Twelve Moons in One Night

Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno – 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié)

Knockout Women’s World Chess Championship Tournament; match game 1; Khanty-Mansiysk, November 12, 2018

Russian Defence C42

The icy Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno crushed the pop 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) in the first game of their quarter-final. But tomorrow never dies, so revenge may be on the way. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Bd3!? Nf6 6. 0-0 Be7 7. Re1 0-0 8. Bf1 Re8 9. d4 c6!? Or 9. ... Nbd7 10. c4 (Grischuk – Giri, 4th Grand Chess Tour, Blitz YourNextMove, Leuven 2018) and now, perhaps, 10. ... d5 should have been considered. 10. c4 Bg4 11. h3 Bh5 12. Nc3 Na6 13. g4 Bg6 14. g5 Nd7 15. Nh4 Qa5? 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) appears to have been surprised by Lagno’s 5th move, and, as a consequence, she suffered all along the game. Given the Philidorian character of her position (claustrophobia from lack of space), it’s possible there was no any other way to stay in it but by moves such as 15. ... Nf8 (and if 16. f4 she could reply with 16. ... Qd7 17. Qg4 f5). 16. Nxg6 hxg6 17. Qg4 Qf5 18. Bd2 Qxg4+ 19. hxg4 Nc7 20. f4 Ne6 21. Be3 f6

22. d5! Sooner or later it had to happen. The rest is inexorably written on the board. 22. ... Nd8 23. dxc6 bxc6 24. gxf6 Bxf6 25. Rad1 Bxc3 26. bxc3 Nf7 27. Bg2 Rec8 28. Rb1 g5 29. fxg5 Nde5 30. Bd4 Nxc4 31. Re7 Nce5 32. Rbb7 g6 33. c4 Rab8 34. Rxa7 Rb1+ 35. Kh2 Nxg4+ 36. Kg3 Nge5 37. c5 Rd1 38. Bxe5 Nxe5 39. cxd6 Nc4 40. Rac7 Rd8 41. Bh3 Rd3+ 42. Kh2 Rd2+ 43. Kg1 Rd1+ 44. Kg2 Rd2+ 45. Kf1 Rd1+ 46. Ke2 R1xd6 47. Be6+ Rxe6+ 48. Rxe6 Ra8 49. Rxg6+ Kf8 50. Rf6+ Kg8 51. Kd3 Ne5+ 52. Ke4 Ng4 53. Rfxc6 1 : 0.

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

Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno. Photo © Press service of the Women’s World Championship 2018.