ETCETERA / Chess: England's leading woman player, now married to a Croatian grandmaster, tries out her new name in the Croatian Team Championships.

White: S Lalic

Black: A Krivec

Scotch Game

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6

The main alternative is 4 . . . Bc5.

5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. Bd3 d5 8. exd5 cxd5 9. 0-0 0-0 10. Bg5 c6 11. Qf3

This has been standard stuff for 75 years. The normal moves now are 11 . . . Be7 or 11 . . . Bd6 when after 12. Bxf6 Qxf6 13. Qxf6 gxf6 Black's bishops are ample compensation for weak pawns.

Her next move surprised me, as much for her speed in playing it as for the fact that it is a poor move.

11 . . . Bxc3 12. bxc3

Now it's White who has the bishop pair, and chances of using them for a middle-game attack.

12 . . . Qd6 13. Bf4

Only now did my opponent stop rattling out her moves. Presumably she had come to the end of her opening preparation.

13 . . . Qa3?

This is a bad move because it takes the queen away from her defensive duties, and does not threaten Qxc3 anyway, since it loses the queen to Bxh7+. The best move is 13 . . . Qd7, hoping to offer a queen exchange with Qg4.

14. Be5 Nd7?

Two mistakes in a row adds up to a lost position. 14 . . . Ng4 was essential. Now I can deliver the killer punch.

15. Bxg7]

Perhaps she had been too worried about Bxh7+ to see this idea.

15 . . . Kxg7 16. Qg4+ Kf6

After 16 . . . Kh8 17. Qf5, Black is even worse off.

17. Rae1]

Trapping the black king. The threat is 18. Qf4+ or Qf5+ and if Black tries to defend with 17 . . . Qd6 then 18. Qf5+ Kg7 19. Qh7+ Kf6 20. Qh6 mate. My opponent found the only way to play on by giving the piece back.

17 . . . Ne5 18. Qf4+ Ke7

19. Rxe5+?]

I had intended to play 19. Qxe5+ Be6 20. Qc7+ winning easily, but I picked up the wrong piece. Now I had to find another way to finish the game off.

19 . . . Be6 20. Rfe1 Kd7 21. c4]

Opening more lines of attack to the exposed black king.

21 . . . Qb4 22. a3 Qa4

Refusing the small bribe; after 22 . . . Qxa3 23. cxd5 Black is in great trouble.

23. Qe3 Rfe8 24. cxd5 cxd5

25. Qc5 a6 (see diagram)

White to play and win.

26. Rxd5+] Bxd5 27. Bf5+] Kd8

After 27 . . . Be6 28. Rd1+ Black is mated.

28. Qd6 mate.

(Graphic omitted)