This game features a game from the 2011 European Women’s Ind. Championship held in Tbilisi, Georgia. The event is held annually and gathers together the finest women players in Europe. After a good start Nazi was paired with the top rated player GM Nana Dzagrnidze, rated among the top ten women players in the world and inspiration for her growing up. Nazi had the black pieces and answered 1. d4 with the Semi-Slav Defense, the Meran System (D48).
l. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 The other popular line is called the Botvinnik Variation 5. Bg5 d:c4. The Moscow line is 5…h6. The text leads to the Meran (Bd3) or Anti-Meran (6. Qc2) Variation. This choice is played so as not to lose a tempo.
5. …Nbd7 6. Bd3 d:c4 7. B:c4 b5 8. Bd3 Bb7 9. O-O a6 10. e4 c5 11. d5 c4 (To open the c5 square for the Knight.) 12. Bc2 Qc7 =.
13. Ng5 Straying from the strong 13. d:e6 f:e6 14. Ng5.
13. … Nc5 14. b4 Should Black now avoid a pawn capture?
14. … c:b3 e.p. 15. a:b3 h6! Because of the timid play by White, Black has time to ease the pressure on the e6 square.
16. Nf3 b4! Chasing away the other Knight and digging into the White Queen-side.
17. Ne2 Rd8 18. Ng3? Necessary was 18. Bf4 Qb6 19. Ned4 Again, think square count!
18. … Be7 19. Qe2 e:d5 Avoiding White’s clever trap. 19. …O-O?? 20. d6! following a fork on e5.
20. e5 Nfe4! 21. Nf5 Ne6 With superior placed Knights.22. N/3d4?
Allowing transfer of the initiative. Better was to eye jump moves ..Bb2>Rfe1>etc.
22. …N:d4 23. N:d4 Bc5 24. Bb2 Qb6? Tit for tat. Black errs. 24….Q:e5 25. B:e4 Q:e4 26. Rfe1 O-O finally getting the King castled.
25. Rad1 Again, here White has sharper with 25. Nf5 O-O 26. N:g7 K:g7 27. e6+ Kh7 28. Qg4.
25. …O-O Finally the King gets castled. But now White misplays; 26. Nf5 was still a square count choice.
26. Kh1? a5! 27. f3 Ba6 28. Bd3 Nc3 29. B:c3 b:c3 30. Nf5 B:d3 31. R:d3 d4 32. f4 Rfe8 33. h4 Bf8 34. h5 Kh8 Some of my earlier articles dealt with the safety of the King which often was, as here, h8 -the corner square.
35. Rfd1 Q:b3 36. N:d4 Qc4 37. Qc2 Bb4 38. e6? White was suffering under time pressure now for some time and finally this error comes up.
38. … f:e6 39. Qa4 Rf8 40. Qc2 R:f4 41. Nf3 R:d3 42. R:d3 Rh4+ 43. N:h4 Q:h4+ White resigns. (0-1).
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The chess classes I held years ago had about an equal number of boys and girls taking part. Schools and senior centers might be in need for experienced chess enthusiasts. It is a rewarding experience to teach chess or meet others.