White was a schoolgirl at the time that this game was played, but just two years later her rating had shot up to well over 2300.
1.e4
c6
2.d4
d5
3.Nc3
dxe4
4.Nxe4
Nd7
5.Nf3
Ngf6
6.Nxf6+
This is an old and simple system against 4...Nd7. Karpov scored well with it back in the 70s.
6...Nxf6
7.Ne5
e6
8.Bg5
Be7
9.c3
0-0
10.Bd3
Nd5
11.Bxe7
Qxe7
12.Qf3
c5
13.Qe4?!
White actually gets into a bit of trouble with this move.
13.0-0
cxd4
14.Qe4
Nf6
15.Qxd4+/=
; 13.dxc5
Qxc5
14.0-0+/=.
13...f5
14.Qe2
cxd4
15.Bc4
15.cxd4
would be met by 15...Qb4+
when White cannot save the pawn at d4.
15...dxc3
16.Bxd5
exd5
17.bxc3
f4
18.0-0
f3
19.Qe3
fxg2
20.Rfd1
Be6
21.Rd4
Black stands much better here. How does it happen, then, that White wins the game? The answer lies not only in Black's errors over the next twenty moves but also in White's superior piece activity.
21...Rf5
22.Nd3
Qf6
23.Re1
Bf7
24.Qg3
Rf3
25.Qc7
Qc6?!
25...b6
is better.
26.Re7
Rc8?
But this is a serious error, letting White fully back into the game.
27.Qxc6
bxc6
28.Kxg2
So Black loses the a-pawn as well, and White can start to think about more than merely drawing.
28...Rf6
29.Rxa7
Bg6
30.Nc5
Rcf8
31.Rd2
Of course White is not going to let Black capture on f2.
31...Rf4
32.Ne6
Rg4+
33.Kf1
Rb8
34.f3
Rc4
35.Rxg7+
Kh8
36.Rc7
Rxc3
37.Kf2
Bh5
38.Ng5
Bg6
39.Re2
c5
40.Ree7
Rc2+
41.Kg3
c4
42.h4
42.Nxh7!
Bxh7
43.Rxh7+
Kg8
44.a4
would give White serious winning chances because the Rooks are so strong.
42...Rc1
43.Nxh7
White chooses this moment to "cash in" on her piece activity.
43...Bxh7
44.Rxh7+
Kg8
45.Rhd7
With both Rooks behind Black's pawns, Black is very likely to pick up one of them.
45...c3
Black stakes everything on the advanced c-pawn.
46.Rxd5
c2
Now if it were Black's move, 47...Rg1+ followed by 48...c1=Q would win a Rook and leave Black with a winning position. But it is White's move.
47.Rdc5!
White correctly lines up both Rooks on the c-pawn, a formation that meets the threat mentioned in the previous note.
47...Rb2
This is the only move that keeps the c-pawn.
48.a3
Ra2
49.Kf4
Instead 49.Ra5
Rg1+
50.Kh3!
(50.Kf2??
c1Q+
51.Rc2
Rxc2#
) 50...Rh1+
51.Kg4
Rg1+
52.Kh5
Rg7
(52...c1Q??
53.Ra8#
) 53.Rg5
Rxg5+
54.hxg5!
Rxa3
55.f4
and White should win, for example, 55...Rf3
56.Kg4!
Rf2
57.g6
Kf8
58.Kg5
and with f5 and Kf6 White will threaten mate.
49...Rxa3
50.Rxc2
Ra4+
50...Rxc2
51.Rxc2
Kg7
is drawn, but the draw can be fairly tricky for Black to hold.
51.Kg5
51.Kg3
Rxc2
52.Rxc2
Kg7
is still a draw.
51...Rg1+
51...Rxc2
52.Rxc2
is a draw, but only if Black finds the right move here: 52...Ra5+
53.Kg4
Kg7=.
52.Kf5
Rxh4
53.Rc8+
Kh7
54.R2c7+
Rg7
55.f4
Rh5+
56.Kf6
Rh6+
57.Ke5
Rh5+?!
This needless check draws the pawn forward and takes the Rook off of the vital third rank.
57...Rxc7!
58.Rxc7+
Kg8
Black has a Philidor barrier in place and draws comfortably.
58.f5
Rxc7
59.Rxc7+
Kg8??
This move looks very natural, bringing the King back around to the front of the pawn. But actually, Black's Rook is on a horrible square, and that fact permits White to win.
59...Kh6!
is the only move that keeps the position drawn. But why? The point is that White cannot simply plow forward with the pawn: 60.Ke6
Rh1
61.f6
Ra1
62.Ke7
Ra8!=
and Black has reached a theoretically drawn position.
60.Ke6!
Rh1
61.Rc8+
Kh7
62.Kf7?
Black should be able to hold this ending by giving checks on the "long" side of the pawn.
Better was 62.f6!
Re1+
63.Kf7
Ra1
64.Ke8
Re1+
65.Kf8
Ra1
66.f7
Re1
67.Re8
Ra1
68.Ke7
Ra7+
69.Ke6
Ra6+
70.Kd5+-
and Black soon runs out of checks, at which point White queens the pawn.
62...Rd1?
Black clearly has no idea how to handle this endgame. Now it is actually lost.
Still drawing was 62...Ra1!
63.Re8
Ra7+
64.Re7
(64.Kf8
Ra6
65.Re7+
Kh8!
66.Re6
Ra8+
67.Re8
Ra6
68.Kf7+
Kh7=
) 64...Ra8=
This is a drawing technique worth remembering.
63.f6!
Rf1
64.Rc2
Threatening mate, so Black must walk backwards with her King or else make the Rook passive.
64...Rh1
65.Re2
65.Rf2
is simpler: 65...Rh3
66.Kf8
Rh1
67.f7
Rh3
68.Ke7
Re3+
69.Kf6+-
etc.
65...Rh6
66.Ke7
Kh8
67.f7
Rh7
68.Ke8
1-0