1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3

Sabina surprises us once again by avoiding her usual Saemisch Variation with 5.f3.

5... O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. Be3 Na6 8. O-O Ng4

In round 2, Foisor got this position against Tatev Abrahamyan. However, the move order was slightly different (7.0-0 Na6 8.Be3 Ng4). Melekhina said she looked at ths line, and thought she could improve on black's play.

9. Bg5 Qe8 10. c5 h6 11. Bh4 exd4 12. Nxd4 dxc5 13. Nb3 c4

This was Melekhina's prepared improvement. The idea is to stop white from destroying the black pawn structure on the queenside with the usual Bxa6 ideas (as seen in the above-mentioned Abrahamyan game).

13... g5 14. Bg3 Ne5 15. Bxa6 bxa6 16. Nd5 Rb8 17. Nxc7 Qa4 18. Qd6 Rb6 19. Qxc5 Rc6 20. Qxa7 Nd3 21. Nd5 Kh8 22. e5 Nxe5 23. Nc3 Qb4 24. Rae1 Nd3 25. Re4 Qb6 26. Qxb6 Rxb6 27. h4 Nxb2 28. Be5 Bb7 29. Bxg7+ Kxg7 30. Re2 Nd3 31. hxg5 hxg5 32. Rd2 Nf4 33. f3 Rh8 34. Ne2 Nxe2+ 35. Rxe2 Bd5 36. Re5 Bxb3 37. axb3 f6 38. Ra5 1/2-1/ 2 Foisor,S (2379)-Abrahamyan,T (2342)

14. Bxc4 Nb4 15. Bb5

Played after long thought. During the live commentary, I did not understand this move. However, Melekhina thought it was a fantastic improvement! If black tries the "obvious" 15...c6, then Alisa was worried about 16.Be2, and the Nb4 has trouble finding a safe haven, after 17.a3.

15... Nc6?

Pinning the knight cannot be correct. Black should bite the bullet and either move her queen or play 15. ..c6. The long think Foisor took over her accidental novelty pays off quickly.

16. h3

Even better is the immediate 16.Nd5! which we expected in the commentary room. If black tries 16...Qxe4, then 17.f3! is most annoying.

16... Nf6?!

In the commentary room, we were looking at 16...Bxc3 17.bxc3 Qe5 18. hxg4 Qxb5. Rybka thinks this line is best, and that only holds a small advantage.

17. Re1 Nh5 18. Nd5

I thought 18.e5 was stronger, but, Rybka agrees with Foisor's choice. White has a clear advantage.

18... Qe5 19. Rc1! Re8?

This loses immediately. Black is worse, but still fighting after the expected 19...Qxb2.

20. Rxc6?

Throws away the win. In the commentary room, we all thought 20.Na5! won outright. I asked Alisa after the game, and, she agreed, and expected Foisor to play this way. Rybka is absolutely giddy after 20.Na5, but now, after the text move, white is only a little better.

20. Na5 Be6 21. Nc4 Qd4 22. Qxd4 Bxd4 23. Nxc7

20... bxc6 21. Bxc6 Be6 22. Bxa8 Rxa8 23. Bd8!?

A bolt from the blue, and, probably the reason Sabina went in for 20.Rxc6. Black needs to play 23...c6 now, and, after 24.Ne7+ Kh7 25.Nxc6 Qxb2, the game is about equal. Alisa thinks she sees a win, and plays too aggressively with...

23... Bxh3? 24. Nxc7?

24. f4! A very difficult move to find! 24... Qe6 (24... Nxf4 25. Bxc7) (24... Qxb2 25. gxh3) 25. Bxc7 Bg4 26. Qd2

24... Bg4!

Now the players were in time trouble, as the game as been so tactically rich.

25. Qd2 Rc8 26. Rc1?

Loses. Best was the unusual 26.Na6, and white is worse, but not losing. Now, it's all over.

26... Qf4! 27. Qd3 Be5 28. g3 Qf3!

Melekhina had seen this idea when playing 26...Qf4

29. Qxf3 Bxf3

White loses a piece, and the rest is easy for black.

30. Rc5 Rxd8 31. Nd5

31. Rxe5?? Rd1+

31... Bxe4 32. Ne3 Bxb2 33. Rc7 a6 34. Nc5 Bf3 35. Nxa6 Ra8 36. Nb4 Ba3 37. Nbc2 Bd6 38. Rd7 Bc5 39. Ne1 Bxe3 40. Nxf3 Bc5 41. Rc7 Bf8 42. Rc2 Bg7 43. Kg2 Nf6 44. Ne5 Nd5 45. Nd3 Ra3 46. Nc1 Rc3 47. Rd2 Nf4+ 48. gxf4 Rxc1 49. Rd8+ Kh7 50. Rd7 f5 51. Ra7 h5 52. a4 Kh6 53. a5 Rc2 54. Rd7 Ra2 55. Rd5 Bc3

A nice game by Melekhina who takes over sole 2nd place.

0-1 [Finegold B. IM]