Two

Nazí Nodarovna Paikidze – 王安妮 (Annie Wáng)

58th U.S. Women’s Chess Championship; tie-break playoff game 2 (25+5); Saint Louis, April 30, 2018

King’s Indian Attack A08

1. Nf3 e6 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 d5 4. 0-0 Be7 5. d3 c5 6. Nbd2 Nc6 7. e4 b6 8. e5 Nd7 9. Re1 Qc7 10. Qe2 Bb7 11. c4 d4 12. Nf1 h6 13. h4 0-0-0 14. h5!? Paikidze must win at all costs and hope for something to happen. A vintage reference is 14. N1h2 g5 15. h5 f5 16. exf6 Nxf6 17. Qxe6+ Kb8 18. Ne5 Nxe5 19. Qxe5 Qxe5 20. Rxe5 Rde8 21. Bxb7 Kxb7 22. Bd2 Bd6 23. Rxe8 Rxe8 24. Re1 Rxe1+ 25. Bxe1 Nxh5 26. Ng4 Bf8 27. Kg2 Kc6 28. Kf3 Kd7 29. Ke4 Ke6 30. b3 Bg7 31. b4 Nf6+ 32. Nxf6 Bxf6 33. bxc5 bxc5 34. g4 Be5 35. Bd2 Bc7 36. Bc1 Be5 37. Ba3 Bd6 38. f3 Be7 39. Bc1 Bd6 40. Bd2 Bc7 41. Be1 Bf4 42. Ba5 Bd6 ½ : ½ Dolmatov – Sveshnikov, 49th USSR Chess Championship, Frunze 1981. 14. ... Rdf8 15. a3 g5 16. g4? But this seems the beginning of the end. The text simply gives Black free hand to make a breakthrough. 16. ... Kb8. Unbelievability? 16. ... f5! couldn’t but lead to a crushing win for Black. 17. Bd2

17. ... Re8? Due to her young age and inexperience, 王安妮 (Annie Wáng)’s nerves break down. Almost inexplicably Black’s Rook abandons the f-file, just when 17. ... f5! is still the most powerful way of winning by force. 18. b4! And Paikidze finally finds time and courage to start her offensive. 18. ... cxb4 19. axb4 Nxb4? No wonder Black lost her serenity. Best was 20. ... Bxb4! with a playable game. 20. Nxd4 Bxg2 21. Kxg2 Nc6 22. Nxc6+ Qxc6+ 23. f3. Now the game is one-way because it is only White who attacks. On the other hand, neither the time control nor the position could help Black to put up a serious resistence, so the game quickly moves towards its conclusion. 23. ... f6 24. exf6 Bxf6 25. Ra2 Rhf8 26. Be3 Ne5 27. Nh2 Rd8 28. Rd1 Ka8 29. Bf2 Rc8. 29. ... Rd7 30. Ra6! looks unpleasant as well. 30. Rb1 Nd7 31. Ra6 Qb7? Some commentators suggest that this is the losing move – and that is quite true. 31. ... Kb8 at once would have avoided the worst; now Macauley Peterson gives 32. Qa2 Rc7 33. d4! Qxc4 34. Rxa7! Qxa2 35. Rxa2 with the better game for White, but no forced win. 32. Qa2 Kb8 33. d4 Bd8 34. Ra1 Rc7 35. c5 Re8 36. Rc1 e5 37. Bg3 Rc6 38. Ra1 Rc7 39. cxb6 Nxb6 40. Bxe5 Rxe5 41. dxe5 Qc8 42. Rxb6+ 1 : 0.

Nazí Nodarovna Paikidze (left) vs. 王安妮 (Annie Wáng) (right). Photo: Eric Rosen.