As we all know, anything can happen in chess, especially when the stake and pressure are high. Below is an incredible turn of event for Abrahamyan. After 34 moves, her position was basically resignable. She miraculously won after a series of blunders by her opponent.
[Event “USA Women’s Championship”]
[Site “St. Louis”]
[Date “2011.04.18”]
[Round “4”]
[White “Abrahamyan, Tatev”]
[Black “Goletiani, Rusudan”]
[Result “1-0”]
[ECO “B42”]
[WhiteElo “2326”]
[BlackElo “2367”]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Bd3 Nf6 6. O-O Qc7 7. Nc3 d6 8. Qe2 Nbd7 9. Kh1 Be7 10. f4 b6 11. Bd2 Bb7 12. Rae1 Nc5 13. b4 Nxd3 14. cxd3 O-O 15. Rf3 Rfe8 16. Rh3 g6 17. e5 Nd7 18. Ne4 dxe5 19. fxe5 Qxe5 20. Qf2 Nf8 21. Nf3 Qb2 22. Qxb6 Bxe4 23. dxe4 Rad8 24. Qe3 Bxb4 25. Bxb4 Qxb4 26. Ne5 Qd2 27. Qg3 Rc8 28. Nf3 Qb2 29. Qf4 Qf2 30. Rg1 Rc2 31. e5 Rb8 32. Qh6 Rxa2 33. Ne1 Rb1 34. Rf3
This was a nearly resignable position for White. What should have done here?
34…Qd4 35. Qg5 Nd7 36. Qd8+ Kg7 37. Rgf1 Qxe5 38. Rxf7+ Kh6 39. Qxd7 Rxe1 40. Rxh7+ Kg5 41. Qe7+ 1-0
34. …, Qxe1
Doesn’t black win after 34… Qxe1?
Qxe1, Rxe1, Rxe1, Rf1, Rxf1 mate
Qe1 with literally no thought whatsoever, but then I am drinking coffee and relaxing on my couch listening to Depeche Mode, not in the heat of a chess battle with a clock running against me:
34. …..Qe1
35. Qe3
Resigning is the right move for white here, but this is as good as it gets since everything else is mate in 3 or less. Continuing:
35. …..Qg1
36. Qg1 Raa1
Of course, Rg1 also wins, but is not quite as forcing since it leaves black one less rook than he can have:
37. h3 Rg1
Like I wrote, white should resign at move 35. The amazing thing, other than the blunders, is that white hadn’t resigned at move 34 and not giving black the chance to blunder it away.
Very sad;
Strange that the player didn’t see this. Quite elementairy Watson.
Black could have won immediately with:
34. …, Qxe1 !
Erik Fokke
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Who?
What should have done the black?
34… Qxe1
35. Qe3 Qxg1+
36. Qxg1 Raa1
What should have done the white?
Offering a draw … 🙂
Stef