Reply #9: Fierro - Z. Mamedyarova, Women's GP, Round 1, Istanbul

[Jack Rabbit]

Martha Fierro won an individual silver medal for her performance on the top board for Ecuador's women's olympic team in Dresden in November.
Zeinab Mamedyarova is the older sister of Azerbaijani gramdmaster Shakhiyar Mamedyarov.



Martha Fierro
Photo: Scacchierando (Italy)


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Martha Fierro - Zeinab Mamedyarova
Women's Grand Prix, Round 1
Istanbul, 7 March 2009

Spanish Grand Royal Game: Clam Opening

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.c3 g6 7.0-0

• 7.Nbd2 Bg7 8.Nf1 then:
• If 8...0-0 9.Ng3 b5 10.Bc2 d5 11.0-0 then:
• 11...h6 12.h3 Be6 13.Be3 dxe4 14.dxe4 Qxd1 15.Rfxd1 draw (Fedorowicz-Kaidanov, US Ch, Tulsa, 2008).
• 11...Re8 12.h3 Bb7 13.a4 Nb8 14.Be3 Nbd7 15.b4 Qc8 16.Qb1 c5 17.bxc5 dxe4 18.dxe4 Nxc5 19.axb5 axb5 20.Rxa8 Bxa8 is equal (Movsziszian-Granda, Op, Tarragona, 2006).
• If 8...Bd7 9.Ng3 0-0 10.0-0 Re8 11.Re1 b5 then:
• 12.Bc2 Na5 13.b4 Nc6 14.a4 Ne7 15.h3 Qb8 16.a5 c5 17.Be3 cxb4 18.cxb4 Nc6 19.Rb1 d5 20.Bc5 d4 21.Bb3 is equal (de la Riva-Ponomariov, Op, Andorra, 2003).
• 12.Bb3 Na5 13.Bc2 c5 14.d4 cxd4 15.cxd4 exd4 16.Nxd4 Qb6 is equal (Brodsky-Rytshagov, Keres Mem Rapid, Tallinn, 2005).

7...Bg7 8.Re1 0-0 9.Nbd2 Nd7

• 9...b5 10.Bc2 then:
• If 10...Bb7 11.Nf1 then:
• 11...Nb8 12.Ng3 Nbd7 13.d4 c5 14.d5 c4 15.h3 Qc7 16.Be3 Kh8 17.Nh2 Nc5 18.b4 cxb3 19.axb3 Bc8 20.Qe2 Ng8 21.Rac1 f5 22.exf5 Bxf5 23.Nf3 is equal (Hou Yifan-Feller, Rapid, Cap d'Agde, 2008).
• 11...Re8 12.Ng3 Nb8 13.h3 Nbd7 14.Nh2 d5 15.Ng4 Nxg4 16.hxg4 c5 17.Qf3 d4 draw (Nestorovic-Arngrimsson, Trophy, Belgrade, 2008).
• 11...d5 12.Bg5 Qd6 13.Ng3 d4 14.h4 Bc8 15.Qc1 Ng4 16.h5 dxc3 17.bxc3 b4 18.Ba4 Bd7 19.Bxc6 Bxc6 20.cxb4 Bb5 21.Qc3 h6 22.Be3 Qxd3 23.Qxd3 Bxd3 is equal (Gorlin-Z. Mamedyarova, World Youth Girls, Oropesa del Mar, 2001).
• If 10...Re8 11.a4 then:
• 11...Bb7 12.h3 Nb8 13.b4 Nbd7 14.Nb3 Rb8 15.Be3 d5 16.Qb1 Bf8 17.axb5 axb5 18.Ra5 Nb6 19.Rxb5 dxe4 20.dxe4 gives White an extra pawn (Kr. Georgiev-G. Flear, Op, Saint Affrique, 2005).
• 11...b4 12.a5 Rb8 13.Ba4 Bd7 14.c4 Nh5 15.Nb3 Nf4 16.d4 Nh5 17.Bg5 Bf6 18.Bxf6 Nxf6 19.d5 Na7 20.Qd3 Bxa4 21.Rxa4 gives White the advantage in space (Akopian-Sasikiran, Aeroflot Op, Moscow, 2006).

10.Nf1 Nc5 11.Bc2 Ne6 12.Ng3 Qe7!?

• 12...Qf6 13.Ne2 g5 14.Ng3 Nf4 15.Nd2 Ne7 16.Ndf1 Neg6 17.Ne3 Nh4 18.Nd5 Qd8 is equal (Melia-Daulyte, Euro ChW, Dresden, 2007).
• 12...d5 13.Bb3 d4 14.Bxe6 Bxe6 15.c4 h6 16.Bd2 a5 17.b3 Kh7 18.a3 Qe7 19.Qe2 b6 20.h3 Rfb8 gives Black a small advantage in space (Melamed-Zaiatz, Euro ChW, Warsaw, 2001).

13.Be3

• The game is level.
• 13.b4 b6 14.Bb3 Bb7 15.a4 Rfb8 is also equal.

13...f5 14.exf5 gxf5 15.Bc1 d5

• 15...f4 16.Ne4 d5 17.Ned2 Qc5 18.d4 exd4 19.Nb3 gives White a small initiative.

16.Bb3 e4 17.dxe4!?

• White shows some nerve by rolling the ball to Black in a way that she can take the initiative.
• If 17.Nd2! Ne5 18.dxe4 dxe4 then:
• 19.Nh5 Nd3 20.Nxg7 Kxg7 21.Re3 Rd8 22.Bc2 Nef4 is equal.
• 19.Bc2 Nf4 20.Nb3 Rd8 21.Nd4 Qg5 is equal.

17...fxe4 18.Nd4

BLACK: Zeinab Mamedyarova
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WHITE: Martha Fierro
Position after 18.Nf3d4

18...Ncxd4!

• It is better to capture with the Knight that is blocking the advance of a pawn, as Black does here.
• If 18...Nexd4 19.cxd4 Be6 20.Be3 then:
• 20...Nb4! 21.Rf1 Rae8 22.Qd2 Nd3 gives Black the advantage in space.
• If 20...Qb4?! then 21.Nxe4! wins a pawn./li]

19.cxd4 c6

• Black has a small advantage in space.

20.Be3 Kh8!?

• This is a small misstep that brings the game back to equality.
• If 20...Qh4 then:
• If 21.Ne2! Bd7 22.Qd2 Rae8 23.Qb4! then:
• After 23...Bc8 24.a4 Rf7 25.a5 Black continues to enjoy a slight advantage in space.
• 23...Nd8 24.Rac1 Rf7 is equal.
• If 21.Bc2?! Nf4 22.Qd2 Be6 23.Bxf4 then:
• 23...Rxf4! 24.Nh5 Bh6!! 25.Nxf4 Bxf4 gives Black a strong attack for the exchange.
• After 23...Qxf4!? 24.Qxf4 Rxf4 25.Nh5 Rf7 26.Nxg7 Rxg7 Black continues to enjoy the advantage in space.

21.Qd2!?

• White may be thinking about bringing the Queen to the queenside, as occurs in some variations.
• If 21.Nh5 Rg8 22.Kh1 then:
• After 22...b6 23.f3 exf3 24.Qxf3 Qf8 25.Nxg7 Qxg7 26.Qf2 remains equal.
• 22...Bd7 23.f3 exf3 24.Qxf3 Raf8 25.Qe2 remains equal.

21...Qf7

• If 21...Qh4 22.Rac1 a5 23.Ba4 then:
• 23...Bd7 24.Ne2 Be8 25.Bc2 Kg8 Black regains the advantage in space.
• 23...Nf4 24.Bc2 a4 25.a3 b6 26.Qb4 remains equal.

22.Rf1

• This move is preliminary to the pawn advance.
• 22.Rac1 Qg6 23.a4 h5 24.Bd1 h4 25.Nh5 remains equal.
• The consequences of omitting the text move may be shown by 22.f3?! exf3 23.Rf1 Qe7! 24.gxf3 when White's kingside pawns are weak.

22...Bd7 23.f3!

• Black's game is based on her better center. White plays to chip away at it.

23...exf3 24.Rxf3 Qe7

• If 24...Qg8 25.Rxf8 Rxf8 26.Nh5 then:
• 26...Rf7 27.Nxg7 Qxg7 28.Rf1 Rxf1+ 29.Kxf1 Be8 30.Kg1 White's Bishops give her a slight edge in the endgame.
• 26...Rf5 27.Nxg7 Qxg7 28.Rf1 Rxf1+ 29.Kxf1 White's Bishop pair look to be the more active minor pieces from here out.

25.Raf1 Nc7?

• Black does not see the brewing danger on the b1/h7 diagonal. Lesson: think dynamically. Just because there no physical threat on an open line doesn't mean there can't be one right quick.
• If 25...Rxf3! 26.Rxf3 then:
• 26...Rf8 27.Nf5 Rxf5 28.Rxf5 Nxd4 29.Rf1 Nxb3 30.axb3 cedes a material advantage to White, but Black's King is well defended, Black has better pawn structure and has chances ofr counterplay.
• 26...Nf8? 27.Bg5 Qe8 28.Bc2 Be6 29.Bh6 puts White is position to lauch an attack on the Black King.

BLACK: Zeinab Mamedyarova
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WHITE: Martha Fierro
Position after 25...Ne6c7

26.Bc2!

• See previous note.

26...Bg4

• 26...Rxf3 27.Rxf3 Re8 28.Qd3 Qh4 29.Rf4 is time to turn out the lights.

27.Qd3!

• White threatens mate on h7.

27...Qh4

• Black just makes a bad situation worse.
• If 27...Bh6 then 28.Bxh6 Bxf3 29.Bxf8 Rxf8 30.Rxf3 Rxf3 31.Qxf3 nets White an extra piece.

BLACK: Zeinab Mamedyarova
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WHITE: Martha Fierro
Position after 27...Qe7h4

28.Bg5!

• Black is busted.
• If 28...Qxg5 then 29.Qxh7#.

28...Bxf3 29.Bxh4 Be4 30.Nxe4 1-0

• Mamedyarova resigns.