BATUMI CHESS OLYMPIAD 2018 ROUND 5 – AGHABEKIAN vs SIHITE

This game is from round 5 of the 2018 Batumi Chess Olympiad. It features Liana Aghabekian with White against Chelsie Monica Ignes Sihite with Black.

Today’s game features a Sicilian Defence.

Aghabekian,Liana (2188) - Sihite,Chelsie Monica Ignes (2244)

43rd Olympiad Batumi 2018 Women Batumi (5.1), 28.09.2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 a6 6.Bb3 Ba7 7.Nbd2 d6 8.h3 Ne7 9.Nf1 C54: Giuoco Piano: 4 c3 Nf6, main lines with 5 d4 and 5 d3 

9...Ng6 10.Ng3 0–0 11.0–0 Be6 [11...h6 12.d4 Re8 13.Re1 b5 14.Be3 Bb7 15.Bc2 exd4 16.Nxd4 d5 17.Nb3 Bxe3 18.Rxe3 1/2–1/2 (55) Miton,K (2584)-Bacrot,E (2725) Riadh 2017] 

12.Nh2 c6 13.Ng4 Nxg4 14.hxg4 

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14...d5N [14...Nf4 15.Qf3 Bxb3 16.axb3 Ne6 17.Nf5 1–0 (37) Srijit,P (2247)-Valls Marti,A (2140) Barcelona 2017] 

15.Qf3 a5 16.Bc2 b5 17.Nf5 a4 18.a3 Bb6 19.g3 Ra7 20.Kg2 f6 21.Rh1 dxe4 22.dxe4 Rd7 

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23.g5! Rd2! [23...fxg5 24.Qh5] 

24.Bxd2± Qxd2 25.Rac1 Qxg5 26.Rcd1 Bc4 ...Be2! is the strong threat. 

27.Kh2 Bc5 28.Rd7 Rf7 29.Rxf7 Bxf7 30.Rd1 

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30...Nf8 With the idea ...Bh5. 

31.Qe2 [31.Rd8±] 

31...Be6 [31...Bc4= 32.Qf3 Be6] 

32.Bb1 [32.Qd2²] 

32...Bxf2 [32...g6!? 33.Nh4™ Kg7=] 

33.Rd8? [33.Rd6!= and White stays safe. 33...Bxf5 34.Qxf2] 

33...Bc5!–+ 34.Kg2 h5? [34...g6–+ 35.Nh4 Kg7] 

35.Qd2!= Qg4 Hoping for ...h4! 

36.Qd1! Qg5 37.Qd2! Qg4 38.Qd1! Qg5 39.Qd2! Qg6 40.Rb8? [40.Qf2= Bxf2 41.Ne7+ Kf7 42.Nxg6] 

40...Qf7? [40...Qg4!µ 41.Qe1 h4!] 

41.Qd8 aiming for Nd6. 

41...Bxf5 [41...Kh7!= 42.Qe8 Qxe8 43.Rxe8 Kg8] 

42.exf5± 

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42...h4 Black wants to play ...Qh5. 

43.Be4 [White has to play 43.Qd1!± ] 

43...Qh5= 44.Bxc6 Black must now prevent Qd5+. 

44...Qe2+ 45.Kh3 Qf1+ 46.Kxh4 Qxf5 ( -> ...g5+) 

47.Qc8ƒ Black is under pressure. 

47...Qg5+ 48.Kh3 Strongly threatening Qg4. 

48...Qh6+ 49.Kg2 And now Qd7 would win. 

49...Qd2+ 50.Kh1 

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Threatens to win with Qe6+. 

50...Qe1+? [50...Qh6+= 51.Kg2 Qd2+ 52.Kh3 Qh6+ 53.Kg2] 

51.Kh2!+- Threatening mate with Qe6+. 

51...Qf2+ 52.Bg2 e4 [¹52...Kh7 53.Rxb5 Bd6] 

53.Qe6+ [53.Kh3 f5+-] 

53...Kh8 54.Qxe4 Bd6 55.Qh4+ Kg8 56.Rd8 g5? [56...Bc7 might work better.] 

57.Qg4 White wants to mate with Qe6+. 

57...Bc5 58.Qf3 Qg1+ 59.Kh3 Be7 60.Re8 Kf7 [¹60...Qc5 61.Qd5+ Kg7 62.Qxc5 Bxc5] 

61.Qh5+ Ng6 [#] 62.Rxe7+! Kxe7 63.Qxg6 Qf2 64.Qe4+ Kf7 65.Qd5+ Kg7 66.Qxb5 Qg1 67.Qd7+ Kh6 68.Qf5 Kg7 69.c4 [¹69.Be4 g4+ 70.Qxg4+ Kf8 71.Qe6 Qf1+ 72.Kh4 Qf2 73.Qc8+ Kg7 74.Qc7+ Kf8 75.Qd8+ Kf7 76.Bd5+ Kg7 77.Qg8+ Kh6 78.Qh8+ Kg6 79.Qh5+ Kg7 80.Qf7+ Kh6 81.Bc4] 

69...Qd4 70.c5 Qxb2 71.c6 Qc1 72.Be4 g4+ 73.Qxg4+ Kf8 74.Qc8+ Kg7 75.Qd7+ Kf8 76.Qd8+ Kf7 77.Bd5+ Kg6 78.Qg8+ Kh6 79.Be4 f5 80.Qe6+ Kg7 81.Qxf5 [¹81.Qe5+ Kf8 82.Qxf5+ Ke7 83.Qd7+ Kf8 84.Qd6+ Kg8 85.Bd5+ Kh7 86.Qe7+ Kh6 87.Qf8+ Kh5 88.Be4] 

81...Qg1 

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82.c7 White mates. 

82...Qc1 83.c8Q Qh6+ 84.Kg4 Qf4+ 85.Kxf4 1–0