1. e4 c5 2. c3

A surprise from Melekhina! Normally she plays the Closed Sicilian with 2.Nc3 but apparently she's been expanding her repertoire.

2... Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Bc4 Nb6 6. Bb3 c4

Melekhina mentioned she had prepared for 6...d5 that Baginskaite had played previously. 6... d5 7. exd6 Qxd6 8. Na3 a6 9. O-O Bf5 10. d4 cxd4 11. Nxd4 Nxd4 12. cxd4 e6 13. Re1 Be7 14. Qf3 Qc6 15. Qg3 O-O 16. Bf4 Bf6 17. Be5 Bxe5 18. Qxe5 Rac8 19. h4 Rfd8 20. Rac1 Qxc1 21. Rxc1 Rxc1+ 22. Kh2 h6 23. g4 Bg6 24. h5 Bh7 25. Bxe6 fxe6 26. Qxe6+ Kh8 27. Qxb6 Rd7 28. b3 Bg8 29. Qb4 b5 30. Qd2 Ra1 31. Qe3 Rxa2 32. Nb1 Rc7 33. Nc3 Rb2 34. Ne4 Rxb3 35. Qf4 Rd7 36. g5 hxg5 37. Qxg5 Rd3 38. Nf6 Rf7 39. Nxg8 Kxg8 40. Qd8+ Kh7 41. Qe8 Rxf2+ 42. Kg1 Rdf3 43. d5 1/2-1/2 Galant,S (2223) -Baginskaite,C (2317)/Stillwater 2007

7. Bc2 d5

The more popular move here is 7... Qc7

8. exd6 Qxd6 9. d4 cxd3 10. Qxd3 Qxd3

Once again Melekhina is playing a game in which the queens come off early. In speaking to her after the game she couldn't understand why her opponents would play that way.

11. Bxd3 g6 12. O-O Bg7 13. Re1 O-O 14. Be4 Bd7 15. Na3 Rfd8 16. Bg5 Na4!

It's usually not a good idea to deliberately put a knight on the edge of the board but from here it puts a lot of pressure on the b2-c3 pawn chain.

17. Rab1 Be6 18. Nc2 h6 19. Be3 Bd5!

This move practically forces a variation in which Baginskaite takes over control of the d-file.

20. Bxd5 Rxd5 21. Nfd4 Nxd4 22. Bxd4 Bxd4 23. Nxd4 e5 24. Nf3 f6

Baginskaite makes her pawns solid and limits Melekhina's pieces. She must have a slight edge here.

25. Rec1 Rc8 26. c4 Rd3 27. Ne1

Allowing the rook to penetrate the seventh rank. This could have been prevented by 27. b3 Nc5 28. b4 (28. Kf1 e4) 28... Ne6 29. c5 but black probably still has an edge after 29... Ra3

27... Rd2 28. b3 Nc5 29. Rc2 Rcd8 30. Kf1 Rxc2 31. Nxc2 Rd2 32. Nb4 Ne4

It may have been better to play 32... Kf7 protecting the f6 pawn and getting the king into action, e.g. 33. a4 f5 34. Nd5 e4 threatening ...Nd3. Black is clearly in a better position here.

33. f3 Nd6

Both players had seen the rook and pawn ending after 33... Nc3 34. Rc1 Nxa2 35. Nxa2 Rxa2 36. Rd1 b6 37. Rd7 Ra3 38. b4 Rc3 39. c5 bxc5 40. bxc5 Rxc5 41. Rxa7 and both came to the conclusion that is was probably drawn. Because of this, Baginskaite goes for a different knight move that she feels may offer more.

34. Re1!

Possibly overlooked by Baginskaite. The position now is equal as white will challenge black's active rook.

34... Nf5 35. Nd5 Kf7 36. Re2 Rd1+ 37. Re1 Rd2 38. Re2 Rd3 39. Ke1 Nh4 40. Nb4 Rd4 41. Nc2 Rd3 42. Nb4 Rd6 43. Nd5 Nf5 1/2-1/2 [Bird C.]