[Event "7th Salamanca Festival 2024"] [Site "Salamanca"] [Date "2024.05.22"] [Round "2.2"] [White "Iturrizaga Bonelli, Eduardo"] [Black "Paehtz, Elisabeth"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "E61"] [WhiteElo "2591"] [BlackElo "2457"] [Annotator "CC"] [PlyCount "96"] [EventDate "2024.??.??"] {[%evp 0,96,14,-18,-4,-51,25,7,6,6,17,11,12,5,7,17,20,12,30,16,19,29,35,40,41, 31,50,20,49,49,48,59,56,50,48,40,39,35,50,48,48,39,84,43,43,43,37,37,35,23,43, 52,47,43,35,35,61,68,55,55,111,108,103,106,110,110,110,132,132,84,141,0,0,-1, -1,0,0,-12,-12,0,0,0,46,40,40,-25,-11,-55,-44,-160,-163,-186,-170,-279,-103, -463,-438,-459,-326]} 1. c4 Nf6 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. Nc3 O-O 5. d4 Nc6 6. e3 d6 7. Nge2 Bd7 8. O-O e5 9. h3 Re8 10. d5 Na5 {This move does not look all that natural due to White's b2-b3, but it's the engine's first choice.} ({ Alternatives (which have been played before) are} 10... Ne7) ({Or} 10... Nb8) 11. b3 a6 12. a4 c5 {Allowing White to take en passant if he wants, opening up the light-squared long diagonal and weakening the d6-pawn. In exchange, Black gets to free her pieces.} (12... b6 {was a more conservative alternative.}) 13. dxc6 ({Engines prefer to keep the position closed with} 13. e4 {but this is a rapid game, and Iturrizaga was the rating favourite - thus, he chooses to open the centre a bit.}) 13... Bxc6 14. e4 {[#] With the black knight on a5 out of play, White has a positional advantage.} b6 15. Be3 Qb8 16. Nd5 Nxd5 17. cxd5 Bd7 18. Rb1 b5 19. Qd2 b4 20. Nc1 Qb7 21. Na2 Rab8 22. Rfc1 f5 {Since White has a spatial advantage with his pawn on d5 and is putting pressure on the vulnerable b4-pawn, Black understandably decides to counter-attack on the opposite flank.} 23. f3 Rf8 24. Qd3 Rf7 25. Bd2 Qb6+ 26. Qe3 {Iturrizaga considers that his positional trumps will give him good winning chances in a queenless position.} Qxe3+ 27. Bxe3 f4 28. Bd2 fxg3 29. Nxb4 Nxb3 ({Engines prefer to defend passively with} 29... Rb6) 30. Nc6 Rb7 31. Nd8 Bxa4 {[#] A tactical sequence led to this position, which computers evaluate as clearly better for White. However, it must be noted that by this point Iturrizaga had 5 minutes to Paehtz's 15. Having a time advantage in this stage of the game is crucial, as was later demonstrated by the German GM.} 32. Nxb7 Rxb7 33. Rc4 Rb5 {White has emerged with an extra exchange, but Black has a dangerous passer on the a-file.} 34. Be1 (34. Rxa4 Nxd2 35. Rxb5 axb5 36. Ra8+ Kf7 {This forcing line is not as strong as what Iturrizaga played in the game, but it does simplify matters and he is still an exchange up - given Iturrizaga's disadvantage on the clock, entering this variation might have been a good idea from a pragmatic point of view.}) 34... Nc5 35. Ra1 {[#] This innocent-looking move gives up the advantage.} (35. Rcb4 {Forcing simplifications was clearly better for White, e.g.:} h5 36. Bxg3 Bf6 37. Bf1 Rxb4 38. Rxb4 {and White can patiently convert his material advantage into a win.}) 35... Bh6 36. Bxg3 Bb3 37. Rxc5 {White will lose the exchange anyway - this is the best way to do it, gaining the a6-pawn. The position is now balanced.} (37. Rc3 Bd2) 37... Rxc5 38. Rxa6 Be3+ 39. Kh2 Rc1 40. h4 Bg1+ {The recently activated bishop demonstrates that Black now has counterplay.} 41. Kh3 Bc5 42. h5 gxh5 43. Kh4 Rg1 44. Bh3 {The losing mistake. Black will pin the bishop and threaten to bring her own light-squared bishop to gain a piece.} (44. Kh3 {leads to a balanced position, but Iturrizaga (who had only seconds on his clock) failed to recognise that his advantage had evaporated. The game might have followed:} Bc4 45. Ra8+ Kf7 46. Rh8 Bf1 47. Bxf1 Rxf1 48. Kg2 Rg1+ 49. Kh2 Kg6 {and a draw will likely be the result.}) 44... Rh1 {[#]} 45. Rc6 Ba4 46. Rc7 Bb5 47. Kg5 {White goes for counterplay, as all the black pieces are far away from the black monarch. Iturrizaga's idea is correct, but advancing with the king at once was too hasty.} ({Better was} 47. Rb7 {and Black should not play} Bf1 { due to} (47... Ba6 48. Rb2 Bg1 {is the way to make progress for Black, but the lines require precise calculation and Paehtz had about 4 minutes on her clock - so anything might still have happened.}) 48. Kg5 Rxh3 49. Kf6 h6 50. Rb8+ Kh7 51. Rb7+ Kg8 {with a perpetual.}) 47... Rxh3 48. Kf6 Be8 {[#] The key defensive idea, dealing with the mating threat while already a piece up! Iturrizaga resigned.} 0-1