Girl power wins through

Problem: White to play and mate in 6.

13 year old WFM Layla Timergazi achieved the best result of her career when she finished first equal with CM David Vincenti in the Wellington Open held over the Easter weekend. The pair were seeded seventh and fifth respectively in a field of 32, headed by three current New Zealand Champions, IM Russell Dive, IM Anthony Ker and FM Nic Croad.
Dive conceded two early draws – one to Otago's Leighton Nicholls, while Croad lost a game to sixth seed Michael Nyberg. After four rounds it was Nyberg leading on 4 points, followed by Ker and Vincenti who had just drawn their game. In the fifth round Nyberg drew with Vincenti, while Ker drew with Dive, eliminating the latter from contention. In the final round Timergazi, who had won all her games bar a loss to Ker, was paired against the leader, Nyberg. In an epic battle, Timergazi won dramatically from the position in today's diagram. Vincenti beat Ross Jackson to join her, while Ker and Croad could only draw with each other. The final scores were Timergazi & Vincenti 5/6; Ker, Nyberg, Dive & Croad 4.
Today's game features Timergazi with the white pieces against Wei Kai Chen from the second round.

1.d4 Nf6
2.c4 e6
3.Nc3 Bb4
4.e3 c5
5.Ne2
In the Rubinstein variation of the Nimzo Indian, White aims to drive off the bishop without allowing her c-pawns to be doubled.
5... b6
6.a3 Ba5
7.Bd2
Most common is 7.Rb1 trying to exploit the position of the black bishop.
7... O-O
8.Nf4 Bb7
9.Bd3 d5
10.Nce2?!
The start of an inaccurate phase by both players. It was necessary to exchange pawns first 10.cxd5 exd5 11.Nce2.
10... Nc6?!
Missing a tactical chance left open by White: 10... Bxd2+ 11.Qxd2 g5! winning a piece as 12.Nh3? dxc4 13.Bxc4 Bxg2 forks knight and rook, though after 12.cxd5! gxf4 13.dxe6 fxe3 14.exf7+ Rxf7 15.fxe3 White has some compensation with two pawns for the knight.
11.Bxa5?!
11.cxd5 was better.
11... Nxa5?!
11... dxc4! 12.Bxc4 Nxa5 gains time.
12.cxd5 c4
Interesting was 12... g5!? 13.Nh3 (13.b4!? gxf4 14.Nxf4 c4 15.Bc2 Nb3 with a piece for three pawns and highly complex play.) 13... Qxd5 14.Rg1 cxd4 15.exd4 Rfd8 stranding the white king in the centre. The text gains a queenside pawn majority but relieves pressure on White's centre.
13.Bc2 Nxd5
14.Nxd5 Qxd5
15.Nf4 Qg5
16.h4!? Qe7
White's last prefigured aggressive kingside action. 16... Qb5 would have denied the white queen access to h5.
17.Qh5 g6
18.Qh6 e5!
A timely central counter stroke.
19.dxe5 Qxe5
20.O-O-O! Be4
21.h5 g5?
Allowing a winning combination. Black's most convincing defence was 21... Nb3+ 22.Kb1 (22.Bxb3? cxb3 and White's king will quickly perish) 22... Bxc2+ 23.Kxc2 Qe4+ 24.Kc3 Qe5+ with perpetual check after 25.Kc2 as 25.Kxc4?? Qxb2 will end badly for White's king.
22.Rd5! Nb3+
23.Kb1 Bxc2+
24.Ka2!
The key – White will regain the piece with a winning attack. Not 24.Kxc2? Qe4+ 25.Kc3 f6 holding it together.
24... Qg7
25.Rxg5 Bg6
26.hxg6 hxg6?!
After 26... Qxh6 27.gxf7+ Kh8 28.Rxh6 Rxf7 29.Rh4! the threat of 30.Ng6+ wins more material. White is happy to keep queens on.
27.Qh4! Rfd8
28.Nh5 Qh8
29.Qxc4 Nc5
30.Rxg6+ Kf8
31.Rf6 Qh7
After the sterner 31... Rd7 White regroups to win the black queen: 32.Rf5! Rad8 33.Ng3 Qg8 34.Rfh5 Rd1 35.Rh8 etc.
32.Nf4 Qg7
33.Ng6+ Ke8
34.Rh8+ Kd7
35.Rxf7+ Resigns

1-0

Solution: 1.Be6+ Kh7 2.Bd4+! Be7 (2... Kg6 3.Rg7+ Kh5 4.Bg4+ Resigns) 3.Rxe7+ Kg6 4.Rg7+ Kh5 5.Bg4+ Kh4 6.Bf2#.