[Event "Isbank Ataturk International Women Maste"]
[Site "Istanbul"]
[Date "2008.03.17"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Cramling Pia (GM)"]
[Black "Atalik Ekaterina (IM)"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D38"]
[Annotator "David Pruess"]
[PlyCount "83"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]

{Half a point behind, with three rounds to go GM Cramling held the white
pieces against the leading IM Atalik. It was a chance to pull ahead in the
home stretch, and take her chances at first place into her own hands. She did
not achieve much of an advantage out of the opening. Despite the presence of
dark squared weaknesses on the black kingside, and possession of the only dark
squared bishop, no good aggressive opportunities ever presented themselves.
But she kept playing, and finally an opportunity did present itself. In the Q+
opposite colored Bishop endgame, Atalik failed to challenge the good squares
Cramling had found for her pieces. These two pieces were able to make strong
enough threats against the black king to force Atalik to sacrifice a pawn and
bail out into a bishop ending, which Cramling converted without difficulty.} 1.
d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5 Nbd7 7. e3 c5 8. Bd3
Qa5 9. Qc2 {c3 does not actually require defense but Qc2 is a useful enough
move, developing and fighting for control of e4.} c4 10. Bf5 O-O 11. O-O Re8
12. Nd2 g6 13. Bxd7 ({another approach to the opening would be} 13. Bh3) 13...
Nxd7 14. Bh4 {preparation for e4} (14. e4 $2 Bxc3 15. bxc3 dxe4 16. Nxe4 $2 (
16. Be3 Qd5 $15) 16... Rxe4 17. Qxe4 Qxg5 $19) 14... Nb6 ({
I think black could radically prevent e4 with the further weakening} 14... f5
15. a3 ({a cool move would be} 15. g4 $6 {but sadly it lacks in effectiveness.}
Nb6 $15 ({
black can probably also take this pawn, but most humans would prefer Nb6} 15...
fxg4 16. e4)) 15... Bxc3 (15... Bf8 $2 16. b4 cxb3 17. Nxb3 Qc7 18. Bg3 $16) (
15... Bd6 16. b4 cxb3 17. Nxb3 Qc7 18. Bg3 $14) 16. bxc3 {in spite of the many
kside weaknesses, it doesn't seem white has any way to get at them soon. this
may be an acceptable position for black.}) 15. e4 Bxc3 16. bxc3 dxe4 17. Nxe4
Nd5 (17... Bf5 $2 18. Nf6+ Kh8 (18... Kg7 19. Nxe8+) (18... Kf8 19. Qd2) 19.
Qd2 $18) 18. Rae1 Bd7 ({slightly preferable might be} 18... Bf5 19. f3 Kg7 (
19... Bxe4 $5 20. fxe4 Nxc3 21. Re3 Nb5 22. Qxc4 Nd6 23. Qb3 Qb6 {
seems very close to equal}) 20. g4 Bd7 21. Bg3 f6 {is balanced} 22. Nc5 Bc6)
19. f3 Qa3 20. Qd2 Re6 21. Nc5 ({the queen on a3 can defend the kingside:} 21.
Qh6 Qf8) 21... Rxe1 22. Rxe1 Bc6 23. Ne4 Re8 24. Nf6+ Nxf6 25. Bxf6 Rxe1+ 26.
Qxe1 h6 $6 (26... Qd6 $14 {It seems logical to immediately challenge the Bf6
which is hemming in the black king. After this centralization of the black
queen, I don't think Katya would have had too much to fear.}) 27. Qe5 {
The white pieces have assumed extremely dominating positions. At some point
white will make mate threats against the black king.} Qc1+ $2 ({
the white pieces must be challenged! this seems like the last chance:} 27...
Qf8 28. h4 Qe8 $14 {and white's advantage is under control}) 28. Kf2 Kh7 ({
black's defenses are probably inadequate now. if she tries:} 28... Qd2+ 29. Kg3
g5 30. h4 Qf4+ 31. Qxf4 gxf4+ 32. Kxf4 {
this endgame will probably be lost, like in the game}) 29. h4 $1 ({if} 29. Bh8
Qd2+ 30. Kg3 Qg5+ 31. Qxg5 hxg5 32. Bf6 {
black is quite likely to save the endgame}) 29... Qc2+ 30. Kg3 {on an indiffere
nt move follows Bh8. black no longer has better than to make a very
unfavorable exchange of queens. More even than the loss of a pawn, the white
king's easy path into the center (supporting the d5 pawn) decides.} Qf5 31.
Qxf5 gxf5 32. h5 $1 {A doubly virtuous move! White keeps the black king from
joining the white king in the center via g6. Also white nails down the Ph6, so
that even if the black king eventually went to the center, white might win
with Bg7.} b5 {The black queenside pawns provide minimal counterplay. The
other defense would have been:} 33. a3 a5 34. Kf4 Kg8 35. Kxf5 b4 (35... Kf8
36. Ke5 b4 {look at this variation a little further with the engine}) 36. cxb4
axb4 37. axb4 c3 38. d5 c2 39. Bb2 Bxd5 40. b5 Kf8 41. Ke5 Be4 42. Kxe4 1-0

