2009 US Women's Ch. (9) |
2009 US Women's Ch. (9) |
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 a6 5. Qc2 g6
The a6 Slav is very popular nowadays. Black could also choose 5...b5!? but the text move is also quite popular.
6. Bd3
Preventing 6...Bf5
6... Bg7 7. Nf3
When looking at this game in my database, I was shocked to find 100 examples of this position! Now, I thought Camilla played a very commital move, but, it turns out to be the most common at the GM level, and scores 70%! For someone who did not bring her computer, she certainly knows her stuff!
I expected this move, but, 10...Nbd7 is more common, and, was once played by Gary Kasparov.
The most popular, but, visiting GM Pascal Charbonneau actually lost to 12.Bd2 in 2004, against Moiseenko.
A novelty. 13.e4, 13.f4, and 13.Bb2 have all been played previously. I like the text move as well.
13... Bf7 14. f4 e5 15. f5 e4 16. Be2
Excellent play by both players. White would like the kingside closed, so she can use her space advantage on the queenside. Black tries to force play and open up the kingside.
During the live commentary, I expected this move, thinking white would want to play Ne2-f4. Rybka prefers the pedestrian 17.Rxf5.
17... Bh6 18. Ne2 Kh8 19. Kh1 Rg8 20. Ng3
White wants to play Nxf5, but, Foisor has other ideas, and plays an interesting exchange sacrifice.
20... Rxg3!? 21. hxg3 Qc7 22. g4
Jen and I thought white may give back the exchange with 22.Rf4!? but, instead, Camilla plays a move Jen liked, that I had not considered. Rybka, of course agrees that 22.g4 is best.
22... Qg3
Jen and I both thought black had excellent compensation for the exchange.
23. Rxf5 Bg6 24. Rf1 Bxe3 25. Bxe3 Qxe3 26. Qf2 Qc3
Sabina should have tried the equalish endgame after... 26... Qxf2 27. Rxf2 Kg7 Instead, she keeps the queens on, and black has trouble defending her king in the end. A difficult decision.
27. Be2 Re8 28. Rac1 Qa3 29. Qf4 Re7
White was in time trouble here, and Sabina, although having 20-25 minutes left at this point, makes some mistakes. Now white can enter the queenside effectively with 30.Qc7! but, with the clock ticking, her main concern was to make the time control! Camilla only had about 7 minutes left at this point.
30. Rce1 Rf7 31. g5 f5! 32. g3 Qxb4 33. Qe3 Nf8 34. Rb1 Qa4 35. Bd1 Qxa2 36. Bb3 Qa5 37. g4 Qc7 38. gxf5 Bxf5 39. Bd1 Be6!?
The bishop is poorly placed on e6. Black is still doing fine, but, white is able to make the time control!
Now Camilla thought she had a big advantage. It was now clear, as Krush had lost her game to Abrahamyan, that a draw would secure clear second, but, Camilla said she wanted to win the game now, as she felt comfortable here, and that black had little counter-chances. Rybka likes white's position after the excellent 41.Rf6.
41... Rxf6 42. gxf6 Kg8 43. Qh6 Qf7 44. Rg1 Bf5?
I thought black had to play 44...Qc8 here, but, I felt white was already close to winning. Rybka thinks black can defend, but, in a tournament game, this seems unlikely, as black has to watch out for mate, the g6 knight, and the b7 pawn.
In the commentary room, we all thought... 46. Bxg6 hxg6 47. Qh5 was winning for white... but, we all overlooked the computer move... 47... Bf5! and black is better! 48. Qxf5?? Qh7+
46... Bf5 47. Qb8+ Qf8 48. Qe5! Qc8 49. Rg5 Be6 50. Bxg6 hxg6 51. Rxg6+ Kf8 52. Qd6+ Kf7 53. Rg7+
1-0 [Finegold B. IM]
Baginskaite C.
Game(s) in PGN