Tabasco Road

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) – Harika Dronavalli
Women’s Grand Prix; 4th stage; 成都 (Chéngdū), July 2, 2016
Queen’s Gambit Declined D36

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5 Be7 7. Qc2 Nbd7 8. e3 Nh5 9. Bxe7 Qxe7 10. h3 g6 11. Be2 Ng7. Aiming to improve on 11. ... 0-0 12. g4 Nhf6 13. 0-0-0 b6 14. g5 Nh5 15. h4 Bb7 16. Nh2 c5 17. Ng4 Rac8 18. Kb1 Rfd8 19. Nh6+ Kh8 20. Bxh5 gxh5 21. Qf5 Kg7 22. Nxd5 Qe6 23. e4 cxd4 24. Nf6 Qxf5 25. Nxf5+ Kf8 26. Nd6 Nxf6 27. Nxb7 Nxe4 28. Nxd8 Nxf2 29. Ne6+ 1 : 0 I. Faragó – O. Foişor, 25th Liechtenstein Open, Triesen 2007. 12. Bd3 Nf6 13. g4 Be6 14. Ne5 Nd7 15. 0-0-0 0-0 16. f4 f5 17. h4? 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) embarks herself in a Kingside attack without due preparation, and Harika immediately takes advantage of her opponent’s too hasty, committing decision. 17. ... Nxe5 18. dxe5 Qc5 19. h5? White consistently insists on her attack, but as you will see by the end of the dream, she missed something important. After 19. Rde1 d4 Black would have kept the upper hand, but probably nothing more. 19. ... Qxe3+ 20. Kb1 fxg4 21. hxg6. This is the position White had aimed for, with a Pawn minus but the chimera of a “compensating attack”. Harika’s reply clears matters up: 21. ... h5! No entry! Now Black is a Pawn ahead and can easily rely on the overwhelming power of her two connected passed Pawns. 22. Ne2 c5. Black has a crushing preponderance on both wings. The rest is easy. 23. Qc1 Qxc1+ 24. Rxc1 c4 25. Bc2 Rad8 26. Rcd1 d4 27. Nxd4 Rxf4 28. Ne2 Rxd1+ 29. Rxd1 Rf2 30. Ng3 Kf8 31. Ne4 Re2 32. Kc1 Ke7 33. Rf1 Bf5 34. Kd1

34. ... Rxc2! An easy but pretty finish. 35. Ng3. Both 35. Kxc2 Bxe4+ and 35. Rxf5 Nxf5 36. Kxc2 h4 lose as well. 35. ... Bxg6 36. Rf6 Bd3 0 : 1.

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) (R.) vs. Harika Dronavalli (L.)
Photo: Harika Dronavalli (@HarikaDronavali)