The Checkered Blouse

雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) – Sabina-Francesca Foişor
7th World Women’s Team Chess Championship; Astana, March 13, 2019
Spanish Game C95

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 0-0 8. c3 d6 9. h3 Nb8 10. d4 Nbd7 11. Nbd2 Bb7 12. Bc2 Re8 13. Nf1 Bf8 14. Ng3 g6 15. d5. By closing the centre now, White gets little or nothing. More advisable is 15. Bg5 h6 16. Bd2 Bg7 17. a4 Nb6 18. axb5 axb5 19. b3 Nfd7 20. Bd3 b4 21. Rxa8 Bxa8 22. dxe5 Nxe5 23. Nxe5 dxe5 24. Qc2 bxc3 25. Bxc3⩲ Karpov – Kortschnoi, Leningrad 1971, match game 1. 15. ... c6 16. dxc6 Bxc6 17. Bg5. Indeed, it makes more sense than 17. Be3 Nc5 18. Nd2 d5! 19. Qf3? (19. Bg5 was called for) 19. ... Nfxe4 20. Ndxe4 dxe4 21. Nxe4? f5−+ E. P. Geller – Ibragimov, 48th Russian Chess Championship, Elista 1995. 17. ... Nc5. Black should have played 17. ... h6(!), questioning White’s Bishop. 18. Qd2 Bb7 19. Rad1 Ne6 20. Bh6 Bxh6 21. Qxh6 Qe7 22. a4 Red8 23. Qe3. If 23. Ng5 Black can reply with 23. ... Nxg5 24. Qxg5 Nd5! getting close to equality. 23. ... Nc5 24. a5 Rac8 25. Rd2 Rc7 26. Red1 Rcd7 27. b4 Ne6 28. Bb3 Nf4 29. c4 bxc4 30. Bxc4 d5?? The idea may be right but the timing is totally wrong! Black should have played something like 30. ... Rc8 31. Bf1 Rdd8 with a tenable game. Now it’s quickly over: 31. exd5 N4xd5 32. Qxe5 Qxb4 33. Bxd5 Rxd5. On 33. ... Nxd5 34. Ne4! is crushing. 34. Qxf6 Rxd2 35. Nxd2 Rxd2 36. Re1 Qf8

37. Nf5! Threatening both Nf5-e7+ and Re1-e8. 37. ... gxf5 38. Qg5+ Kh8 39. Qxd2 f6 40. Qd7 Be4 41. Rc1 1 : 0.

雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) (with checkered dress) vs. Sabina-Francesca Foişor. Photo © David Llada.