Silent Footsteps

雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) – Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno

Knockout Women’s World Chess Championship Tournament; match game 2; Khanty-Mansiysk, November 13, 2018

Spanish Game C78

Lagno won quite convincingly her quarter-final match with 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié), so earning a day off and a semi-final place. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 b5 6. Bb3 Bc5 7. a4 Rb8 8. Nxe5. 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) apparently challenged her opponent on familiar grounds; for instance: 8. axb5 axb5 9. Nxe5 Nxe5 10. d4 Bxd4 11. Qxd4 d6 12. f4 Nc6 13. Qc3 Ne7 14. e5 Ne4 15. Qe1 Nc5 16. f5 Nxb3 17. cxb3 dxe5 18. Qxe5 f6 19. Qc5 Qd5 20. Qa7 Bb7 21. Qf2 0-0 22. Nc3 Qxb3 23. Qc5 Rfe8 24. Re1 Qc2 25. Re2 Qxf5 26. Qxb5 Qxb5 27. Nxb5 Nd5 28. Rxe8+ Rxe8 29. Kf2 Nb4 30. Ra3 Re5 31. Nd4 Rc5 32. Bd2 Rc4 33. Ne2 Be4 34. b3 Nc2 35. Ra5 Rc6 36. Nc3 f5 37. Ra4 Rb6 ½ : ½ 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Lagno, 4th North Urals Cup, Krasnoturinsk 2006. 8. ... Nxe5 9. d4 Bxd4 10. Qxd4 d6 11. Bf4 0-0 12. f3 Ng6 13. Bg5 Be6 14. Nc3 c5 15. Qd2 c4 16. Ba2 b4 17. Ne2 h6 18. Be3 b3 19. cxb3 cxb3 20. Bb1 d5 21. exd5 Nxd5 22. Bd4 Qd6 23. Be4 Rfd8 24. Rad1 f5 25. Bb1 Nb4 26. Qe3 Nc2 27. Bxc2 bxc2 28. Rd2 Bc4

White obtained almost nothing, but, having to win, must now play all out: 29. Rc1? A most unfortunate way of putting it. 29. Bc3 Qc7 30. Rxc2 Re8 31. Qf2 Nf4 32. Nxf4! Bxf1 33. Nd5 Qf7 34. Qg3! f4! 35. Nxf4 Rbd8∞ seems good enough to keep fighting. 29. ... Re8? (29. ... Rb3!−+ Δ 30. Bc3 Qxd2−+) 30. Ba7? Qb4!−+ 31. Qd4 Rxe2! 32. Rxe2 Bxe2 33. Qd5+ Kh7 34. Bxb8 Qb6+ 35. Kh1 Qe3 36. Bf4 Qxf4 37. Rxc2 Qxa4 38. Rc1 Qf4 39. Re1 Bb5 40. g3 Qb4 41. Rb1 f4 42. Kg2 Qe7 43. Qd2 Qe3 44. Qf2 Ne5 45. gxf4 Qxf4 46. Qg3 Qd2+ 47. Qf2 Be2 48. Kg1 Nxf3+ 49. Kh1 Nd4 50. Ra1 Bf3+ 51. Kg1 Qg5+ 52. Kf1 Be2+ 0 : 1.

雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) vs. Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno. Photo © Press service of the Women’s World Championship 2018.