1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6
In Samara Natalia was very faithful to the Dragon
variation in the Sicilian Defense: in five games she played with Black,
five times the Dragon variation took place.
6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 0-0 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.0-0-0 Nxd4
9...d5 is the most straightforward move in this
position. Preparing for the game I was mostly analyzing
positions appearing after d5 as I was sure that my opponent wouldn't
go for the dangerous Nd4.
10.Bxd4 Be6 11.Kb1 Qc7 12.h4 Rfc8
13.h5 Qa5
13...Nxh5? loses because of 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.g4 Nf6
16.Qh6+ Kg8 17.e5! dxe5 18.g5 Nh5 19.Bd3 (19.Rxh5 gxh5 20.Bd3 e4
21.Nxe4 transposes to the main line) 19...e4 20.Rxh5 gxh5
21.Nxe4 Qf4 22.Nf6+ exf6 23.Bxh7+ Kh8 24.Bf5+ Kg8 25.Qh7+ Kf8
26.Qh8+ 1-0, Evans Larry M (USA) - Zuckerman Bernard (USA), New York
(USA) 1967
14.hxg6 hxg6 15.a3 Bc4
15...Rab8 is more common move in this position.
This move Natalia chose in her game against Tatiana Kosintseva, but
the game finished also with a fine win for White.
16.g4!?
Novelty. 16.Rh3 Short - Velimirovich, 1985.
16...Bxf1
16...b5 17.g5 Nh5 18.Bxg7 Kxg7 19.Bh3 Rc7 20.Qd4+
Kg8 21.Bg4
17.Rdxf1 Rc4 18.Be3
In this kind of position the manoeuvre
Bd4-e3-h6-f8! is often fatal for Black.
18...Rac8 19.Bh6 Bh8
20.Nd5
20.Qh2? You have to be always careful playing
the Dragon variation as one inaccurate move can lead to a sad
ending. 20...Rxc3! 21.Bd2 Bg7 22.Bxc3 Rxc3 23.bxc3 Qxa3 and
two Black pieces are much stronger than 2 White rooks. I
wasn't sure about this move as I didn't see anything concrete, but
on the next day everybody told me that one Russian GM commenting my
game on TV said that I was winning here, it surprised me and I tried
to find something concrete, but wasn't able to succeed. 20.Bf8
Nh5 (20...Nh7? 21.Rxh7 Bxc3 22.Qh6+-) 21.gxh5 Bxc3 22.bxc3
Rxc3 23.hxg6 Qb5+ 24.Kc1 Rxc2+ 25.Qxc2 Rxc2+ 26.Kxc2 Qe2+
20...Qd8 21.Ne3 R4c5 22.Rh3
First I planned to play Qh2 but then I realised
that if I triple my major pieces on h-file beginning tripling with
the rook, the checkmate would be almost irresistible: 22.Qh2 Qb6
23.Bf8? Rh5! 24.gxh5 Ng4 winning.
22...Rb5
22...Qb6 23.c4
23.Nd1
In contrast to many positions where d1 is far from
the best place on the board for a white knight. In this position d1
is a perfect square for the knight as from this square the knight
defends the White king.
23...Qa5
24.Qd3!
I spent a lot of time here calculating. Now I
want to play Bd2 and Rfh1, I defended everything on my Queen-side
and I can go for the direct actions: 24.Qh2 Qxa3 25.Bc1 Bg7 26.Rh1
Kf8 27.Rh8+ Ng8 and as I didn't see anything concrete for White here
and Black is ready to attack the White king, I tried to find
something else and was very happy when I saw the Qd3-move.
24...Qa6?!
24...Nd7 25.Be3 Ne5 26.Bd4 Bg7 27.Rfh1 with a
better position.
25.Rfh1 Nd7 26.Bc1
I could have won a pawn after 26.Bg5 Bg7 27.Bxe7
and probably it was the strongest move but here Black can get some
counter-chances and I didn't want to allow it: 27...Qb6
(27...Nc5 28.Qxd6 Qxd6 29.Bxd6 Ne6; 27...Ne5 28.Qxd6 Qxd6 29.Bxd6
Nc4 30.Bb4 a5 31.Bc3) 28.c3 Rxc3 29.Qxc3 Bxc3 30.Nxc3 winning.
26...Bg7 27.Qd2 Qa4?
27...Rbc5 28.Qh2 f6 29.Ne3 with overwhelming
position.
28.Qh2 Qd4
29.Rh8+! Bxh8 30.Qh7+ 1-0
