Tuesday, August 14, 2018

分號 (Semicolon)

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) – Nana Dzagnidze
4th “心桥杯” (“Xīnqiáo Cup”); match game 4; 温州 (Wēnzhōu), August 14, 2018
Caro-Kann Defence B12

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) tried today to turn herself into an unprejudiced attacking player, but in vain, and thus Nana Dzagnidze won the match 3–1 with two wins and two draws. 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5!? Dzagnidze poses as Botvinnik, and probably it is not an encouraging sign for her opponent. 4. dxc5 Nc6 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. Bb5 e6 7. b4 a5 8. c3 f6!? A novelty by Dzagnidze. If 8. ... g6 then 9. Qa4 Qc7 10. Nd4 Ne7 11. Bf4 and White’s powerful bind more than compensates for the Pawn, Onischuk – Motylev, 4th al-’Ayn (Al Ain) Chess Classic, al-’Ayn (Al Ain) 2015. 9. h3. 9. Nbd2(!) promptly followed by Qd1-a4 was probably White’s best way to carry on her game. 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) will soon regret the underdevelopment of her Queenside. 9. ... Bxf3 10. Qxf3 Be7 11. 0-0. Both 11. Qg4 and 10. Qg3 would be answered by 11. ... Kf7, giving sense to Black’s 8th move. 11. ... fxe5 12. Qh5+ Kf8 13. Bxc6 bxc6 14. Qxe5 axb4 15. Qxe6 Bf6


16. Bf4 Qc8 17. Bd6+. White actually exerts some pressure on Black’s position, which doubtless compensates for her horrible Pawn structure on the Queenside, but that hardly offers real winning chances. Here, according to engines, 17. Qe3! (intending both Bf4-e5 and Bf4-g5) was the most promising continuation to claim an advantage, but 17. ... Qf5! seems to offer a robust defence. 17. ... Ne7 18. Qe3 Kf7 19. Bxe7? 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)’s need to win leads her seriously astray. After 19. Qf4 Nf5 20. Qxb4 Nxd6 21. cxd6 Qb8 22. Qf4 Rd8 Black wins back a Pawn at once, and could soon restore equality of material, given the weakness of the a2- and c3- Pawns. 19. ... Re8! 20. Qf4 Rxe7 21. Qxb4 Qb7! Very wisely, Dzagnidze looks for the endgame, which, in spite of White’s two Pawns up, would favour Black, at least in a symbolic way —  again due to White’s awful Pawn structure on the Queenside. 22. Qf4. No compromise! 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) wants to win and sacrifices a Knight — for almost nothing. 22. ... Qb2! 23. Nd2 g5 24. Qf5 Qxd2 25. Qxh7+ Kf8. Dzagnidze gallantly offers her opponent the Solomonic solution of drawing by repeating moves. Of course, 25. ... Bg7−+ is the refutative alternative. 26. Qh6+ Kf7 27. Qh7+ Kf8 28. Qg6. 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)’s pride prevails and White, rather than repeating moves, consistently stages her own cupio dissolvi. 28. ... Qf4 29. Rae1 Be5 30. g3 Qf6 31. Qc2 Ra3! 32. f4 gxf4 33. Rxe5 Qxe5 34. Rxf4+ Rf7 35. Rxf7+ Kxf7 36. Qh7+ Qg7 37. Qf5+ Qf6 38. Qd7+ Kg6 0 : 1.

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) (left) vs. Nana Dzagnidze (right). Photo: qipai.org.cn.

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