Kosteniuk’s First Round As White, WWCC 2010

5 December 2010, Kuala Lumpur – In the first round of the first game between defending champion GM Alexandra Kosteniuk (Pix 1) of Russia played against WIM Amina Mezioud (Pix 2) of Algeria.

Pix 1. Kosteniuk.	Pix 2. Mezioud.

[Event "Women's World Chess Ch 2010, Turkey"]
[Site "Internet Chess Club"]
[Date "2010.12.06"]
[Round "1, Game 1"]
[White "*GM_Kosteniuk"]
[Black "*WIM_Mezioud"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C88"]
[EventDate "2010.12.04"]

{C88: Closed Ruy Lopez: Anti-Marshall Systems} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 Be7 7. Re1 O-O 8. a4 Bb7 9. d3 d6 10. Nbd2 Na5 11. Ba2 c5 12. Nf1 {last book move} Qc7 13. Ng3 Rfe8 (13... g6 14. Bh6 Rfb8 15. h3 $11) 14. c3 (14. Nf5 Bc8 $14) 14... c4 {Black gets more space} 15. h3 {Secures g4} (5. Nf5 h6 $11) 15... Rac8 (15... d5 16. exd5 Bxd5 17. Nf5 $11) 16. d4 Bc6 17.d5 {White threatens to win material: d5xc6} (17. axb5 axb5 18. Qc2 Ra8 $11) 17... Bd7 18. axb5 axb5 19. Be3 Nb7 20. Bb1 Ra8 21. Rxa8 (21. Bc2 Nc5 $11) 21... Rxa8 $15 22. Nd2 Nc5 23. f4 exf4 24. Bxf4 {White has a new backward pawn: e4} Ne8 (24... Nd3 $5 25. Bxd3 cxd3 $11) 25. Nf3 g6 {Prevents intrusion on f5+h5} (25... Ra1 26. Qd4 $11) 26. Nd4 (26. e5 dxe5 27. Nxe5 Bd6 $11) 26... Bf6 27. Qf3 (27. Nf3 Be5 28. Nxe5 dxe5 $14) 27... Na4 (27... b4 28. Qe2 Na4 29. Qd2 bxc3 30. bxc3 Nxc3 31. Qxc3 $17) 28. Qf2 $11 Be5 {The bishop likes it on e5}
29. Rf1 f6 {Controls e5+g5} 30. Bc1 (30. Qd2 Bxf4 31. Rxf4 Nc5 $11) 30... Qd8 ( 30... b4 $5 {has some apparent merit} 31. Nge2 Qb7 $15) 31. Nge2 $11 Qe7 32. Nc2 Nc5 {Black threatens to win material: Nc5xe4} 33. Nb4 {A sound move} Ng7 34. Bh6 Re8 (34... Qe8 $142 $5 $11 {is interesting}) 35. Nd4 $16 Nh5 36. Nbc6 Qf7 (36... Bxc6 37. Nxc6 (37. dxc6 $6 Ng3 $11) 37... Qc7 38. g4 $14) 37. Nxe5 dxe5 38. Nxb5 $1 {0 Discovered attack: d4, f2-c5} Nxe4 (38... Bxb5 39. Qxc5 {Discovered attack}) 39. Bxe4 Bxb5 40. g4 Nf4 41. Bxf4 exf4 42. Qxf4 Kg7 43. Bg2 Qe7 44. Ra1 Qd7 (44... Qc5+ 45. Qf2 Qd6 46. Bf3 $16) 45. Qd4 Qd6 46. g5 Re7 (46... Bd7 47. gxf6+ Qxf6 48. Qxc4 Qb6+ 49. Kh1 $16) 47. Rf1 Rf7 48. h4 Ba6 (48... Bd7 49. Rf2 $18) 49. Rf4 Bb5 ? (49... Bb7 50. Bf1 Bc8 +-) 50. Bh3 1-0


Pix 3. The Ruy Lopez develops during the game.

Pix 4. White played 38. Nxb5, discovered attack on c5 by Queen at f2. If black plays 38….Bxb5, white can reply, 39. Qxc5 and attacks black bishop at b5, gaining tempo.

Pix 5. Fritz 11 considered black’s 49…Bb5 as a bad move and suggests 49.Bb7 as a better move. White’s plan is to either attack the pawn at f6 with the rook or to attack the rook at f7 by moving the bishop to e6. At the same time, black has no room to attack the white king who is deep at g1 away from harm’s way. Positionally white is better and is a pawn up. Amina resigned at move 50 giving GM Kosteniuk a win with white.

* Official website: http://wwcc2010.tsf.org.tr/
* Susan Polgar's blog or click here.
* fireyrook's blog or click here.
* chess-in-malaysia's blog or click here.