1. e2e4  1... e7e5  2. g1f3  2... b8c6  3. f1b5  3... g8f6 According to the Megabase, this is the  first time that the world champion uses the Berlin Defense. This might,  however, have been on the cards in her match against GM Aleksandra  Goryachkina. 4. e1g1  4... f6e4  5. d2d4  5... e4d6  6. b5c6  6... d7c6  7. d4e5  7... d6f5  8. d1d8  8... e8d8  9. f1d1  9... d8e8  10. b1c3  10... c8d7  11. b2b3  11... f8e7  12. c1b2  12... a8d8  13. c3e4 An attempt to improve on a game that  was played at the Russian team championship. 13... h7h5  14. d1d2  14... d7c8  15. d2e2 Kostenuik decided to keep as many pieces  as she can on the board. On the e-file the rook aims the black king. 15... c6c5  16. a1e1  16... h8h6 Ju finds a nice way to bring the second rook  out. 17. c2c4  17... e8f8  18. e2d2 At the end of the day Kostenuik decided to swap the rook pair.  The tactical ideas fizzled out, and the rooks are no better than the  opponent's ones. 18... d8d2  19. e4d2  19... h6a6  20. a2a4  20... g7g5 The Chinese GM is slowly outplaying her opponent. The  kingside pawns' advances aim to open the road for the bishops. 21. d2e4  21... g5g4  22. f3d2  22... f5d4  23. e4c3  23... c7c6  24. c3e4  24... b7b5  25. e4d6 Finally some activity! It is interesting how  deceptive the Berlin can be. The impression that White needs to play  statically is completely wrong as the first player cannot easily trade the opponent's pieces. It is quite the contrary: Black has tons of ways to  improve her position slowly. 25... c8e6  26. c4b5  26... c6b5  27. a4b5  27... a6a2  28. b2d4  28... c5d4  29. d2c4 Now the world champion comes with a  brilliant idea: 29... h5h4  30. g1f1  30... h4h3 First of all, this pawn takes away the air  from the white king and creates mating threats. 31. g2h3  31... g4h3  32. e1e2  32... a2a1  33. e2e1  33... a1e1  34. f1e1  34... e7g5 That is the second point: the h3-pawn  fixed a serious weakness on h2. Last but not least, the bishops tend to  get even better with the trades. 35. d6e4 Kosteniuk decided to appoint  one of the knights as a guardian of the h2-pawn. 35... g5f4  36. e4g3  36... d4d3 