2009 US Women's Ch. (3) |
2009 US Women's Ch. (3) |
1. d4
All awaited this game with baited breath, as many believed the winner of this game would have the inside track to the Championship.
For the third day in a row, Zatonskih surprises me with her opening choice. Jen and I both expected the a6 Slav, but, we knew Anna plays many openings, and could choose anything.
3. Nc3 Be7 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4
The Lasker Defense! Not as popular as 75 years ago, but still considered playable. It seems unlikely Irina had prepared for this, but, she still played rather quickly.
8. Bxe7 Qxe7 9. Rc1 Nxc3 10. Rxc3 c6 11. Qc2
11.Bd3 is the main move. Irina is hoping to play Bxc4 in one move if Anna decides to trade on c4.
This is unusual. White plays for the smallest of advantages. More common is 12.a3, preparing a later b4, and giving the Bf1 a nice square to hide on a2 in case of 12...dxc4 13.Bxc4
An interesting novelty. Afterwards I asked Anna why she rejected the natural 13...Nf6. It turns out black has always played 13...Nf6, with one exception, whereupon black prefaced it with 13...Re8, THEN 14...Nf6! Anna said she was worried she would stand worse after 13...Nf6 14.0-0 Ne4 15. Bxe4 dxe4 16.Ne5. Anna's choice is solid, and, as stated earlier, Krush has the smallest of advantages.
I expected 15.Ne5, as black moved her knight to the queenside but Anna said she was going to challenge the knight immediately with 15...Nd7. Black seems fine there.
15... a5
This slows down white's play with b4-b5. A typical minority attack in the QGD.
Many of the spectators in the commentary room were asking me why black played Nb6, and what was the future of this knight. I correctly explained that the knight often wants to go to d6 via c8, and this is exactly what Zatonskih had in mind. Now Irina surprised us all with the interesting rook move...
17. Ra3!?
I thought this was brilliant and very creative. I was thinking back to Irina's beautiful win last round, when she played the unexpected Bd6!! against Goletiani. In this game, Anna gets the upper hand later with an even more surprising move, but this position is still a little bit in white's favor.
This also was an unexpected move. The queen is misplaced on c5, and I expected Nb3-c5. If black prevents Nc5 (and defends a5) with 18...b6, then the queenside is somewhat weakened.
Having played Ra3 earlier, I do not like moving back to c3, as the queen on c5 has fewer squares to retreat. I thought Irina was better the whole game, but, for the first time in the live commentary, I now thought black had equalized.
19... Rfc8 20. Rbc1 Qd8 21. h3 Bf5
The game would be equal after 22.Bxf5 Nxf5 23.Nc4! I liked Irina's next move, but, I also missed the absolute haymaker Anna uncorks with her next, amazing retort.
We were all shocked when we saw this anti-positional move, then we realized the Qc5 was in dire straights. I wonder if Irina analyzed the best defense here, the computer move 23.Bd3 (back to d3!), when white has good drawing chances after 23...Nb7 24.Bxf5 Nxc5 25.Bxc8. Irina thought a long time here, but either did not see 23.Bd3 (I do not know many humans who would), or simply thought what she did was all right. Anna's technique is exemplary, and she finishes the game nicely.
23. Rb3? Nb7 24. Qa3 b4 25. Qa4 c5! 26. dxc5 Nxc5 27. Qb5 Rab8!!
Ends the game immediately and is much stronger than the pedestrian 27...Nxb3
Krush I.
Game(s) in PGN