Longest path problem

Elena Sedina – Elena-Luminița Radu-Cosma
12th European Women’s Team Chess Championship; Hersonissos, November 5, 2017
8/4R2K/4np2/1N1pk3/1P5P/2P3r1/8/8 w - - 0 123

Position after 122. ... Rg8xg3

Women’s Italian and Rumanian teams eventually equalised (2 – 2), and we cannot but feel a little regret at the half-point lost by International Master Elena Sedina, who, after working very hard (and very well) on “bringing home the bacon”, did not guess her lucky number at the very end. The diagram shows the critical moment, when White, after 122 moves, is finally on the verge of making the sting. White to move and win a piece: 123. Nc7? Oh, no! With forty seconds left, and maybe tired, Sedina plays the apparent “dual”, instead of 123. Nd4 Rxc3 124. Nxe6 Kd6 125. Nf4! (perhaps the move overlooked) which would have actually won a piece and the game (125. ... Rf3 126. Re6+ Kd7 127. Rxf6+−). 123. ... Kd6 124. Rxe6+ Kxc7. White can’t believe her luck: she didn’t get the piece and the Rook endgame is theoretically drawn. 125. h5 Rxc3 126. h6. 126. Kg6 Rh3 also leads to a draw. 126. ... Rg3 127. Rxf6 d4 128. b5 d3 129. b6+ Kb7 130. Rd6 Ka6 131. Kh8 Kb7 132. h7 Ka6 133. Rxd3 ½ : ½.