Moscow Open 2014 Russian Premier Cup (Women)

J. Dogodkina – N. Botsiashvili
Caro-Kann Defense

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. Nh3

[In contrast to the beaten-to-death 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 Nd7 8. h5 Bh7 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 exchanging light-squared bishops, white opts to organize a hunt on the g6 bishop by transfering the knight from g1 to f4.]

6... Nf6 7. Bc4[To 7. Nf4 (threatening 8.h4) a sound refutation is 7... e5! 8. Nxg6 hxg6 9. dxe5 Qa5+ 10. Bd2 Qxe5 11. Qe2 Nbd7 12. Qxe5 Nxe5 with an equal endgame.]

7... e6 8. Nf4 Bd6 9. Nxg6
[Here 9. h4 is neutralized by means of 9... Qc7. This is why white chooses to content himself with “just” the bishop pair. However, this factor is not to be overerestimated.  Black's position is solid, and the white bishops will have difficulty exercizing activity.]

9... hxg6 10. c3 Nbd7 11. Qf3 Qc7 12. Bg5

12... Qa5 With this and the following moves the Georgian chessplayer  begins playing for complications. The simpler continuations 12...0-0-0 or 12...c5 maintain approximate equality.

13. h4 Rc8 14. O-O-O b5 So now, declining to castle queenside, black decides to find activity on the queenside. A risky strategy, since the kingside (not to mention the center) is unlikely to provide the black king a safe haven!

15. Bb3 b4 16. c4 c5 17. Ne4 A worthwhile exchange—there was little use in the knight on g3. 17... Nxe4 18. Qxe4 cxd4 19. Qxd4 Rc6

20. f4! An unconventional decision—by his own choice black cuts off his own bishop. The idea of f2-f4 was in creading a threat to the g7 pawn (the immediate 20.Qxg7 doesn't work out in light of 20...Be5), forcing the black king into heading to the kingside, directly under the soon to be opened h-file. 

20... O-O
[In case of 20... f6 white gets a strong attack 21. Qe4 Qc7 22. Qxg6 Kf8 23. Ba4 etc.]

21. h5

21... Rfc8 Played logically. Black activates the rook and frees the f8 square for the fortifying maneuver Nf8. However the strategic flaws arising after 22.hxg6 fxg6 can't be resolved.
[The computer defends cooly with 21... gxh5! 22. Rxh5 Nc5! (22... f6? 23. Qe4) 23. Rdh1 (or 23. Bc2 f6) 23... f6. For instance: 24. Bc2 Qxa2 25. Bxf6! Nb3! (or get destroyed with  25... Rxf6 26. Qxf6! Nd3 27. Bxd3 Qc4 (or 27... Rxc4+ 28. Kd2! Bxf4+ 29. Ke2! gf 30. Rh8+ Kf7 31. R1h7#!) 28. Bxc4 Rxc4+ 29. Kd2 gxf 30. g3 Bc5 31. R1h4+! Etc.) 26. Bb3 Qxb3 27. Rh8+ Kf7 28. Rxf8 Kxf8 29. Bg7+ Ke8 30. Rh8+ Kd7 31. Kd2 Rxc4 (or 31... Qxc4 32. Qxc4 Rxc4 33. g3=) 32. Rd8! Kxd8 33. Qd6+ Kc8 34. Qe6+ Kb7 35. Qd7+ Ka6 36. Qe6+, and the game ends with perpetual check!]

22. hxg fxg 23. g4 Nf8
[No improvement was offered by 23... Qc5 24. Qe4 Nf8 25. Kb1 a5 26. Ba4! R6c7 27. b3 , and black is out of counterplay.]

24. Kb1 The final preparation before the decisive operations on the black king. 24... Qc7 25. Qe3
[A tempting alternative was 25. f5 Bc5 26. Qe4]

25... Rc5 26. Qh3 Qc6
[Grabbing the f4 pawn - 26... Bxf4? 27. Bxf4 Qxf4 28. Qh8+ Kf7 29. Rhf1+-]

It seems that black has managed to cover his weakness, and the bishop on b3 is held safely out of the game so far. A few concise maneuvers allow white to break through the opponent's defenses  

27. Qd3! Bb8 28. Be7! Achieving the exchange of the key defender, the f8 knight. 28... Bxf4 29. Bxf8 Rxf8 30. Qg6 Re5
[30... Rg5 is solved by 31. Qh7+ Kf7 32. c5!, and all of white's pieces join in the attack.] 

31. Bc2! A small move with great consequences! Black is unable to defend against the coming rook sacrifice on h8. 31... Rg5 32. Rh8! [1:0]

An outstanding creative achievement by Julia Dogodkina!