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谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) – Anna Muzychuk

Knockout Women’s World Chess Championship Tournament; tie-break game 2 (25+10); Tehran, March 3, 2017

Queen’s Gambit Declined D11

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. g3 Bf5 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nh4 dxc4 7. Nxf5 exf5 8. e3 Nbd7 9. Bxc4 Nb6 10. Be2. So far, “theory” contemplated 10. Bb3 h5 11. Qd3 Qd7 12. Bd2 h4 13. 0-0-0 0-0-0 14. f3 Bd6 15. Rhg1 hxg3 16. hxg3 Bc7 17. Kb1 Kb8 18. Bc1 Rhe8 19. e4 fxe4 20. fxe4 Qg4 21. Bf4 Re7 22. Rgf1 Qg6 23. Bc2 Red7 24. Qe3 Qg4 25. a4 Bxf4 26. gxf4 Nc4 27. Qf2 Qe6 28. Qg1 Qe7 29. Bb3 Na5 30. Bc2 Nc4 31. Bb3 ½ : ½ Mamedyarov – Tomashevsky, Grand Prix 2014-2015, first stage, Baku 2014. 10. ... Bd6 11. Bf3 0-0 12. 0-0 Re8 13. Qc2 Qd7 14. b3 Re7 15. Na4!? 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) cleverly plays to slowly unbalance the game, testing her opponent’s nerves. 15. ... Rae8. 15. ... Nxa4 16. bxa4 Rc8 seems playable. 16. Nc5 Qc8 17. Bd2 Nbd5 18. Rac1 Ne4 19. Bg2 g6 20. b4! Qc7 21. Nxe4 fxe4 22. b5. White has achieved a slight but definite positional initiative by quite simple means. 22. ... Ba3 23. Rb1 cxb5 24. Qb3 Qd6 25. Qxb5 Rc8 26. Qb3 Kg7 27. Bc1 Bxc1 28. Rbxc1 Rc6 29. Rxc6 Qxc6 30. Qa3 Qb6 31. Rc1 Qb4. Feeling herself a bit worried to be caught in 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)’s spiderweb, Muzychuk decides to sacrifice a Pawn in order to get some counterplay. However, the most she might have possibly obtained is a (maybe) drawable 4 vs. 3 same side Pawn ending – not an easy job anyway. 32. Qxa7 Nc3 33. Rf1 Qc4 34. Qa3 Re6 35. Re1 Ra6 36. Qe7 Rxa2 37. Bxe4 b5 38. Bf3 b4 39. Qe5+ Kh6?? “Ujas! Anna self-mated”, Grandmaster Nigel David Short tweeted. Muzychuk’s nerves frayed to the point of disintegrating. She ought to play, of course, 39. ... Kg8, even though after 40. Kg2 White, who is a Pawn up, is the only who can win (not an easy job too). It was not a pleasant choice for Muzychuk, but it was the only drawing chance she had.

40. g4 f6 41. Qxf6 Ra5 42. h4 1 : 0. For mate in three follows. Thus 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) becomes (and became) the 16th Women’s World Chess Champion!

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) vs. Anna Muzychuk
Photo: Reza Mahdipour‏ (@Rez7a)