Sample Game
After this 25-move victory with the Neo-Archangelsk variation of Ruy Lopez over former FIDE Women's World Champion Antoaneta Stefanova, Natalia Pogonina became co-leader in the North Urals Cup-2007 tournament. (Analysis by T. Grabuzova, ChessPro)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Bc5 6.c3 b5 7.Bc2 d6 8.a4 Bg4 9.h3 Bxf3 10.Qxf3 b4 11.a5 0–0 12.d3 Rb8 13.Nd2 d5 14.exd5 bxc3 15.bxc3 Nd5 (See diagram) 16.d4 More solid is 16. Qe4 with similar ideas, but without sacrificing a pawn. 16...exd4 17.Qd3 g6 17…Nf6 doesn’t work since after 18.Ne4 Nxe4 19.Qxe4 White come up with the decisive fork. 18.Qc4 18.Qxa6 could be met with 18…Ne5 with the idea to counter 19.Ne4 with a nice move 19…Nxc3! White has to decide whether to force a draw by playing 20.Nxc5 Ra8 21.Qb7 Rb8 or to try to demonstrate the potential of the passed a-pawn, supported by two bishops, after 20.Nxc3 dxc3 which led to a position with mutual chances. 18…Rb5 19.Ne4 Ne5? White’s decisiveness is awarded surprisingly quickly. This mistake seems to be uncharacteristic of Antoaneta Stefanova who is, in general, in her element when playing complicated positions with tactical opportunities for both sides. And here comes the blunder! After a reasonable 19…Nc3 White would have been facing certain problems. For instance, 20.Bg5 (White’s queen is badly placed. So, 20.Nxc5? loses immediately to 20…Ne5, while after 20.Nxc3 dxc3 the threats Ne5 and Nxa5 leave white feeling uncomfortable) is answered by 20…Qc8 21.Nc3 (21.Nxc5? Ne5) 21...dxc3 22.Bf6 (22.Qxc3? Bd4 23.Qxc6 Bxa1 and white has no real compensation for the sacrificed material) 22…Qe6 23.Qxc3 Bb4 White can’t develop the initiative: 24.Qf3 Ne5 25.Qf4 Rxa5 26.Rab1 Be7 27.Bxe7 Qxe7 28.Rfe1 f6 leaves black with two “healthy” extra pawns for no real compensation. However, after Black’s mistake the rest is simple: 20.Qxd5 d3 21.Qxd8 Rxd8 22.Ba4 Rxa5 23.Bg5 Rb8 24.Bf6 Bf8 25.Bxe5 25...Rxe5 26.Nf6+ and 27.Nd7 1-0
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