This for That

倪诗群 (Ní Shīqún) – Natalia Andreevna Pogonina

Knockout Women’s World Chess Championship Tournament; match game 2; Tehran, February 18, 2017

Scotch Game C45

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nb3 Bb6 6. Nc3 Nge7 7. Qe2 0-0 8. Be3 Bxe3 9. Qxe3 d6 10. 0-0-0 a6 11. f4 Qe8 12. Bd3 b5 13. Rhe1 Bd7 14. Kb1 Kh8 15. Qf3 Qc8 16. h3 b4 17. Nd5 a5 18. Nxe7 Nxe7 19. e5 Ng6 20. Nc1 a4 21. Qe4 Rb8 22. exd6 cxd6 23. Qd4 Bf5 24. g4 Bxd3 25. Rxd3 f5 26. g5 Qc5 27. Re6 Rbc8 28. Rd2 Qc4 29. Rxd6 Nxf4 30. h4 Nh5 31. b3 axb3 32. axb3 Qc3 33. Ne2 Qf3 34. Rd8 Rcxd8 35. Qxd8 Kg8 36. Qe7 Qh1+ 37. Kb2 Qa8 38. Rd7 Qe8 39. Nd4 f4 40. Nf3 Qc8 41. Rc7 Qd8 42. Qe6+ Kh8 43. Qc4 Qd6 44. Rc8 g6 45. Rc7 Ng7 46. Rb7 Rb8 47. Ra7 Rf8 48. Qb5 Rb8 49. Qc4 Rf8 50. Rc7 Nf5 51. Rc5 Rb8 52. Rd5 Qb6 53. Rd7 Qe3

54. Qc7? So far 倪诗群 (Ní Shīqún) dominated the game, but now she misses 54. Qf7! Qc3+ 55. Kb1 Qg7 56. Qd5 Qc3 57. Ne5 with an instant win. 54. ... Rf8 55. Rd3 Qe7 56. Qxe7 Nxe7 57. Rd4 h6? It was better to maintain the b4-Pawn and instead cede the f4-Pawn: 57. ... Rb8! 58. Rxf4 Nd5 59. Rd4 Rb5 with better chances to fight for a draw in a Rook and Knight ending a Pawn down. 58. Rxb4 hxg5 59. hxg5 Nd5 60. Rd4 Ne3 61. c4 Ng2 62. c5 Re8 63. Kc3 Kg8 64. b4. White is only one Pawn ahead, but her couple of passers on the Queenside is worth a treasure. 64. ... Ra8 65. c6 Kf7 66. b5 Ke6 67. Kb4 Ne3 68. Kc5 Ra1 69. Rxf4 Rc1+ 70. Kd4 Nf5+ 71. Kd3. Simpler (and more elegant) was 71. Rxf5! gxf5 (71. ... Kxf5 72. Kd5+-) 72. g6 Kf6 73. Ne5+- winning immediately. 71. ... Kd5 72. Rb4 Nd6 73. Nd2?? Suddenly coming on the verge of a drama breakdown. 73. Nd4 was clearly called for, in order to met 73. ... Kc5 by 74. b6! with a win in sight. 73. ... Rc5?? Luckily for 倪诗群 (Ní Shīqún), Pogonina returns the favour. After 73. ... Kc5! 74. Rd4 Rd1! 75. Rf4 Kxb5 76. c7 Kb6 77. Rb7! Kb7 78. Rg7 Kc8 Black should be able to draw. 74. Ne4. Or 74. Rd4+ Ke6 75. Rxd6+ Kxd6 76. Ne4+ and wins. 74. ... Nxe4 75. Rd4+ Ke5 76. Rxe4+ Kf5 77. Rc4 1 : 0.

倪诗群 (Ní Shīqún)
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