The Postgirl Always Rings Twice

Emil Davidovich Sutovsky – 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)
12th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, February 2, 2014
Pirc Defence B09

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. f4 Bg7 5. Nf3 c5 6. Bb5+ Bd7 7. e5 Ng4 8. Bxd7+ Qxd7 9. h3 cxd4 10. Qxd4 Nc6. For 10. ... Nh6 11. Qf2 Nc6 see Grandelius – 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí), Reykjavik 2013. 11. Qd3 Nh6 12. Be3 Nf5 13. 0-0-0 Nb4. For 13. ... 0-0-0 14. g4 see Kosteniuk – Lagno, 3th SportAccord World Mind Games; Women’s Blitz Tournament; 北京 (Beijīng) 2013. 14. Qe4 Nxe3 15. Qxe3 Qe6 16. Kb1 dxe5 17. a3 Nc6 18. Nd5 Rc8 19. Rhe1 0-0 20. fxe5 Rfd8 21. Qe4 Qf5 22. Qxf5. It would be quite interesting 22. Qh4 (Saunders) 22. ... Rd7 23. Rd3 with prospects for an initiative. 22. ... gxf5 23. e6 h6 24. c4 Kf8 25. b4 Rd6 26. exf7 Kxf7 27. c5 Rd7 28. Ne3 Rxd1+ 29. Rxd1 Ke6. More circumspect would seem 29. ... f4 30. Nf5 Bf8 with a not easy but tenable position. 30. Nc4. If 30. Nh4 (Saunders) then 30. ... a5 31. Nhxf5 Bf6 32. b5 Na7 seems to offer the best chances of equalizing the game. 30. ... Rd8 31. Re1+ Kf7 32. b5 Nd4 33. Nfe5+ Bxe5 34. Nxe5+ Kf6 35. a4 Nb3 36. c6 bxc6 37. Nxc6 Rd7 38. Kb2 Nc5 39. Ka3 Nd3 40. Rd1. Although his tremendous time trouble, Sutovsky is about to win a Pawn by force, but, luckily enough for 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí), Black’s forced rejoinder gives her an “evocative” positional compensation. 40. ... e5 41. Nxa7 e4 42. b6 e3 43. a5. White plays indifferently, just after time control. John Saunders recommends 43. Nc6 e2 44. Rh1 e1=Q 45. Rxe1 Nxe1 46. a5 as “very hard to evaluate but White may even be winning. However, the text move order has a flaw (albeit not yet fatal), which Simon Williams in the commentary room spotted – and so evidently did Tán Zhōngyí”. 43. ... e2

44. Rh1? Now 44. Rg1!! was the only move to save the day! If 44. ... Nb4? (as in the game) then 45. Nb5! Rd1 46. Nc3!! Rxg1 47. Nxe2 and White gains a vital (indeed decisive!) “tempo” by attacking the Rook! Bien entendu, after 44. ... Nf4! 45. Re1 Rd1 46. Rxe2 Nxe2 Black achieves at least a draw. 44. ... Nb4!! With the Rook on h1, this move is just a killer! 45. Nc6. The pointe is that 45. Kxb4 fails to 45. ... Rd1 46. b7 Rxh1 47. b8=Q Rb1+ skewering the newborn Queen. 45. ... Nxc6 46. Re1 Rd5 47. Rxe2 Rxa5+ 48. Kb3 Rb5+ 0 : 1.

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)
Photo © John Saunders and Sophie Triay