The Eighth Seal

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) – Tatev Abrahamyan
7th World Women’s Team Chess Championship; Astana, March 13, 2019
Modern Benoni A62

Thus, in the end, mostly (but not only) thanks to its Board 1, China won the 7th World Women’s Team Chess Championship a round in advance. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 c5 4. d5 exd5 5. cxd5 g6 6. Nc3 Bg7 7. Bg2 0-0 8. Nf3 d6 9. 0-0 a6 10. a4 Re8 11. Bf4 Nh5 12. Bg5 Qc7 13. Re1 Nd7 14. e4 Rb8 15. g4! Nhf6

16. e5! A new move by 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí), which apparently allows White to save a tempo in comparison with 16. h3 h5 17. e5 dxe5 18. d6 Qa5 19. Bxf6 Nxf6 20. gxh5 gxh5 21. Ng5 Bf5 22. Nd5 Nxd5 23. Bxd5 Bg6 24. Kh1 Rbd8 25. Rg1 Rd7 26. Ra3 Qb4 27. Rag3 Qd4 28. Qb3 e4 29. Ne6 Be5 30. Rxg6+ fxg6 31. Nxd4+ 1 : 0 Georgiadis – Megalios, 54th World Junior Chess Championship, Khanty-Mansiysk 2015. 16. ... dxe5. If 16. ... Nxg4 then 17. e6!± with a powerful advantage. 17. d6! Qd8 18. Nd5 h6 19. Bh4 g5 20. Ne7+ Kf8? This loses very quickly. Black had nothing better than giving up the Exchange by 20. ... Rxe7 21. dxe7 Qxe7, though after 22. Bg3 Ne8 23. h3 White, besides her opponent’s material compensation, would have remained with a clear positional advantage. 21. Bg3 Ng8 22. Nd5! Re6. Or 22. ... e4 23. Nc7 with an easy win. 23. Nc7 Rg6 24. Qd3. With the big threat of Qd3xg6. 24. ... Nb6 25. Nxe5 Bxe5 26. Rxe5 Bd7 27. Rae1 Nf6 28. Re7 Bxg4 29. Qb3 1 : 0.

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) (right) vs. Tatev Abrahamyan (left). Photo © David Llada.