Women Grand Prix in Jermuk

The Grand Prix tournament in Jermuk, Armenia is already over. Ety started poorly, and until round nine was only on fifty percents. She managed to recover at the end and to share the third place, scoring 2.5/3 in the last games. She tried many new openings, and I am sure that this will pay back in the coming tournaments.
In the penultimate round Ety fought well to save a lost position, and even missed a beautiful study-like win at the end:
Stefanova Antoaneta - Kosintseva Tatiana
Genrikh Kasparian Grand Prix - Jermuk-20 (10.2), 2010
[Dejan Bojkov]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5 Nbd7 7.Qb3 c5 8.a3 Bxc3+ 9.Qxc3 c4 10.Nd2 0–0 11.e3 h6 12.Bf4 Nb6 13.a4 a5 14.Be2 Be6 15.Qa3


15...Qd7 16.Nb1 Rfc8 17.Be5 Qd8 18.f3 Bf5 19.Nc3 Bd3 20.Rd1 Nfd7 21.Bf4 Bxe2 22.Kxe2 Nf8 23.Rhe1 Rc6 24.Kf1 f5 25.Kg1 Qd7 26.Bg3 Ng6 27.Qa1 Rf8 28.Qc1 Re6 29.Qc2 Qc6 30.Nb5 Rf7 31.Ra1 Rf8 32.Qc3 Nxa4 33.Rxa4 Qxb5 34.Rxa5 Qd7 35.Bf2 [35.Qb4 Rfe8 36.Rb5 Rxe3 37.Rxe3 Rxe3 38.Rxb7 Qe6 39.Rb6 іs slightly better for Black] 35...Rb6


36.e4? fxe4 37.fxe4 Nf4 38.Bg3 Rb3 39.Qd2 Nd3 40.Rxd5 Qg4 41.Qd1 Qxd1 42.Rxd1 Rxb2 After a tough battle, and mistakes by Ety in the time trouble, Tatiana managed to get a winning endgame. Still, a couple of subtle moves are needed, but is seemed that she got over-relaxed. 43.h4 Ra8? The obvious plan is to advance the passed pawns. This active move with the rook is a mere waste of time. Moreover, the rook was placed great on the other open file, not letting his white collegue to penetrate via it to the seventh rank. [43...b5! is winning 44.Kh2 (44.Rd7 b4 45.Ra1 Kh7 46.Raa7 Rg8 followed by march of the c pawn.) 44...b4 45.Rd7 b3 46.Rc7 (46.Ra1 Ra2 and both the open files are under control.) 46...Rc2–+ 47.d5 b2 48.Rb1 Rc1 49.Rxb2 Nxb2 50.Be5 Rf2–+] 44.Kh2 b5 Probably here Tatiana reazlized that the doubling on the second rank will not bring her dividents: [44...Raa2 45.Kh3 Rxg2 46.Rf1 Rge2 47.Rd8+ Kh7 48.Rff8 and Black has to accept the draw: 48...Kg6 a) 48...Rxe4?? 49.h5 leads to mate; b) 48...Nf2+ 49.Bxf2 Rxf2 50.Rxf2 Rxf2 51.Kg3 Rf1 52.Rc8 b5 53.e5 Re1 54.Kf2 Re4 55.Kf3 Rxd4 56.e6 Rd3+= 57.Kf4 (57.Kf2 Rd2+ 58.Kf3 Rd3+=) 57...g5+ 58.hxg5 hxg5+ 59.Kxg5 Re3 60.Kf6 Rf3+ 61.Ke5 Re3+ 62.Kd6 Rd3+ 63.Kc5 Re3 64.Kxb5 Rxe6 65.Kxc4; 49.Rd6+ Kh7= (49...Kh5? 50.Rd5+ g5 51.Rh8 Kg6 52.hxg5 hxg5 53.Rd6+ Kg7 54.Rc8±) ] 45.Rd7 Re8 46.e5 The waste ot two tempoes in sharp position is enough for Black to lose her advantage. Now the game becomes extremely exciting: 46...b4 47.Rc7 Correctly harassing the passers. And not: [47.Ra1 Kh7 48.h5 c3 when Black wins.] 47...Ra2 Or: [47...b3 when the best is: 48.d5! (48.Rxc4? Rc2 49.Rxd3 Rxc4 50.Rxb3 Rxd4 with large advantage for Black) 48...Nxe5 49.Bxe5 Rxe5 50.d6 Ree2 51.d7 Rxg2+ 52.Kh3 Rh2+ 53.Kg4 Rbg2+ 54.Kf3 Rf2+ 55.Ke3


and perpetual check, as White cannot step on the d file: 55...Re2+= 56.Kd4?! Rd2+ 57.Rxd2 Rxd2+ 58.Kxc4 b2 59.Rb7 Rxd7і] 48.Rf1! Ety is not falling into the trap: [48.Rxc4? Nb2 49.Rd2 Nxc4 50.Rxa2 b3–+] 48...c3 It is too late to fight for the seventh rank: [48...Rf8? 49.Rxf8+ Kxf8 50.e6 b3 51.Bd6+ (51.d5 is also sufficient for a win) 51...Kg8 52.Rc8+ Kh7 53.e7 Re2 54.e8Q Rxe8 55.Rxe8 c3 56.Ba3 b2 57.Rb8 c2 58.Bxb2 Nxb2 59.Rc8+-] 49.Rff7 c2?! Now suddenly Black is on the verge of the loss. Tatiana had to settle for a slightly worse rook endgame: [49...Kh8 50.Rxg7 h5 51.Rh7+ Kg8 52.Rcg7+ Kf8 53.d5 Nxe5 54.Bxe5 Rxe5 55.Rb7 Kg8 56.Rhc7 Ra8 57.Rxb4 Rxd5 58.Rxc3 Ra7 This is a draw as the king is save on the seventh rank.] 50.Rxg7+ Kh8 51.Rh7+ Kg8 52.Rhg7+ Kh8 53.Rh7+ Kg8 54.Rcg7+ Kf8


55.Rf7+ With second on the clock Ety could not find the extremely difficult study-like win: [55.e6! Ra6 (55...Rxe6 56.Rb7 Kg8 57.Rhc7 Ra8 (57...Re8 58.Rg7+ Kh8 59.Rh7+ Kg8 60.Rbg7+ Kf8 61.Bd6+ Re7 62.Rxe7 c1Q 63.Rh8#) 58.Rxc2+-) 56.d5!! Support of the e6 pawn that creates mating net is much more important than the newborn black queen! 56...c1Q 57.Rg6!


Remarkable position. Black is a whole queen ahead, but has to give back material with interest to defend the mate on f7. Genrikh Kasparian would be delighted to see this over the board! 57...Qf1 (57...Raxe6 58.dxe6 Rxe6 59.Rxe6 followed by Rh7-c7 and Blck is helpless against Bg3-d6+ and mate on the back rank.) 58.Rh8+ Ke7 59.d6+!! Rxd6 (59...Kd8 60.Rxe8+ Kxe8 61.Rg8+ Qf8 62.d7+ Ke7 63.Rxf8+-) 60.Rxe8+ Kxe8 61.Bxd6+- and the threat Rg6-g8 forces Black to part with her queen.] 55...Kg8 56.Rhg7+ Kh8 57.Rh7+ 1/2