A tactic a day keeps the losses at bay!
[FEN “5Q2/7p/3p2p1/3Pp2k/7P/1p4PB/1Pqb1P1K/8 w – – 0 39”]
How did White bring the game to an end?
Hou,Yifan (2621) – Ushenina,Anna (2497)
EU-Cup (Women) 18th Rhodes (3.1), 22.10.2013
Sicilian Defense [B33]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5 a6 8.Na3 b5 9.Nd5 Be7 10.Bxf6 Bxf6 11.c4 b4 12.Nc2 0-0 13.g3 a5 14.Bg2 Bg5 15.0-0 Be6 16.Qd3 Bxd5 17.cxd5 Nb8 18.a3 Na6 19.axb4 Nxb4 20.Nxb4 axb4 21.h4 Bh6 22.Qc4 Rxa1 23.Rxa1 Qb8 24.Bh3 g6 25.Ra6 Rd8 26.Kg2 Bd2 27.Qc6 b3 28.Rb6 Qa7 29.Rb7 Qd4 30.Be6 Qxe4+ 31.Kh2 Rf8 32.Rxf7 Rxf7 33.Qe8+ Kg7 34.Qxf7+ Kh6 35.Qf8+ Kh5 36.Qe7 Kh6 37.Qf8+ Kh5 38.Bh3 Qc2
39.Bg4+!! Kxg4 40.f3+ Kh5 41.Kh3 1-0 It is mate upon 41…Qe4 42.g4+ Qxg4+ 43.fxg4#
It appears that 39.g4+ Kxh4, 40.Qe7+ Bg5, 41.Qxh7+ Bh6, 42.Qxh6++ mates one move sooner, but there is a hole in this variation. After 40.Qe7+ there is g5! and the crucial h7 square is now protected by Black’s queen. There is no mate and White is in trouble.