[Event "World Women-ch01"] [Site "London"] [Date "1927.??.??"] [White "Menchik, Vera"] [Black "Price, Edith Charlotte"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "mistr"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "A15"] [Opening "English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, King's Indian Formation"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/Qpg3cJhA/pMb9HOs5"] [Orientation "white"] { The second game we are going to examine features Menchik having the White pieces against Edith Price. Price was a multiple British Women's Chess Champion, having won the title in 1922, 1923, 1924, 1928... and 1948! In London, she went on to take the 6th place, but 6 year later in the 1933 championship, she would end up taking clear 2nd, behind Menchik! } 1. Nf3 { If I am not mistaken, Menchik was considered to be a positional player, and she mainly chose the more closed systems throughout her career, and not something like 1.e4. But I can't say I have seen enough of her games - so take that verdict with a grain of salt. } 1... Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 d6 4. d4 Bg7 5. Bg2 O-O { And so, we have transposed into the fianchetto variation against the King's Indian. } 6. O-O c6 { One of the many continuations available at Black's disposal in this rich position. } 7. Nc3 Re8 { Black is trying to prepare e5. But this move is not very popular at the top level nowadays. } (7... Qa5 { Is one of the main continuations, intending to transfer the queen to h5. The computer is not impressed and gives a solid plus to White after } 8. e4) (7... Bf5 { Increasing control over the e4 square and hinting at e4, is the engine top move. This was featured recently in several games in the Champions Chess Tour match between Denis Lazavik and Fabiano Caruana. But I am digressing, as it is really unfair toward these players to judge the opening theory in 1927 from the 2023 standpoint. }) 8. h3 { I guess the point of this move is to try and prevent Bg4 - but it is debatable whether that is so necessary. } (8. e4 { Is also quite sensible since now } 8... Bg4 9. h3 Bxf3 10. Qxf3 { Is very good for White. Black doesn't achieve much with this exchange since there is no way to plant the knight to d4 or exploit the temporary weakness of the pawn on that square. }) 8... Be6?! { This is a very strange and provocative move. I guess Price thought it is worth to induce d5 from White - but it turns out to be a misjudgment. } (8... e5) (8... d5 { was to be preferred. }) 9. d5 { Of course! } 9... cxd5?! { But this is also not necessary. It is probably better not to open the c-file for White. } (9... Bd7 { Is probably better, although White does have a better position due to the space advantage. }) 10. cxd5 Bd7 11. Be3 { This feels a bit artificial to me - why not move the e-pawn? } (11. e4 a5 12. Re1 { With ideas of playing e5, seems even better! }) 11... Na6 (11... a5 { Perhaps it was more accurate to try and fight for the dark-squares, e.g. } 12. Rc1 Na6 13. Nd4 Nc5) 12. Qd2 (12. Nd4 { Could have been considered because now } 12... Nc5 { is met with } 13. b4 { kicking the knight away. } 13... Bxh3) 12... Nc7 { The idea is to jump on b5 and exchange some pieces. This is nominally correct as Black has less space, and it is to the favour of the side with less space to exchange pieces. But in this concrete position, it doesn't really solve Black's issues. } (12... b5 { Trying to get some space on the queenside and potentially play b4, was worth considering, although it does look risky to weaken the c6 long-term, due to the Nd4-Nc6 ideas. }) 13. Rfd1 Nb5 14. Nxb5 Bxb5 15. Rac1 a6? { But this move is not necessary and merely creates some weaknesses (b6) on the queenside. } (15... Rc8 { Black was probably worried about losing the pawn on a7, but it is not clear how exactly should White grab it as there is always the counterplay against the a2 pawn, e.g. } 16. Bxa7 Rxc1 17. Rxc1 Qa8 18. Bd4 Qxa2) 16. Nd4 $36 { A good move, improving the knight with a gain of tempo. } 16... Bd7 17. Qb4 { Targeting the queenside. } 17... Rb8 18. Kh2 { Not strictly necessary, although White's advantage is large and static as it is. } (18. Nb3 { With ideas of Na5 and Ba7 was worth considering. }) 18... Bc8? { A big blunder, missing a one-move tactic... } 19. Qc3? { ...which Menchik also misses. } (19. Nc6! { Was winning the exchange - and with it the game - on the spot. }) 19... Nd7?! { A typical move in these structures, opening up the bishop on g7 and preparing Nc5. But the problem is that Black is not developed and that White has the ability to place the pawn on b4. } (19... Bd7 { Developing the bishop again and taking it from there was preferable. Once again, Qc7 doesn't bring anything: } 20. Qc7 Qxc7 21. Rxc7 Red8 { Ne8 is coming next and White is not better in this endgame since Black doesn't have any clear weaknesses. }) 20. Qc7? { This is too hasty. The exchange of the queens greatly helps Black as it solves the space problems to a certain extent. } (20. b4 { Was much more patient, simply preventing Nc5 and asking Black what they want to do. White can continue with a4 next in order to gain even more space on the queenside, e.g. } 20... Nf6 21. a4 Bd7 22. b5 $18) 20... Qxc7 21. Rxc7 Nc5 { A logical - but not the best - follow up. } (21... Nb6 { Is the engine first choice. The idea is surprising - Na8 to expel the rook from c7, e.g. } 22. Rdc1 (22. Nf5 Bxf5 23. Bxb6 Rbc8) 22... Na8 23. R7c3 Bd7 { And Rec8 is coming next. White retains some advantage due to more space and more active pieces - but the worst is over for Black. }) 22. b4 Na4 23. Rdc1 { Now Black is under a lot of pressure - although it is not all over yet. } 23... Kf8 (23... Nb6 { is now met with the ultra brilliant } 24. Nf5 Bxf5 25. Bxb6 Rbc8 26. e4 Bd7 27. R1c4 { And Bf1 is coming next, when White will finally start taking things along the 7th rank. }) 24. Be4 (24. Nb3 { Trying to get the knight to a5 and also introducing Ba7 ideas later, was worth considering. }) 24... Rd8 { Black is trying to finish the development with Bd7. } (24... Nb6 { would now be met with } 25. Ne6+ Bxe6 26. dxe6 $18) 25. Bc2 { Not the best, chasing the knight where it wants to go and abandoning the d5 pawn. } (25. Bg5 Re8 26. Nb3 { Trying to get the knight to a5 after all, was again worth considering - although it is no longer easy for White to prove an advantage. }) 25... Nb6 26. Bb3 { The culminating point in the game. } (26. Ne6+ { No longer works since the d5 square is not protected. } 26... Bxe6 27. Bxb6 (27. dxe6 Nd5) 27... Bxd5) 26... Rd7? { Blundering the game away on the spot. } (26... Na8 { This idea we have seen previously, was also quite good here. After } 27. R7c3 Bd7 { White doesn't even have a hint of an advantage, since Black is ready to play Rc8 next. }) 27. R7c2 { Now White has multiple threats, such as Ne6, Bxb6, Rxc8, etc. } 27... Rd8 28. Ne6+! Bxe6 29. Bxb6 (29. dxe6 { Is also winning. }) 29... Bf5 30. Bxd8 Bxc2 31. Bc7 Rc8 32. Rxc2 { An uneven, but very sharp, interesting and instructive game. It was clear that Menchik was ahead of her contemporaries in many aspects, even if she did commit quite a few mistakes in this game herself! } 1-0