Reply #4: T. Kosintseva - Ushenina, Women's League, Round 5

[Jack Rabbit]

Hold on to your seats. We're going for a wild ride. This is a tactician's holiday.



Tatiana Kosintseva
Photo: ChessBase.de (Germany)


Tatiana Kosintseva (Spartak Vidnoe) - Anna Ushenina (Economist-1 Saratov)
Russian Team Championships, Woemn's League, Round 5
Sochi, 7 April 2009

Closed German Game: Houska Defense (Caro-Kann Defense)

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5

• This move, also called the Botvinnik-Carls Defense, is recommeded by British IM Jovanka Houska in her book Play the Caro-Kann (London: Everyman Chess, 2007, p. 120). Usenina has enjoyed some success with it, scoring victories last year over Ekaterina Korbut in Plovdiv and over Anna Muzychuk in the North Urals.

4.dxc5 Nc6 5.Nf3

• If 5.Bb5 e6 6.Be3 Nge7 then:
• If 7.c3 Bd7 8.Bxc6 then:
• If 8...Bxc6 9.Nf3 Nf5 10.Bd4 then:
• If 10...Nxd4 11.Qxd4 then:
• If 11...Qa5 12.b4 Qa6 then:
• 13.a4 b6 14.Qf4 d4 15.Ng5 Qb7 16.b5 Bxg2 17.c6 gives White a protexted passed pawn (Movsesian-Svetushkin, Ol, Calvia, 2004).
• 13.Nbd2 b6 14.Nb3 bxc5 15.Nxc5 Bxc5 16.Qxc5 gives White an advantage in space and a extra pawn.(Zezulkin -Gralka, Rubinstein Mem Op, Polanica Zdroj, 2001).
• 11...Qc7 12.b4 b6 13.cxb6 axb6 14.0-0 Be7 15.Nbd2 0-0 16.Rfc1 Bb5 17.Qe3 Rfc8 18.Nd4 gives White an extra pawn (Ponomariov-R. Popov, Russian Cup, Krasnodar, 1997).
• If 10...a5 then:
• If 11.a4 Nxd4 12.Qxd4 Be7 13.0-0 0-0 14.Nbd2 (White has an extra pawn and the advantage in space) 14...Qc7 15.Rfe1 Bd7 16.Nb3 Rfc8 17.Re3 Rab8 18.Qf4 h6 then:
• 19.h4!? Qd8 20.g3 b6 21.cxb6 Rxb6 22.Nfd4 Qe8! gives Black the active game (Mastrovasilis-Conquest, French ChT, Asnieres sur Seine, 2006).
• 19.Rb1 Be8 20.Qg4 Bxc5 21.Nxc5 Qxc5 22.b3 b5 23.axb5 Bxb5 24.Nd4 gives White the advantage in space.
• 11.0-0 Nxd4 12.cxd4 b6 13.cxb6 Qxb6 14.Qd2 Be7 15.Nc3 a4 16.Rfc1 0-0 17.Rc2 Rfb8 18.Rac1 gives White an extra pawn (Karjakin-Asrian, Russian ChT, Sochi, 2008).
• If 8...Nxc6 9.f4 g5 10.fxg5 Nxe5 11.Nf3 then:
• 11...Bg7 12.Nxe5 Bxe5 13.Nd2 Bb5 14.Nf3 Bg7 15.Qd2 Qc7 16.0-0-0 0-0-0 17.Kb1 Rhe8 18.Nd4 (Azorova-Heredia, OlW, Dresden, 2008).
• 11...Nxf3+ 12.gxf3 Bg7 13.0-0 0-0 14.Nd2 Bb5 15.Rf2 e5 gives White an extra pawn and Black more space (Lutz-Kacheishvili, Euro ChT, Pula, 1997).
• If 7.Nf3 Bd7 8.Qe2 Nf5 9.Bxc6 Bxc6 10.c3 then:
• 10...a5 11.a4 Qc7 12.0-0 Be7 13.Nbd2 0-0 14.Nb3 Qd7 15.Nbd4 Nxe3 16.Qxe3 Bxc5 17.b3 b5 18.axb5 Bxb5 19.Rfe1 Rfc8 is equal (Stellwagen-E. Agrest, IT, Malmø, 2008).
• 10...Qd7 11.Na3 a5 12.Rd1 Be7 13.g4 Nxe3 14.Qxe3 0-0 15.Nc4 Qc7 16.Nd6 Ra6 17.b4 axb4 18.cxb4 Rxa2 is equal (Margulis-Schiller, Dolan Mem, San Francisco, 2001).

5...Bg4 6.c3

• If 6.Bb5 then:
• If 6...Qa5+ 7.Nc3 e6 8.Be3 Nge7 9.a3 then:
• 9...Nf5 10.b4 Qd8 11.Bf4 Nh4 12.Rg1 Bxf3 13.gxf3 Ng6 14.Bg3 a6 15.Ba4 Be7 16.Ne2 0-0 17.Bxc6 bxc6 18.Nd4 (Zepeda-Kachiani, OlW, Dresden, 2008).


• 9...a6 10.b4 Qc7 11.0-0 Bxf3 12.Qxf3 Qxe5 13.Bxc6+ Nxc6 14.Na4 g5 15.Nb6 Rd8 16.Qh3 h5 17.Bd2 g4 18.Qd3 Bg7 19.Rae1 Qd4 is equal (Navara-Landa, Bundesliga 0708, Erfurt, 2008).


• 6...e6 7.Be3 Nge7 8.c3 transposes into the text.

6...e6 7.b4 Nge7 8.Bb5 g6

• 8...a5?! 9.Nbd2 Qc7 10.h3 Bh5 11.0-0 0-0-0 12.Be2 gives White an extra pawn and the advantage in space (Li Shilong-Alavi, Asian Ch, Tehran, 2007).

9.Nbd2 Bg7 10.h3 Bxf3 11.Nxf3 0-0 12.Bf4 f6!?

• 12...Qc7 13.Qe2 a5 14.Rb1 axb4 15.cxb4 d4 16.a4 Nd5 17.Bd2 Nxe5 18.Nxe5 Bxe5 19.0-0 Nc3 20.Bxc3 dxc3 is equal (Russian Ch Qual, Tomsk, 2006).

13.exf6 Bxf6 14.Bxc6 Nxc6

• White emerges from the exchanges with an extra pawn and the advantage in space.

15.0-0!?

• White brings her King to safety and sacrifices a pawn.
• 15.Bd2 Qc7 16.a4 a5 17.Ra3 axb4 18.cxb4 e5 White still has an extra pawn in an equal game otherwise.

15...Bxc3 16.Bh6

• 16.Rc1?! Bxb4 17.Bd6 Rf6 18.Nd4 Rc8 19.Nxc6 Rxc6 gives Black an extra pawn.
• 16.Bd6 Bxa1 17.Bxf8 Bc3 18.Bd6 Bxb4 also gives Black an extra pawn.

16...Rf5?!

• Black fails to find the end of the rainbow at which there is an extra pawn.
• 16...Bxa1! 17.Bxf8 Bc3 18.Bd6 Bxb4 19.Nd4 Qd7 Black enjoys an extra pawn.

17.b5

• 17.Rb1 Rc8 18.a3 a5 19.Qd3 axb4 20.axb4 Bxb4 21.Nd4 Rh5 is equal.

17...Ne5 18.Nd4

• This is the first of four consecutive moves by the Knight. Usually, such Knight maneuvers are called tours. This one is too elegant to be thought of anything less than a dance.

18...Rh5?

• Black take the pressure off the f-pawn.
• Correct is 18...Bxd4 19.Qxd4 Qf6 20.Be3, remaining equal.

19.Nxe6!

• The Knight continues dancing through the center, on this step capturing a pawn and taking time to kiss the Queen.
• 19.Rc1 Bb2 20.Rc2 Bxd4 21.Qxd4 Nf3+ 22.gxf3 remains equal.

19...Qd7

• 19...Qf6 20.Qxd5 Nf3+ 21.Qxf3 Qxf3 22.gxf3 Bxa1 23.Rxa1 gives White the advantage in space.

BLACK: Anna Ushenina
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WHITE: Tatiana Kosintseva
Position after 19...Qd8d7

20.Nf4!!

• The dancing Knight again changes partners, this time passing with the Rook.
• White sacrifices the Bishop in return for a spectacular tactical initiative.

20...Rxh6

• But the Rook is a poor dancer, taking a clumsy pas de deux with the Bishop, leaving itself in an alcove where Rooks are seldom happy..
• A more graceful step is 20...Rf5 21.Rc1 d4 22.Ne2 Qxb5 23.Nxd4 but the floor still belongs to White, who now has an extra pawn.

21.Nxd5

• The dancing Knight's new partner is the Bishop at c3.

21...Rf8

• But the Bishop doesn't want to dance at all, becuase if it did, the dancing Knight would then take two new partners, the King and Queen, after leaping onto f6. That would be the end of the ballet.
• The dance hasn't really ended, just the Knight's part of it. During the dance of the Knight, White sacrificed a Bishop for two pawns, but now has a fierce tactical initiative.

22.Qb3!

• Black's last move parried the threat of a royal fork at f6; White now renws the threat of 23.Nf6+ as a double check, which would win the Queen just as would have the fork.

22...Nf3+

• It is necessary for Black to return the extra piece in order to clear the long diagonal for the Bishop to defend the f6 square.
• It does Black no good to self-pin the Rook with 22...Rf7? as 23.Nf6+! is again a royal fork and wins on the spot.

23.gxf3 Rf7
BLACK: Anna Ushenina
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WHITE: Tatiana Kosintseva
Position after 23...Rf8f7

24.Rae1!

• Black is threatening 24...Qxh3!, winning.

24...Bg7

• Don't you just love tactics? I do.
• 24...Qxh3?? is now out of the question because of 25.Re8+! Rf8 26.Nf4+, winning immediately.

25.Nf4

• Since the pin at f7 prevents the Rook from attacking the Knight, White has now put a simple stop to Black's threats on the h-file.

25...Kh8

• If 25...Rh4 26.Ne6 Bf6 27.Rd1 then:
• If 27...Qc8 then after 28.Rd5 Rxh3 29.Rfd1 Rxf3 30.Qc4 White wins by exchanging on d8.
• If 27...Qe8 then after 28.Rfe1 Qb8 29.Rd3 Rxh3 30.Red1 Black cannot keep White heavy pieces from raiding her camp.

26.Qe6

• White prefers to exchange down to a victory less taxing on the thought process.
• Nevertheless, a quicker win is 26.c6! Qf5 27.Re8+ Rf8 28.Rxf8+ when:
• 28...Bxf8 29.c7 Qxf4 30.c8Q etc.
• 28...Qxf8 29.c7 Be5 30.Ne6 Qg8 31.Rd1 etc., etc. and so forth.

26...Qxe6 27.Nxe6 Rh5
BLACK: Anna Ushenina
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WHITE: Tatiana Kosintseva
Position after 27...Rh6h5

28.c6!

• White sees that Black must lose material in order to stop the pawn.

28...bxc6 29.bxc6 Be5

• If 29...Bc3 then after 30.Rb1 Be5 31.f4 then:
• If 31...Re7 then after 32.fxe5 Rxe6 33.c7!!the pawn must queen.
• 31...Bxf4 32.Rfd1 h6 33.Rb7 wins for White.

30.Rxe5!

• The exchange sacrifice isn't really necessary to win, but it's a nice piece of pizzazz.

30...xRxe5 31.c7!

• Black must give back the exchange, leaving White a piece to the good.
• Resignation is in order now.

31...Rxc7 32.Nxc7 Rg5+ 33.Kh2 Rc5

• No better is 33...Ra5 34.Ra1 Kg7 35.f4 Kf6 36.Re1 Rxa2 37.Nd5+,

34.Ne6 Rc2 35.Rb1

• White threatens mate.

35...Kg8 36.Rb8+ Kf7 37.Ng5+ Kf6

• After 37...Kg7 38.Rb7+ Kg8 39.Rxa7 it's time to turn out the lights.

38.Nxh7+ Ke5 39.a4 1-0

• Black will be unable to regain any significant amounts of her lost material.
• Ushehina resigns.