The Canadian Game of the Week is the fourth round encounter between the top two seeds at the 2016 Canadian Women's Championship, annotated by the winner.
The Canadian Women's Championship (Zonal 2.2) ran September 22-25, 2016 at the RA Centre in Ottawa. It was a 7-player Round Robin, with three players over 2260 and the rest under 2040.
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[Event "Women's Zonal"]
[Site "RA Ottawa"]
[Date "2016.09.24"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Zhou, Qiyu"]
[Black "Matras-Clement, Agnieszka"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C92"]
[WhiteElo "2325"]
[BlackElo "2308"]
[Annotator "Zhou,Qiyu"]
[PlyCount "127"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3
O-O 9. h3 Bb7 10. d4 Re8 11. Nbd2 Bf8 12. d5 Nb8 13. Nf1 Nbd7 14. N3h2 c6 15.
dxc6 Bxc6 16. Bg5 h6 17. Bxf6 Nxf6 18. Ng4 {Everything up to here was standard
Spanish theory.} Ra7 $6 {I personally don't like this move too much, even
though anything in this position is probably playable for Black. It is very
hard for Black to actually push ...d5.} ({More common is} 18... Nh7 {aimed at
not exchanging the knights} 19. Bd5 Bxd5 20. Qxd5 Rb8 21. Qd3 Ng5 22. Nge3 a5
23. Nd5 Ne6 24. g3) (18... Nxe4 $2 {of course doesn't work because of} 19. Qf3
d5 20. Rxe4 $1 dxe4 21. Qxf7+ $18) 19. Qf3 {There was nothing wrong with Qf3,
but more in the spirit of the position was Nxf6.} ({I was wondering if I
should have simply played} 19. Nxf6+ {since Black's 18... Nh7 seems to be
aimed at not exchanging knights.} Qxf6 20. a4 ({Another, simple choice is} 20.
Bd5 Bxd5 21. Qxd5 {where White will play against Black's bad bishop for the
rest of the game.}) 20... Rb8 (20... Rb7 21. Ne3 (21. axb5 axb5 22. Bd5 Bxd5
23. Qxd5 $14) 21... Qd8 (21... Bxe4 22. Ng4) 22. axb5 Bxb5 23. Bd5 $14) 21.
axb5 Bxb5 22. Ra2 Bxf1 23. Rxf1 $14 {all of this looks fairly comfortable and
easy to play for White. Black's dark-squared bishop has little prospects,
while White can obviously target a6.}) 19... Nh7 20. Ng3 Rd7 ({I was expecting
} 20... Ng5 21. Qe3 ({The other line I calculated was} 21. Qd3 Rd7 22. Bd5 (22.
Rad1 g6 23. Bd5) 22... Bxd5 23. Qxd5 Ne6 {but I would say 21. Qe3 is better})
21... Rd7 22. Rad1 g6 (22... d5 $2 23. exd5 Bxd5 {Tactics work in White's
favour.} 24. Nxe5 $1 (24. Bxd5 $2 Rxd5 $8 $11 25. Qe2 (25. Rxd5 Qxd5)) 24...
Rd6 (24... f6 25. Nxd7 Rxe3 26. Bxd5+ Kh8 27. Rxe3 Qxd7 28. Bb3 Qc8 (28... Qc6
29. Rd8 Nh7 30. Ree8 $18 {and the f8 bishop is dropping}) 29. h4 Nh7 30. Bf7
$18) 25. Nf5 Bxb3 26. Nxd6 Bxd6 (26... Bxd1 27. Nxe8 $18) 27. axb3 $18) 23. h4
({eg. if} 23. Rd2 $2 h5 24. Nh2 (24. h4 Ne6 25. Nh2 Qxh4 $17) 24... h4 $17)
23... h5 $1 (23... Ne6 24. h5 $14) 24. hxg5 hxg4 25. Bd5 Bxd5 26. Rxd5 Be7 27.
Qd2 Bxg5 28. Qe2 {taking back on g4 next move. The engine says the position is
equal, but I would probably still prefer White because of Black's permanent
weakness, d6.}) 21. Ne3 Nf6 22. Rad1 g6 23. Rd3 Bg7 24. Red1 Qc7 25. Ng4 Nxg4
26. Qxg4 Kh7 27. h4 Rdd8 28. R1d2 (28. h5 {this was fine too}) 28... Bb7 29. h5
Bc8 30. Qd1 Bf8 31. hxg6+ {I think I rushed with this.} (31. Nf1 {the knight
is doing much on g3 anymore, so I should have relocated it} Be6 {Also after}
32. Rg3 (32. Ne3 Bxb3 33. axb3 ({Probably a preference thing,} 33. Qxb3 {
is alright too}) 33... Qb7 34. Qf3 Re6 35. b4 $16 {and the a-pawn might become
a weakness too.}) 32... Bxb3 33. axb3 Be7 34. Ne3 $16 {it is very difficult
for Black to make moves}) 31... fxg6 {After this, I have no threats against
Black's king.} 32. Rf3 $6 {My entire plan of putting a rook near Black's king
was rubbish, as I had miscalculated and realized I couldn't keep it there.} Be6
({Better was} 32... Bg4 {which I had seen, but I had assumed that I get a
decent position after it. However, this was not the case.} 33. Rf7+ (33. Rxf8
Bxd1 34. Rf7+ Qxf7 35. Bxf7 Re7 36. Bxg6+ Kxg6 37. Rxd1 d5 38. exd5 Red7 $17)
33... Qxf7 34. Bxf7 Bxd1 35. Bxe8 Bg4 (35... Rxe8 36. Rxd1 $14) 36. Bc6 Rc8 37.
Bb7 Rb8 38. Bd5 (38. Bxa6 $2 Rb6 $17) 38... Be7 $11 {I had originally presumed
this endgame is better for me, but it is most likely just equal.}) 33. Rf6 Bxb3
34. axb3 Kg7 {I actually just completely forgot about this move.} 35. Rf3 Be7
36. Rd5 Rf8 37. Rxf8 {I believe here I had to rethink my strategies, as the
whole rook to f6 plan backfired. At this moment, I was sort of upset that my
obvious advantage in the middlegame had seemingly dissipaited and played as if
I still had the initiative.} (37. Rfd3 Qb6 38. Rd2 Rf6) ({Another move to
consider was} 37. Nf1 {once again with the idea of manouvering the knight to
d5, as it has served its purpose on g3.}) 37... Rxf8 38. Qg4 {Practically a
useless move, as I was forced to move the queen back to protect f2 two moves
later.} (38. Nf1 {The knight was not doing a lot on g3 anymore, and now was a
good time to relocate it. E3 seems like a good square for it, as it can
potentially jump to d5 later. Also, Black has a lot of troubles with her
d6-pawn, as two pieces are tied down to defending it.}) 38... Bg5 39. Nf1 Qb6
40. Qe2 b4 $6 41. c4 a5 $6 {This structure cannot be good for Black. It was
better to leave the pawns on a6 and b5, as now both a5 and d6 are weak.} 42.
Ne3 Bxe3 43. Qxe3 ({If I had played this game a couple months prior, I would
have probably gone} 43. fxe3 {and tried to use the queen and rook to get one
of Black's weak pawns. However, this move leaves e3 weak, as well as the king
(potentially)}) 43... Qxe3 {To be honest, I had dismissed this move because I
thought the rook ending was winning for me....} 44. fxe3 {...however, even
though I will most likely get at least two of Black's pawns at the loss of one
of mine, the doubled e-pawns are not very useful. Therefore my judgement was
most likely wrong, and it was probably about equal, but Black has to play very
actively and well to hold the draw.} Ra8 45. Rxd6 a4 $1 46. bxa4 Rxa4 47. Rd3 (
47. Rb6 {doesn't work either} b3 48. Rxb3 Rxc4 49. Rb5 (49. Rb8 Rxe4 50. Kf2 g5
$11) 49... Rxe4 50. Kf2 Rc4 51. Kf3 (51. Rxe5 Rc2+ 52. Kf3 Rxb2 $11) 51... Kf6
52. Rb6+ Kf5 53. g3 h5 54. b4 h4 55. gxh4 Rxh4 $11) (47. Rd5 Ra2 (47... b3 48.
Rxe5 Rxc4 49. Rb5 Rxe4 50. Kf2 Rc4 51. Rxb3 {offers White some chances.}) 48.
b3 Rb2 49. Rd3 Rb1+ 50. Kf2 Kf6 {would lead to a similar line that could have
arose from the game.}) 47... Ra1+ 48. Kf2 Rc1 49. b3 Kf6 $4 ({The move I
considered during the game was} 49... Rb1 {after which it is most likely drawn,
because there is no way I can improve the position of my king, or push my
pawns.} 50. c5 Kf6 51. c6 Rc1 52. Rd6+ Kf7 53. Ke2 h5 54. Kd2 Rc3 55. Ke2 Rxb3
$11 56. Rd7+ (56. c7 Rc3 57. Rb6 Rxc7 58. Rxb4 $11) 56... Ke6 $11 (56... Ke8
57. Rd5 Rc3 58. Rxe5+ Kd8 59. Rb5 (59. Re6 $2 Rc2+ 60. Kd3 (60. Kf3 b3 $19)
60... Rxg2 $19) 59... Rxc6 60. Rxb4 Ke7 $11) 57. Rg7 Kf6 58. Rb7 Rc3 59. Rxb4
Rxc6 $11) ({Interesting was} 49... Rc3 {pointed out by my opponent during
post-mortem.} 50. Rxc3 bxc3 51. Ke2 {at first glance I thought this was easily
winning for White, but in fact it is just a draw, because Black can create her
own passed pawn on the h-file if White doesn't watch out.} h5 52. Kd3 (52. c5
Kf6 53. Kd3 h4 54. Kxc3 g5 55. Kd3 g4 56. Ke2 Ke7 57. b4 Kd7 58. b5 Kc7 $11)
52... g5 $1 53. Kxc3 h4 $1 54. c5 (54. Kd2 g4 55. Ke2 Kf6 56. c5 Ke6 57. b4 Kd7
58. b5 Kc7 $11) 54... Kf7 (54... g4 $4 55. c6 h3 56. gxh3 gxh3 57. c7 h2 58.
c8=Q $18) 55. Kd3 (55. b4 $4 g4 $19) 55... g4 56. Ke2 Ke6 57. b4 Kd7 58. b5 Kc7
59. Kf1 Kb7 60. Ke1 Kc7 $11 {and neither side can make progress.}) 50. Rd6+ Kg5
51. Rb6 Rc3 52. Rxb4 Kg4 53. Ke2 $1 ({editor -} 53. Rb6 Rc2+ 54. Ke1 g5 55.
Rxh6 Rxg2 $132) 53... Rc2+ 54. Kd3 Rxg2 55. c5 Rf2 56. c6 Rf8 57. c7 Rc8 58.
Rc4 h5 59. b4 h4 60. b5 h3 61. b6 h2 62. Rc1 Kg3 63. Rh1 Kg2 64. Rxh2+ 1-0
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