The War After Armageddon

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) – Dronavalli Harika

Knockout Women’s World Chess Championship Tournament; tie-break game 2 (25+10); Tehran, February 25, 2017

Queen’s Gambit Declined D53

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) questions her fate in the 2nd (Rapid) tie-break game which she needs absolutely to win, having lost the first-one. 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Nf3 h6 7. Bh4 0-0 8. Qc2 c5 9. Rd1 Qa5 10. cxd5 Nxd5 11. Bxe7 Nxe7 12. Be2 Nf6 13. 0-0 cxd4 14. Nxd4!? Here is where they started playing on their own. In So – Kramnik, Grand Chess Tour YourNextMove Rapid, Leuven 2016 was seen 14. Rxd4 Nc6 15. Rd2 Bd7 16. Rfd1 Rfd8 17. Qb3 Rab8 18. a3 a6 19. Bd3 Be8 20. Bb1 Rxd2 21. Nxd2 Ne5 22. Nc4 Nxc4 23. Qxc4 Bc6 24. Qd4 Rc8 25. h3 Qh5 26. Rd2 Qg5 27. f3 e5 28. Qd3 e4 29. fxe4 Re8 30. Qd4 Nd7 31. Rf2 Ne5 32. Ba2 Rd8 33. Nd5 Bxd5 34. exd5 Rd6 35. Bb1 g6 36. Be4 Qe7 37. Bf3 Rd8 38. Bg4 Qc7 39. Rf1 h5 40. Be2 Qd6 41. e4 Rc8 42. Bd3 Kg7 43. Qe3 b5 44. Kh1 Rc7 45. Qf4 f6 46. Qd2 Qc5 47. Bb1 g5 48. Qe2 h4 49. Bd3 ½ : ½. 14. ... e5 15. Ndb5 Bf5 16. Qb3 Be6 17. Bc4 Bxc4 18. Qxc4 a6 19. Nd6 b5 20. Qb3 Qc7 21. Rd2 Nc8 22. Rfd1 Nxd6 23. Rxd6 Rfd8 24. Qa3 Rxd6 25. Qxd6 Qxd6 26. Rxd6 b4 27. Na4. 27. Nxd5 Nxd5 28. Rxd5 Rc8 also looks quite drawish. 27. ... Ne4 28. Rd1 Rc8 29. f3 Nf6 30. Rd2 Kf8 31. Kf2 Ke7 32. e4 Rc6 33. b3 Nd7 34. Nb2 f6 35. h4 h5 36. Nd1 Rd6 37. Ke2 Rxd2+ 38. Kxd2 Kd6 39. Ne3 g6 40. Kd3 Kc5 41. Nd5 a5 42. g3 Kb5. Maybe it is not wrong, but 42. ... g5 appears to be better and safer. 43. f4! 43. Nc7+ Kb6 44. Ne8 was also worth considering, but 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)’s choice looks more natural and principled, even if not advantageous. 43. ... Kc5 44. Ne7 Nf8

45. f5! Of course Harika would have been quite happy to answer 45. Ng8 by 45. ... Nd7. 45. ... gxf5? I guess there must have been too much pressure on Harika’s shoulders, causing her finally to commit a serious mistake. After 45. ... g5 46. Nd5 Nd7 Black should hold. 46. Nxf5 Ne6 47. Ne7 Kd6 48. Nf5+ Kc5 49. Ke3 Kb5? The last, and decisive mistake in a not easy position. 49. ... Kc6 50. Ne7+ Kd6 51. Ng8 f5! 52. exf5 Nd4 might be the less worst way to retains hopes of saving the ending a Pawn down. 50. Nd6+ Kc6 51. Ne8 a4 52. bxa4 Nc5 53. Nxf6 Nxa4 54. g4. Now White wins easily and, once resuscitated, 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) will be able to heroically stand up to her opponent till victory in the final Armageddon! 54. ... hxg4 55. h5 Nb2 56. h6 Nc4+ 57. Ke2 Nd6 58. h7 Nf7 59. Nxg4 Kd6 60. Kd3 Kc5 61. Ke3 Kd6 62. Kd2 Ke6 63. Kd3 Nh8 64. Kc4 Kf7 65. Kxb4 Kg7 66. Nxe5 Kf6 67. Nc6 Kg7 68. a4 Nf7 69. a5 Nd6 70. a6 Nc8 71. a7 Nxa7 72. Nxa7 Kxh7 73. Nc6 1 : 0.

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)
Photo © David Llada

Dronavalli Harika
Photo © David Llada