Tales from the Round Table

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) – Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno
7th World Women’s Team Chess Championship; Astana, March 9, 2019
Queen’s Gambit Accepted D20

Although the conspicuous absences of 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) and 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), China beat Russia 2½ – 1½ on Saturday for its fifth victory in a row at the 7th World Women’s Team Chess Championship which is taking place in Astana, Kazakhstan. 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 Nf6 4. e5 Nd5 5. Bxc4 Nb6 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. Ne2 Bg4 8. Be3 Qd7 9. Nbc3 0-0-0 10. 0-0 Nxe5 11. Bb5 Nc6 12. Rc1 e5!? A new continuation of Lagno. In the game Wojtaszek – Láznička, 37th SchachBundesliga, Baden-Baden 2017 followed 12. ... a6 13. Bxc6 Qxc6 14. f3 Bf5 15. Bf4 Rd7 with unclear but dynamically balanced play. 13. f3 Be6 14. Na4 Nd5? More consistent seems 14. ... Kb8(!) with good equalising chances for Black. 15. Bxc6 bxc6 16. Bf2 Nb6 17. b4!? 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí), maybe overestimating a little bit her own chances, embarks on a violent attack that also includes material sacrifice. Simply 17. Nc5 Bxc5 18. Rxc5± would have ensured White a powerful advantage easily and without complications. 17. ... Bxb4 18. Qd3 Kb7? Black doesn’t dare to verify the truth of White’s story, which apparently after 18. ... Nxa4! 19. Qa6+ Kb8∞ (20. Qxa4 c5) would not have ended so successfully as it did in the game. 19. Qb1! Nxa4. If 19. ... Be7 then 20. Nc5+ Bxc5 21. dxc5 Qd3 22. Qb2! Qb5 23. Qxe5 Nd7 24. Qe3 with overwhelming threats. 20. Qxb4+ Nb6 21. a4!? Very natural, but not as strong as 21. dxe5! which prepares for Ne2-d4 as well as a2-a4-a5. 21. ... a5! 22. Qxa5 Ra8 23. Qe1!? After 23. Qc5 Rxa4 24. Nc3 Rc4 25. Qxe5 f5 26. Rb1 Re8 (but not 26. ... Rxc3?? on account of 27. d5!+−) Black’s defence is hard to crack as well. 23. ... Rxa4? It is Black who finally commits the last mistake. Correct was 23. ... Bc4! 24. Rxc4 Nxc4 25. Qb4+ Nb6 26. a5 Qd6! 27. Qxd6 cxd6 28. axb6 exd4∞ with an unbalanced position which White can hardly hope to win. 24. Nc3 Rxd4. If at once 24. ... Rc4 then 25. Ne4 similarly to the game. 25. Qxe5 Rc4 26. Ne4! Qd5 27. Qxg7 Rd8 28. Nc5+ Kc8 28. ... Kb8 29. Qxh7 is also completely hopeless. 29. Qa1 Kb8 30. Na6+ Kb7

31. Nxc7! Rxc1. If 31. ... Kxc7 then 32. Qa7+ winning as in the game. If, instead, 31. ... Ra4 then 32. Qb1 again winning easily. 32. Rxc1 Kxc7 33. Qa7+ Kc8 (33. ... Kd6 34. Bg3++−) 34. Bxb6 1 : 0.

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) (right) vs. Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lahno (left). Photo: 孙隽楠 (Sūn Juànnán).