1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 d6 4.0-0 Bd7 5.Re1 Nf6
6.c3 a6 7.Bf1 Bg4 8.d4
Tatiana already played that opening with Alisa
Galliamova at the 2004 European Championship, and Black chose the
continuation 8. ... Bf3?!, and White won in a convincing fashion in
21 moves.
8...cxd4 9.cxd4 d5 10.e5
10... Ng8!?
This looks a little provocative, but Black wants to
play e7-e6 and bring their Knight to f5, which in essence would be
an improved French Defence with the Bishop on g4 instead if c8.
11.Be3
In this position white has also played 11.e6 ,
trying to stop Black's plan.
11...e6 12.a3 Nge7 13.Nbd2 Nf5 14.Bd3 Be7 15.Qb1
Qd7
Possibly simpler would have been to play 15...Nxe3
16.fxe3 Bh5
16.b4 Bh5
And here the following continuation would have been
interesting: 16...Nxe3 17.fxe3 (17.Rxe3) 17...Bh5
17.Bxf5!?
An interesting novelty, up to this point the
position was known in the game Morozevich Alexander - Petursson
Margeir, 1994, London, where White played 17.Ra2?!
17...exf5 18.Bg5 Bxg5 19.Nxg5 Nxd4
20.Nb3!
A move that was a total surprise for me. I
looked at the following variations: 20.Qd3 Ne6 21.Qxf5 Bg6 22.Qg4
Nxg5 23.Qxg5 0-0 with equality; 20.e6 Nxe6 (20...fxe6 21.Qd3 h6
22.Qxd4 hxg5 23.Nb3 with strong compensation for 2 pawns )
21.Nxe6 (21.Qxf5 Bg6 22.Qh3 0-0) 21...fxe6 22.Qxf5 Bf7
23.Nf3 0-0 with equality.
20...Ne2+!?
After 20...Ne6 21.Qxf5 Bg6 22.Qg4; or
20...Nxb3 21.e6 White has an easy game and the advantage.
21.Kh1
After the game Tatiana suggested 21.Rxe2 , but with
precise play Black should be able to defend themselves - 21...Bxe2
22.Nd4 (22.e6 fxe6 23.Nd4 Bg4 24.Ngxe6 f4! a defence which
saves Black in many variations) 22...Bg4 23.h3 (23.e6 fxe6
24.Ngxe6 f4 25.Nc5 Qe7) 23...Qe7 24.f4 h6
21...b6?
A mistake, which, with precise play from White,
could have been decisive. It was necessary for black to finish their
development with 21...0-0! 22.Nc5 (After 0-0 the move
22.g4 loses strength, since White does not have any more
threats, connected with e5-e6, since the King is no longer on e8
22...Bxg4 23.f3 Bh5 24.Rxe2 h6) 22...Qc8 during the game I
looked at only that move, but analysis shows it was not the only
one. a) 22...Qe7 23.Qxf5 Bg6 (23...g6 24.Qf6 Qxf6 25.exf6
with a better endgame for white 25...h6 (25...b6 26.Nd7 Rfe8
27.Nxb6 Rad8 28.f3 h6 29.Nh3 g5 30.Ng1 Nc3 31.Re7) 26.Nh3 b6
27.Nd7 Rfd8 28.Nxb6 Rab8 29.Na4) 24.Qg4 Nc3 25.e6 f6 26.Nh3 Ne4
27.Nxe4 (27.Rad1 Rad8 (27...Nxc5 28.bxc5 Qxc5 29.Nf4) 28.Nxe4
dxe4 29.Nf4 f5 30.Nxg6 hxg6 31.Qxg6 Rf6 32.Rxd8+ Qxd8=) 27...dxe4
28.Nf4 f5 29.Qg3 and white is better, but Black can defend itself;
b) 22...Qd8 23.Qxf5 g6 24.Qf6 b6 25.Qxd8 (25.Nd3 h6 26.Nh3
Bg4 27.f3 Bxh3 28.Rxe2 Bf5 and Black is not worse)
25...Rfxd8 26.Na4 b5 27.Nc5 h6 28.Nh3 g5 with equality; 23.f3
(23.e6!? this move leads to interesting and double-edged positions
with mutual chances 23...fxe6 24.Qb2!? a) 24.Ngxe6 Rf6 25.Ng5
h6 26.Nh3 (26.Nf3 Bxf3 27.gxf3 Nf4) 26...b6 27.Nd3 f4 and
Black starts attacking; b) 24.Qd3 Rf6 25.Rxe2 brings to the
variant which we saw after 24. Qb2; 24...Rf6 25.f3 a) 25.g4
Bxg4 26.f3 Nf4 27.fxg4 h6 and white's cavalry are not stronger than
the black infantry; b) 25.Qe5 b6 26.Ncxe6 h6 27.f3 (27.Nc7
hxg5 28.Qxd5+ Kh7 29.Nxa8 Qb8 with more than enough compensation)
27...hxg5 28.Rxe2 Qc4 and black is better; c) 25.Rxe2
Bxe2 26.Qxe2 b6 27.Nd3 Qc3 (27...h6 28.Rc1 Qe8 29.Nf3 Rc8)
28.Rc1 Qxa3 29.Qd1 It seems that the remotely placed Queen and
pieces all over the board won't be able to defend themselves against
White, but Black can find counterplay with (29.Rc7 e5 30.Qh5 h6)
29...a5 30.Nf4 axb4 31.Ngxe6 b3 32.Nc7 b2 33.Qxd5+ Kh8; 25...Nf4
26.Rac1. The initiative of White seems very dangerous, but
there are no concrete threats, and Black, with the moves h6 and b6,
threatens to throw back White's cavalry and start counterattacking:
26...Qe8 27.Qd4 b6 28.Qxf4 bxc5 29.Rxc5 h6 30.Nh3 Rc8) 23...Nf4
(interesting is also 23...b6 24.e6 bxc5 25.Qxf5 Bg6 26.exf7+ Kh8
(26...Rxf7!? 27.Qxc8+ Rxc8 28.Nxf7 Kxf7 29.Rxe2 c4 30.Rd2 Ke6)
27.Qxc8 Raxc8 28.Rxe2 c4 29.Rd2 c3 30.Rxd5 h6 31.Ne4 Bxe4 32.fxe4
Rxf7) 24.Rc1. I did not play 21. ... 0-0 because of this
position, not noticing that I can play 24...Ne2 and White probably
has nothing better than a repetition of moves with 25.Re1 Nf4 =
22.g4?
Having spent almost all the time they had left,
White chooses, probably, the worst continuation, which gives
counterplay to Black. A few continuations could have punished
Black for her imprecise play: 22.Qd3! during the game that's the
move I was most afraid of 22...Nf4 (22...Qb5 23.Qxf5 Bg6
(23...0-0?? 24.Qxh7#) 24.Qf3) 23.Qe3 Ne6 (23...h6 24.e6 fxe6
25.Qxf4 hxg5 26.Qxf5 Bf7 27.Nd4+/-) 24.Nxe6 fxe6 25.Qxb6+/-;
22.e6 fxe6 23.f3 (23.Qb2 h6) 23...Nf4 24.Qxf5 Rf8 25.Qe5 with
advantage; 22.Qb2!? Nf4 23.e6 fxe6 24.Qd4 h6 25.Qxf4 hxg5 26.Qxf5
goes back to the variation above.
22...Bxg4 23.f3 Nc3
During the game I was very happy of my position,
and I thought that it's harder for White to pick the right move.
In reality it's not that simple. The game is very sharp and
complicated and the price of each move is very high.
24.Qc1?
After this move the initiative really goes to
Black. After 24.Qd3! the position would have stayed unclear. I
wanted to play 24...Ne4 , but then follows25.fxe4 fxe4 26.Qg3 and I
can't play the move I had planned to play a long time before
26...h6? , because of a) 26...0-0? 27.Rg1 with attack; b)
That's why Black has to play 26...Qf5 , but after 27.h4 Black
still has to go over quite a few difficulties 27...Qg6 -probably the
strongest b1) 27...Bh5? 28.Rf1 Qg6 29.Rxf7 h6 30.Qh3 Rd8
31.Rf6 gxf6 32.Qe6+ Kf8 33.Rf1 hxg5 34.Rxf6+ Qf7 35.Qxb6 Re8
36.Nc5->; b2) 27...h6 28.Rf1 hxg5 (28...Qg6 29.Nxf7 0-0
30.Nd6) 29.Rxf5 Rxh4+ 30.Kg2 Bxf5 31.Qe3 Rc8 32.Nd4 and Black
does not have enough compensation for the sacrificed Queen; 28.Nd4
(28.Qxg4 h6 29.Rac1 hxg5 30.Rc8+) 28...Bd7 with unclear play,
although I prefer White's position; 27.e6 Bxe6 (27...fxe6
28.Nxe4+-) 28.Nxe6 Qxe6 29.Qxg7 with a decisive advantage;
24.Qc2?! Rc8 (24...Bxf3+ 25.Nxf3 Ne4) 25.Qd3 Ne4 (25...d4
26.e6 Qd5 27.exf7+ Kd7) 26.fxe4 fxe4 27.Qg3 You get this
position from the variation 24. Qd3, but with an extra tempo for
Black: 27...h6? 28.e6 Bxe6 29.Nxe6
24...d4 25.e6 fxe6 26.Qf4
Obviously not 26.Rxe6+?? because of 26...Qxe6
27.Nxe6 Bxf3+ 28.Kg1 Ne2+ 29.Kf2 Nxc1-+
26...0-0 27.Nxd4 Bh5 28.Qh4?
Probably the decisive mistake. White should
have preferred 28.Ndxe6 Rf6 29.Rac1 a) 29.Qc4? Rc8 30.Nc5+
Qd5 31.Qxc3 bxc5; b) 29.Qe5 Qc6 (29...Rxe6 30.Qxe6+ Qxe6
31.Nxe6 Bxf3+ 32.Kg1 Rc8) 30.Rac1 Bxf3+ 31.Kg1 Ne2+ 32.Qxe2 Qxc1
33.Nxf3 Qxa3 (33...Qc3) 34.Qg2 Ra7 with unclear play;
29...Rc8 30.Qe5 h6 31.Rxc3 Rxc3 32.Qxc3 hxg5 33.Nxg5 Rc6 34.Qe5 with
equality.
28...Rf6!
Very precise move. After 28...Bg6 29.Rxe6 Rf6
30.Rxf6 gxf6 31.Nge6 the position would have stayed unclear.
29.Ndxe6?
While very little time was left on the clock, White
makes one more mistake, although in the case of 29.Rac1 Nd5
advantage would be on the side of Black.
29...h6!
One more precise move, which practically finishes
off the resistance.
30.Qxh5 hxg5 31.Nxg7 Qxg7
In severe zeitnot, White plays some more moves
before stopping the clock.
32.Re8+ Rxe8 33.Qxe8+ Rf8 34.Qe6+ Kh7 35.Re1 Qf6
36.Qd7+ Rf7 37.Qe8 Nd5 0-1
