(1) Strutinskaya,Galina N (2269) - Chernikov,Oleg L (2438) [D30]
11th European Senior Courmayeur ITA (4.7), 09.04.2011
[Mueller,Karsten]

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c6 4.Qc2 Bd6 5.Bg5 f6 6.Bd2 f5 7.g3 Nf6 8.Bg2 0-0 9.0-0 Bd7 10.Ne5 Be8 11.Nd3 Nbd7 12.Bf4 Be7 13.Nd2 Ne4 14.Nf3 Rc8 15.Rad1 b6 16.b4 g5 17.Be5 g4 18.Nfe1 Nxe5 19.dxe5 Qc7 20.Nf4 Bf7 21.Ned3 Ng5 22.Rc1 d4 23.c5 b5 24.a4 a6 25.Ra1 Ne4 26.Rfe1 Rfd8 27.f3 gxf3 28.Bxf3 Bf8 29.e3 Bg7 30.exd4 Rxd4 31.axb5 axb5 32.Ra3 Rcd8 33.Qa2 Qe7 34.Ra7 R4d7 35.Rxd7 Qxd7 36.Kg2 Ng5 37.Bd1 Qb7 38.Bb3 Ra8 39.Qb2 Qd7 40.Rd1 Qe8 41.Nf2 Rd8 42.Rxd8 Qxd8 43.h4 Ne4 44.N2d3 Bh6 45.Qa2 Nc3 46.Qf2 Nd5 47.Bxd5 cxd5 48.Qa2 Bxf4 49.Nxf4 d4 50.Kf2 Qb8 51.Qe2 Kf8 52.Nd3 Qb7 53.Qf3 Qe4 54.c6 Ke7 55.c7 Qxf3+ 56.Kxf3 Kd7 57.Nf4 Kxc7 58.Ke2 Kc6 59.Kd3 Kb6 60.Kxd4 Kc6 61.Ke3 h6 62.Kf3 Kc7 63.Ng2 Kc6 64.Ne3 Bg8 65.g4 fxg4+ 66.Nxg4 Bh7 67.Kf4 Bb1 Keeping Control The knight often wants to stay in control to have time for its manovers:

68.Nf6!
White condemns Black to total passivity. [68.Nxh6? violates the important endgame principle "Do not rush": 68...Kd5 69.Nf7 (69.Kg5 Kc4 70.Kf6 Kxb4 71.Kxe6 Kc3 72.Nf5 b4 73.Ne3 b3 74.Kf6 Bd3 75.e6 Bb5 76.e7 Kd2 77.Nc4+ Kc3 78.Na3 Be8= ) 69...Kc4 (Baburin in Chess Today 3807) and Black's counterplay secures the draw: 70.Ng5 Kxb4 71.h5 Kc4 72.Nxe6 (72.h6 b4 73.h7?? backfires completely: 73...Bxh7 74.Nxh7 b3-+ ) 72...b4 73.Nd4 Kd5 74.e6 Kd6 75.Kg5 Ke7= ; 68.h5? Kd5 69.Nxh6 Kc4= does not work as well.]

68...Bc2 69.Ke3 Bf5 70.Kd4 Kb6
[70...Bc2 does not defend: 71.Ng8 h5 72.Nf6 Bd1 73.Ke3 (Baburin) 73...Kb6 74.Kf4 Kb7 75.Kg5 Kc6 76.Kg6 Bf3 77.Kf7 Bg4 now a triangulation follows: 78.Kf8 Kc7 (78...Bf5 79.Ke7 Bg4 80.Kf7+- ) 79.Kg7 Kc6 80.Kf7 and Black is in fatal zugzwang: 80...Bf5 81.Nxh5 Kd5 82.Kf6 Kc4 83.Ng7+- ]

71.Ng8!
The knight forces Black to open a route for the invasion.

71...h5 72.Ke3 Kc6 73.Nf6 Bg6 74.Kf4 Bc2 75.Kg5 Bd1 76.Kg6 Bf3 77.Kf7 Bg4 78.Ke7 Bf5 79.Nxh5 Kd5 80.Kf6 Kc4 81.Ng7 Bd3 82.Nxe6 Kxb4 83.Nd4 Kc5 84.e6
[84.Nxb5 wins as well.]

84...Kd6 85.e7 Kd7 86.Ne6 Bg6 87.Nf8+ 1-0