BABIY vs NEUHAUSER – EUROPEAN CLUB CUP 2018 ROUND 1

This game is from round 1 of the 2018 European Club Cup. It features Olga Babiy with White against Salome Neuhauser with Black.

This game features a Sicilian Defence. To learn more about beating the Sicilian Defence, here is the best instruction book I could find on Amazon.

Babiy,Olga (2310) - Neuhauser,Salome (2115)

23rd European Women Club Cup 2018 Halkidiki (1), 12.10.2018

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.c4 Bg7 6.Be3 d6 7.Nc3 Nf6 8.Be2 0–0 9.0–0 Bd7 10.h3 Nxd4 11.Bxd4 B38: Sicilian: Maroczy Bind with 5...Bg7 and 7...0–0

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11...Bc6 Black threatens to win material: Bc6xe4 

12.Qc2N Black has a cramped position [12.Bd3 a5 (12...Nd7 13.Bxg7 Kxg7 14.Nd5 e5 15.Nc3 Nc5 16.Bc2 a5 17.Qd2 Qc7 18.b3 Rad8 19.a3 Ne6 20.Ne2 b5 21.cxb5 Bxb5 22.Bd3 Bxd3 23.Qxd3 Nc5 24.Qd5 Rb8 25.Rab1 Rfd8 26.b4 axb4 27.axb4 Erturan,Y (2383)-Haznedaroglu,K (2440)/Ankara 2007/CBM 118 ext/½–½ (56)) 13.Qd2 Nd7 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.f4 Qb6+ 16.Rf2 e5 17.Kh1 exf4 18.Rxf4 Qd4 19.Ne2 Qe5 20.Ng1 Nc5 21.Nf3 Qe7 22.Re1 a4 23.Nd4 Qe5 24.Nf3 Qe7 25.Nd4 Qe5 26.Nf3 Qe7 Rashkovsky,N (2505)-Lukin,A (2460)/Daugavpils 1978/MCD/½–½; 12.Bf3 Rc8 13.Rc1 a6 14.Nd5 Bxd5 15.exd5 Nd7 16.Bxg7 Kxg7 17.Qd4+ Kg8 18.Rfe1 Re8 19.Bg4 Rc7 20.b4 Nf6 21.Bf3 Rd7 22.Re3 b5 23.Rce1 Rf8 24.Ra3 Qc8 25.c5 dxc5 26.bxc5 Qd8 Hever,M (2330)-Bodo,N/Hungary 1991/TD/1–0 (32)] 

12...Qc7 White has an active position 

13.Bd3 Rfb8 14.Qd2 a6 Controls b5 

15.a4 Qa5 16.Qe3 Black has a cramped position 

16...Nd7 17.Nd5 Bxd4 18.Qxd4 White has a king attack 

18...Qd8 19.f4 Black has a cramped position 

19...Nc5 20.Bc2 b5 Black threatens to win material: b5xa4 

21.Nb4 Bd7 22.axb5 axb5 23.Rxa8 Rxa8 

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24.f5 This push gains space 

24...f6 [24...bxc4!? must definitely be considered 25.Qd5 Be8 26.Qxc4 Nd7=] 

25.fxg6 hxg6 26.e5 White threatens to win material: e5xd6 

26...Ne6 Black threatens to win material: Ne6xd4 [26...fxe5?? Taking that pawn is naive 27.Qh4 e4 28.Nd5+-] 

27.Qh4 Black king safety dropped 

27...Kg7?? [¹27...dxe5 is just about the only chance 28.Bxg6 Ng5=] 

28.exf6++- exf6 29.Nd5 [¹29.Bxg6 secures victory 29...Ng5 30.Nd5+-] 

29...f5 30.Qg3 

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30...Nf8? [30...Ng5 31.Qxd6 Nf7 32.Qc5+-] 

31.Qxd6?? gives the opponent new chances.  [¹31.Bxf5 and White has prevailed 31...Bxf5 32.Rxf5+-] 

31...Be6± 32.Qe5+ Kf7 33.b3 [¹33.g4!? Bxd5 34.cxd5±] 

33...bxc4² 34.bxc4 White has a king attack.  

34...Ra2 35.Rf2 

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35...Qg5?? cause more grief [¹35...Bxd5 36.cxd5 Qe7±] 

36.Bxf5+- Qc1+ [36...Rxf2 praying for a miracle 37.Bxe6+ Nxe6 38.Qxg5 Nxg5 39.Kxf2 Ke6 40.Nf4+ Kf5+-] 

37.Rf1 Qxf1+ 38.Kxf1 

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38...Bxf5 [38...gxf5 there is nothing better in the position 39.Qf6+ Kg8 40.Ne7+ Kh7 41.Qxf8 Ra6+-] 

39.Qe7+ [39.Qe7+ Kg8 40.Nf6+ Kh8 41.Qxf8#]  1–0