The Postgirl

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) – Dronavalli Harika

Knockout Women’s World Chess Championship Tournament; match game 1; Tehran, February 23, 2017

Nimzo-Indian Defence E54

1. d4 e6 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 0-0 5. Bd3 c5 6. Nf3 d5 7. 0-0 cxd4 8. exd4 dxc4 9. Bxc4 b6 10. Bg5 Bb7 11. Qe2 Bxc3 12. bxc3 Nbd7 13. Bd3 Qc7 14. Rac1 Ng4. For 14. ... Rfe8 15. Rfe1 h6 16. Bd2 Rad8 see 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) – Gunina, Russia–China Match, Moscow 2016. 15. Be4 Rfe8. For 15. ... Bxe4 16. Qxe4 Ngf6 17. Qe2 Rac8 18. c4 h6 19. Bh4 Qb7 20. Rfe1 Rfe8 see Radjabov – Kramnik, World Championship Candidates, London 2013. 16. h3!? Bxe4 17. Qxe4 Ngf6 18. Qe2 Rac8 19. c4 Qb7 20. Rfe1 Qa6 21. Ne5 Nxe5

22. dxe5! The most difficult move of the game. By retaking with the Pawn, 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) shows her aggressive intentions, and thanks to some silent Rooks-and-Queen maneuvers (really in Karpov’s grand style!) she will manage to create an attack seemingly out of nothing. 22. ... Nd7 23. Qg4 Kh8 24. Qh5 Kg8 25. Qg4 Kh8 26. Re4 Qa3 27. Rd1 Nf8 28. h4 Qc3. Harika cannot yet believe that she will find herself to defend from an attack. 28. ... h6 29. Qh5 Nh7 30. Bc1 Qa4 was probably a bit sounder. 29. h5! (Δ h5-h6) 29. ... h6 30. Bh4 Rc7 31. Red4! A powerful interference by which White threatens Bh4-f6. 31. ... Qc2. In order to met 32. Bf6?? by 32. ... gxf6 33. exf6 Qh7, but... 32. R1d3! Here is another interference! 32. ... Rc5. A rejoinder that may hasten the end, but by now Black had no good moves. 33. Rg3? A half step behind. Very much stronger seems 33. Kh2! Rxe5 (what else?) 34. Rd8 Rxd8 35. Rxd8 Kg8 36. Bf6 winning immediately. 33. ... Qh7 34. Rf4 Rc7 35. Qf3 Nd7 36. Qe2 Rf8? And finally Harika cracks under the pressure and responsibility of her historical mission. Stockfish’s “best (rescue) line” 36. ... Qb1+ 37. Kh2 Qb4 38. Rxf7 Rxc4 39. Bf6 gxf6 40. Rxd7 Rh4+ 41. Rh3 Qf4+ 42. g3 Qg4 43. Qxg4 Rxg4 44. exf6 Rf8 seems instead to offer quite certain drawing chances. 37. Be7 Rg8 38. Bd6 Rcc8 39. Rxf7 Qb1+ 40. Kh2 Nc5 41. Qe3 Qh7 42. Rg6. Totally crushed! 42. ... a5 43. Be7 Rc7 44. Rxh6! 1 : 0. A fantastic game by the most veiled of the Chinese pretenders!

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) vs. Dronavalli Harika
Photo © David Llada