Theory After Theory

袁烨 (Yuán Yè) – 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)
6th Chinese Women’s Masters Chess Tournament; 无锡 (Wúxī), May 27, 2017
Nimzo-Indian Defence E32

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 0-0 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 b6 7. Bg5 Ba6 8. e3 d6 9. Bd3 Nbd7 10. Ne2 c5 11. b4 cxd4 12. exd4 Rc8 13. Qb3 e5 14. b5. Another try was 14. Rc1 h6 15. Bh4 e4 16. Bb1 d5 17. b5 Bb7 18. 0-0 dxc4 19. Rxc4 Bd5 20. Rxc8 Qxc8 21. Qb2 Bb7 22. Ng3 Qe8 23. Nf5 Qe6 24. Ne3 Rc8 25. Ba2 Nd5 26. Rc1 Rxc1+ 27. Qxc1 Nf8 28. Qc4 Nf4 29. Bg3 g5 30. h4 Qxc4 31. Bxc4 N8g6 32. Nf5 gxh4 33. Ne7+ Nxe7 34. Bxf4 Bd5 35. Be2 Nf5 36. Bb8 Nxd4 37. Bf1 h3 38. gxh3 Nf3+ 39. Kg2 Nd2 40. Be2 e3+ 41. Kg1 Bc4 42. Bxc4 Nxc4 ½ : ½ Gershon – H. Stefansson, Elbow Beach Club GM-A, Paget Parish 2001. 14. ... Bb7 15. 0-0 h6 16. Bh4 e4 17. Bb1 Qc7 18. Ba2. If 18. Rc1 there might follow 18. ... d5 19. Bg3 dxc4 20. Qa4 Qd8 21. Qxa7 Bd5 22. Nc3 Re8 23. Re1 Nf8 24. Qa4 Ba8 25. Qd1 Ng6 26. a4 Qe7 27. Qd2 Qb4 28. Bc2 e3 29. Rxe3 Nd5 30. Ra3 Qa5 31. Rf3 Nb4 ½ : ½ Baburin – Kunte, 3rd Mind Sports Olympiad (MSO), London 1999. 18. ... d5 19. Qa4 Qb8 20. Bg3 Qa8 21. Nf4!? Finally, 袁烨 (Yuán Yè) takes her own path, which, however, doesn’t seem any better than 21. Nc3 Rfe8 22. Rfe1 dxc4 23. Bxc4 Nd5 24. Rac1 Nxc3 25. Rxc3 Nf6 26. Rec1 Nd5 27. R3c2 Rcd8 28. Qb3 Rd7 29. Be5 Qd8 30. Qg3 Qg5 31. Bxd5 Bxd5 ½ : ½ Baburin – Rozentalis, Politiken Cup, 18th Copenhagen 1996. 21. ... dxc4 22. Bxc4 Nd5 23. Nxd5 Bxd5 24. Be2 Be6. Both players played in a strange way, but probably not badly. 25. Rac1 Qd5 26. Qxa7!? Alea iacta est. On the other hand, 26. Rc6 would have been equally answered by 26. ... Qa2. 26. ... Qa2 27. Rxc8? Stockfish doesn’t miss the sharp 27. d5! which would ensure White a not-so-metaphorical initiative and, what’s more important, an almost sure escape to salvation. 27. ... Rxc8 28. Bd1 Qd2

29. Bd6?? 袁烨 (Yuán Yè)’s blunder is so inexplicable that I dare not guess anything. White ought to play 29. h3 Qxd4 30. Bf4 eventually followed by Bf4-e3, trying to hold on. 29. ... e3! Now Black goes for mate. 30. fxe3. Otherwise follows ... e3-e2. 30. ... Bd5 31. Bf3 Bxf3 32. gxf3. Or 32. Rxf3 Rc1+ and mate in two moves. 32. ... Rc2 33. Qa8+ Nf8 0 : 1.

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)
Photo: qipai.org.cn

袁烨 (Yuán Yè)
Photo: qipai.org.cn