STEFANOVA vs FOISOR – FIDE WOMENS WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP 2018 ROUND 1

This game is from round 1 of the 2018 FIDE Women’s World Chess Championship. It is between Antoaneta Stefanova with White against Sabina-Francesca Foisor with Black.

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

Stefanova,Antoaneta (2490) - Foisor,Sabina-Francesca (2264)

FIDE WCC 2018 Khanty-Mansiysk (1.3), 05.11.2018

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 Bf5 4.0–0 c6 5.d3 e6 6.Nh4 Bg4 7.h3 Bh5 8.Qe1 Be7 9.f4 Nfd7 10.Nf3 Bxf3 A07: Réti Opening: New York and Capablanca Systems

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11.Bxf3 White has the pair of bishops 

11...Qc7N [11...0–0 12.e4 Na6 13.Qe2 dxe4 14.dxe4 e5 15.f5 Bg5 16.Bxg5 Qxg5 17.Kg2 Rfd8 18.Rd1 Nb6 19.Nd2 Rd6 20.h4 Qe7 21.a4 Rad8 22.a5 Nc8 23.Nc4 Rxd1 24.Rxd1 f6 25.c3 Nc7 26.Rd2 Petran,P (2320)-Schwalfenberg,J (2320)/Germany 1997/GER-chT2/½–½ (82)] 

12.e4 dxe4 13.Qxe4 Nf6 14.Qe2 Nbd7 15.Nd2 Nb6 16.Bg2 g6 17.Nf3 Nh5 18.Kh2 Bf6 19.Ne5 0–0 

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20.b3 Consolidates a4+c4 

20...Bg7 21.Bb2 a5 22.c4 a4 23.Ng4 Nd7 24.Bxg7 Nxg7 25.b4 

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25...h5 Black threatens to win material: h5xg4 

26.Ne3 Nf5 27.Nxf5 exf5 Black has new doubled pawns: f5+f7.  

28.Rae1 Nf6 

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29.Qb2 White threatens to win material: Qb2xf6 

29...Kg7 30.Re5 Rad8 31.d4 Qd6 32.d5 cxd5 33.Rxd5 

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33...Qc7 Black threatens to win material: Qc7xc4 

34.Rc5 White threatens to win material: Rc5xc7 

34...Qd6 35.Bxb7 

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35...Qd2+ [35...a3!? 36.Qxa3 Qd2+ 37.Bg2 Ne4=] 

36.Rf2² Qxb2 37.Rxb2 

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37...Rb8? [37...h4!? might be a viable alternative 38.gxh4 Rd3±] 

38.Bg2 h4 39.gxh4 Rfd8 40.b5 a3 41.Rf2 Rd4 42.Rc7 

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42...Ne4? [42...Ne8 43.Rc6 Nf6 44.Rc2+-] 

43.Rc2 [43.Rf3 might be the shorter path 43...Nd6 44.Rxa3 Rxc4 45.Rxc4 Nxc4+-] 

43...Rd3? [43...Nf6 44.Rb7 Rc8 45.Ra7 Rcxc4 46.Rxc4 Rxc4 47.Rxa3+-] 

44.Ra7 [44.h5 seems even better 44...gxh5 45.c5 Kf6 46.Rc6+ Ke7+-] 

44...Nc5? [44...Kf6+-] 

45.Bd5 Re8 [45...Rf8+- no good, but what else?] 

46.Rxf7+ Kh6 47.b6 Ree3 48.Bg2 Rd6 49.b7 Rb6 50.Rc7 

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50...Ne6 [50...Na6 does not save the day 51.Rc6 Rxb7 52.Rxa6+-] 

51.Rc8 [¹51.Re7 makes it even easier for White 51...Nd4 52.Rxe3 Nxc2+-] 

51...Nd4 [51...Rb1+- hoping against hope] 

52.Rd2 Nb3 

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53.Rf2 [53.Rd7 Re7 54.Rxe7 g5 55.hxg5+ Kg6 56.Rg8+ Kh5 57.Rh8+ Kg6 58.Rh6#] 

53...Na5 [53...Re7 does not improve anything 54.b8R Rxb8 55.Rxb8+-] 

54.b8Q Rxb8 55.Rxb8 Nxc4 

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56.Bd5 [¹56.Rc2 and White can already relax 56...Nd6 57.Rc6 Ne8+-] 

56...Nd6 

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57.Rb3 [57.Rb3 Re1 58.Rxa3+-]  1–0