上海话 (Shànghǎinese)

Natalia Oleksandrivna Zhukova – 倪诗群 (Ní Shīqún)

Knockout Women’s World Chess Championship Tournament; tie-break game 3 (10+10); Khanty-Mansiysk, November 5, 2018

Emglish Opening A11

It was a day of tie-breaks in Khanty-Mansiysk and there were no particular surprises in results. The only exception — especially to some commentators — appears to have been the hard-fought win of 倪诗群 (Ní Shīqún) over Natalia Oleksandrivna Zhukova, with the Chinese giving a display of strategic understanding and refined endgame technique. 1. c4 c6 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 d5 4. Qc2 g6 5. Be2 Bg7 6. 0-0 0-0 7. d4 b6 8. b3 Bb7 9. Bb2 Nbd7 10. cxd5 cxd5 11. Nc3 Rc8 12. Rfc1 Ne4. The interpolation of 12. ... a6 13. a4 Ne4 might even make sense, Glavina – Cifuentes Parada, 9th Memorial Santiago Tejero Lamana, Zaragoza 2017. 13. Qd1 Nxc3 14. Bxc3 e6 15. a4 Qe7 16. a5 Rc7 17. a6 Ba8 18. Qd2 Rfc8 19. Ne1 Bf8 20. Rc2 Qd8 21. b4 Nf6 22. f3 Bc6 23. b5 Be8. The immediate 23. ... Bd7 could well lead to the same ending of the game after 24. Rac1 Qe7 25. Bb4 Qxb4 26. Qxb4 Rxc2 27. Qxf8+ Kxf8 28. Rxc2 Rxc2 29. Nxc2 Ne8 30. Na3 Nd6 which is easier for Black to play — but probably nothing more than that. 24. Bb2? Zhukova usually favoures semi-static strategies, which, however, may be particularly bad-suited for fast games. White had to play 24. Rac1 with an approximate equilibrium.

24. ... Bd7! 25. Rac1 Ne8! 26. Bd3 Nd6 27. Qe2 Rxc2 28. Rxc2 Rxc2? 倪诗群 (Ní Shīqún) contents herself with a slightly more pleasant ending, but there were solid arguments for preferring 28. ... Qe8(!) in order to cash in the b5-Pawn. 29. Nxc2 Qc8 30. Na3 Bh6 31. Kf2 Qd8 32. g3 Qc8 33. Kg2 Bf8 34. e4 dxe4 35. fxe4 Bg7 36. e5 Ne8 37. Qe4 Bf8 38. Qb7 Qc7 39. Nb1 Bc8 40. Qxc7. 40. Qa8(!) Bb4(!)∞ is quite uncertain. 40. ... Nxc7 41. Ba3 Bxa3 42. Nxa3 Bd7. Black’s ending is certainly easier to play — due to White being tied to the defence of the a6- and b5-Pawns — but, if correctly followed, not necessarily mathematically winnable. 43. Kf2 Kg7 44. Ke2. The King’s journey to the Queenside seems serious bad judgment. 44. ... f5 45. Kd2 g5! 46. Kc3 h5! 47. Kb4? Maybe only now White makes the step of no return. 47. Bc4(!) was called for, in order to quickly bring back the King to the Kingside; for instance: 47. ... h4 48. Kd3 followed by Kd3-e3. 47. ... Nd5+ 48. Kb3 Nc7. It was time already for 48. ... g4! immediately forcing matters on the Kingside. 49. Bc4? Good or bad, White had to play 49. Kc2 (idem to say 49. Kc3), desperately running back towards the East, though after 49. ... g4 50. Kd2 h4! 51. Ke2 h3 52. Kf2 Nd5 it’s hard to imagine that she could have saved the game. 49. ... h4! 50. Kb4. On 50. gxh4 g4 wins outright. 50. ... hxg3. Another way to win was 50. ... g4! followed by ... f5-f4, but in substance it is almost the same: Black’s win is easy. 51. hxg3 f4 52. gxf4 gxf4 53. Kc3 Kg6 54. Kd3 Kg5 55. Ke4 Kg4 56. Be2+ Kg3 57. Bf1 f3 58. Ke3 f2 59. Be2 Kg2 60. Kf4 f1=Q+ 61. Bxf1+ Kxf1 62. Kg5 Nxb5 63. Nc2 Ke2 64. Kf6 Kd2 65. Nb4 Kc3 0 : 1.

倪诗群 (Ní Shīqún). Photo © Press service of the Women’s World Championship 2018.

Natalia Oleksandrivna Zhukova. Photo © Press service of the Women’s World Championship 2018.