Be5 gives Black a small advantage in space (Kelly-Miton, Ol Rd 1, Dresden, 2008).

12.h3

• White denies use of g5 to the Black Knight.

12...Re8 13.Ng5 h6 14.Nge4 Bf8?!

• If 14...e5 15.Nxd6 Qxd6 16.Ne4 then:
• 16...Nxe4! 17.Bxe4 Nf6 18.dxe5 Qxe5 is equal.
• 16...Qe7?! 17.Nxf6+ Nxf6 18.dxe5 Qxe5 19.Bd2 Qg5 20.e4 gives White more freedom.

15.b3 Nxe4 16.Nxe4 e5 17.Bb2

• 17.dxe5 Nxe5 18.Be2 a5 19.a4 Qc8 20.Nd6 Bxd6 21.Rxd6 White has the advantage in space.

17...exd4 18.Bxd4 c5?

• It's hard to determine what Black expected of this pawn sacrifice.
• 18...Ba3 19.Ng3 Bf8 20.Bxa7 Qxa7 21.Bh7+ Kh8 22.Rxd7 gives White an extra pawn.

19.Nxc5 Nxc5 20.Bxc5 Rc8

• Black may have thought this was a pin it and win it situation when she played her 18th move.

BLACK: Sabrina Vega
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WHITE: Maia Lomineishvili
Position after 20...Re8c8

21.b4!

• Regrdless of Black's ideas behind her 18th move, the sacrifice is refuted.

21...Bxc5 22.bxc5 Qe5 23.Rac1

• White not only holds the c-pawn, but threatens the b-pawn.

23...a6

• After 23...Bc6 24.Bf5 Rd8 25.Rd6 Rxd6 26.cxd6 Rd8 27.Qxc6 White still has an extra pawn and more activity.

24.Bh7+ Kf8 25.Bf5

• Also good is 25.Rd4 Rc7 26.Be4 Bxe4 27.Qxe4 Qxe4 28.Rxe4 when White continues to enjoy an extra pawn with more activity.

25...Rc7 26.Rd4 Re8 27.Bd7 Rd8 28.c6 Bc8

• After 28...Qf6 29.cxb7 Rxb7 30.Bg4 Rxd4 31.exd4 Rb8 32.Qh7 White is up a piece and Black is defenseless.

29.Rcd1 g6

• After 29...Bxd7 30.Rxd7 Rdxd7 31.Rxd7 g6 32.Qc1 Rc8 33.Qa3+ White has an easy win.

30.Rd5 Qe7 31.Qc3

• White threatens mate on the move.

31...Kg8 32.Qa5 Ra7 33.Qb6

• Also good is 33.Bxc8 Rxc8 when:
• White wins after 34.Rd8+ Rxd8 35.Rxd8+ Kh7 36.Qb6 Rc7 37.Qd4.
• 34.Rd7 Rxd7 35.cxd7 Rd8 36.Qxa6 b4 37.Qb7 also wins for White.

33...Ra8 34.c7 Rxd7 35.Rxd7 Bxd7 36.Qb8+!

• White finds the only move that keeps the advantage.

36...Qf8

• Before resigning, Black allows White to win in style.
• No better is 36...Rxb8 37.cxb8Q+ Be8 38.Rd6 a5 39.Rd5 Kf8 40.Rxb5.

BLACK: Sabrina Vega
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WHITE: Maia Lomineishvili
Position after 36...Qe7f8

37.Qxa8!!

• A Queen sacrfice is a joy forever.

37...Qxa8 38.Rxd7 1-0

• Black connot prevent the pawn from promoting.
• La señorita Vega resigns.