White: Jim Plaskett
Black: Irina Krush
Hampstead 2001
Sicilian Sozin B88
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 Nc6 6 Bc4
The Sozin Attack - Bobby Fischer's favourite weapon against the Sicilian.
6...e6
Later in the tournament Krush was more successful with 6...Qb6, which she used to defeat Adam Hunt.
7 Bb3 Be7 8 Be3 a6 9 f4 Qc7
Also playable is 9...0-0 10 Qf3 Nxd4 11 Bxd4 b5! 12 Bxf6 Bxf6 13 e5 Bh4+ 14 g3 Rb8, as in Short-Kasparov, World Championship (m/12) London 1993.
10 Qf3 Bd7
Possibly this is too slow. 10...0-0 is the normal move, when White chooses between 11 0-0-0 and 11 f5.
11 f5 Nxd4 12 Bxd4 e5 13 Be3 Bc6 14 g4!
Much more direct and thus stronger than 14 0-0 b5! (now Black gets in first) 15 Qg3?! (15 g4 b4 16 Nd5 Nxd5 17 exd5 Bb5 looks unclear) 15...Kf8! 16 a3?! Nxe4 17 Nxe4 Bxe4 18 f6 Bxf6 19 Rxf6 gxf6 20 Bh6+ Ke7 and Black went on to win in Stefansson-Tan Chun, Bagiuo 1987.
14...b5
Black's position is already precarious, underling how one small mistake can be costly in sharp positions. An earlier game in this line went 14...h6 15 h4 Qa5 16 0-0-0 Qb4 17 a3 Qa5 (17...Bxe4 18 Qf2 Qa5 19 Bb6 Nxg4 20 Qg1 and Black's queen is trapped) 18 g5 Nd7 19 Qh5 0-0-0 20 Qxf7 Bf8 21 f6 gxf6 22 g6 and White won, Souza Mendes-Ribeiro, Sao Paulo 1967.
15 g5 Nxe4?
This just doesn't work. Objectively best is the retreat 15...Nd7 although this is obviously grim for Black, 16 Nd5 being one sensible reply.
16 Nxe4 Qb7
Krush had been relying on this pin along the long diagonal but...
17 f6! Bxe4
After 17...gxf6 18 Nxf6+ Kf8 19 Bd5 White remains a piece up, while 17...Bf8 lose to 18 fxg7 Bxg7 19 Nxd6+.
18 fxg7 Bxf3 19 gxh8Q+ Kd7 20 Qxh7 Bxh1
After the fireworks, material is level once again, but Black's king is in danger and the f7-pawn will soon be lost.
21 Qf5+ Kd8 22 0-0-0 Bf3 23 Rd2 Rc8 24 Qxf7
Now there's nothing to stop the g-pawn promoting. Instead Krush chooses a quicker death.
24...Qe4 25 Bb6+ Kd7 26 Qe6+
26 Rxd6+! Kxd6 27 Qe6 is mate, but the text is good enough.
26...Kc6 27 Bd5+ 1-0