One Day at a Time

Olga Alexandrovna Girya – 翟墨 (Zhái Mò)

Knockout Women’s World Chess Championship Tournament; match game 2; Khanty-Mansiysk, November 4, 2018

Grünfeld Defence D87

Elisabeth Pähtz, Lela Javakhishvili, Alina Anatolyevna Kashlinskaya, and Ugra’s Olga Alexandrovna Girya are the first illustrious victims of the “wheel of fortune”. But not everything is a matter of luck, of course, and probably the victory of 翟墨 (Zhái Mò) — who won the 42nd Chinese Women’s Chess Championship last April — over Girya might well have been foreseen. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 c5 7. Bc4 Bg7 8. Ne2 0-0 9. 0-0 Nc6 10. Be3 Qc7 11. Rc1 Rd8 12. Qa4 b6!? If 12. ... e6 there might follow 13. Rfd1 Bd7 14. Qa3 Na5 15. Bd3 c4 16. Bb1 Bf8 17. Qb2 Ba4 18. Rf1 b6 19. f4 f5 20. g4!↑ Mariotti – Bertok, Reggio Emilia, 12th New Year’s International Tournament, Reggio Emilia 1970. 13. dxc5!? Previous theory gave 13. f4 Na5 14. Bd3 f5!? with uncertain chances, Jankovec – A. Ornstein, 3rd “Gemerský Cup” International Tournament, Rimavská Sobota 1974. 13. ... Ne5 14. Bd5 Bb7 15. Bxb7 Qxb7 16. Rb1 Qc8 17. h3 bxc5 18. Rb5. If 18. f4 Black may reply with either 18. ... Bh6 or 18. ... Rd3 in both cases with satisfactory play. 18. ... Nd3 19. Rfb1 Qc6 20. Qc4 Ne5 21. Qxc5. Quite understandably Girya is not interested in repeating moves. 21. ... Qxe4 22. Rb7. 22. Ng3 Qa4 23. Qxe7 Re8 24. Qb4 Qxa2 would lead to consequences similar to those in the game. 22. ... Qc2 23. Nd4 Qxa2 24. Qxe7 Re8 25. Qd6 Bf8 26. Qf6 Bg7 27. Qh4 Qc4 28. Qg3 a6. Clearly not 28. ... Qxc3?? on account of 29. Nb5 and Black gets into trouble. 29. Bf4 Rac8 30. Ra7 Qxc3 31. Qxc3 Rxc3 32. Rbb7. White decides not to regain her Pawn (32. Rxa6=) in the hope to get something more after posting both Rooks on the seventh rank. The tricky 32. Ne6!? would have been sufficiently answered by 32. ... Bf6 as well as 32. ... Rc4 (but not 32. ... fxe6?? 33. Rxg7+!+− nor 32. ... Rxe6?? 33. Rb8+ Bf8 34. Bh6 with mate coming). 32. ... Rc4 33. Be3 (33. Ne6?? Nc6! 34. Rxf7 Bb2!−+) 33. ... Rd8 34. Ne2. 34. Ne6!? Rdc8 35. Nxg7 Nc6! 36. Rxa6 Kxg7 is dead equal. 34. ... Rcc8 35. Bg5 Re8 36. Nd4 Ra8

37. f4?? In admitting her impossibility to win, Girya ends up badly losing. On the other hand, a draw would have meant nothing to her. 37. ... Rxa7 38. Rxa7 Ng4! 0 : 1. The threat is ... Re8-e1 mate, and if 39. hxg4 then 39. ... Bxd4+ skewering King and Rook.

Olga Alexandrovna Girya and 翟墨 (Zhái Mò) in yesterday’s game. Photo © Press service of the Women’s World Championship 2018.