Knockout format nerve
When players get to the tiebreak playoff phase in a knockout event, nerve becomes a major issue. In this game, both players, who are grandmasters, made a series of serious blunders.
Sebag should have won this match but she blundered in game 2 in a better position to allow Stefanova to even up the match. Sebag once again could have taken the lead with a piece up in the first rapid playoff game. But once again, she was the last to blunder and lost her chance for a shot at the World Championship.
Stefanova, having won the title in this format before, was more composed and that is the reason why she prevailed.
Stefanova – Sebag (playoff game 1)
1. Nf3 d5 2. c4 c6 3. g3 Nf6 4. Bg2 dxc4 5. O-O Nbd7 6. Qc2 Nb6 7. a4 a5 8. Na3 Be6 9. Ng5 Bg4 10. Nxc4 Bxe2 11. Ne5 Bh5 12. b4 e6 13. b5 Bd6 14. Bb2 O-O 15. bxc6 Rc8 16. Qb1 Bxe5 17. cxb7 Rc5 18. d4 Bg6 19. Ne4 Rc4 20. Rd1 Bc7 21. Ba3 Re8 22. Nxf6+ gxf6 23. Qb5 Bc2 24. Re1 Bxa4 25. Qh5 Bc6 26. Qg4+ Kh8 27. Bxc6 Rxc6 28. Rab1 Qd5 29. Qe2 Nc4 30. Bc5 Bd6 31. Rec1 Bxc5 32. b8=Q Rxb8 33. Rxb8+ Kg7 34. Qxc4 Bxd4 35. Qxc6 Qa2 36. Qf3 f5 37. Rbc8 a4 38. R8c2 Qb3 39. Qxb3 1-0
Optimal move
Suboptimal move
Weak move (blunder)
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
I’m sorry to see Sebag, the most beautiful player in chess, got knocked out.