Two Sides

Nihal Sarin – 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié)

1st Julius Bär Challengers Chess Tour; 2nd stage; Gelfand Challenge; time control: 10 minutes plus 5 seconds per move; chess24.com, June 11, 2021

Réti Opening A06

1. Nf3 d5 2. b3 Nf6 3. Bb2 e6 4. e3 b6 5. c4 Bb7 6. Nc3 Nbd7 7. cxd5 exd5 8. Rc1 a6 9. d4 Bd6 10. g3 Qe7 11. Bg2 0-0-0 12. 0-0 h5!?TN 13. Re1 Ne4 14. Qc2 Kb8 15. h4 f6 16. a4 g5 17. b4 Rhg8 18. b5 a5. A typical opposite-side castling position, but with a non-typical morphology as only Black is attacking so far. 19. Qb3 Nxc3 20. Bxc3 Qg7 21. Rc2 Rde8 (⌓ 21. ... Nf8! 22. hxg5 Ng6→) 22. Rec1

22. ... Re4! 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) goes for the jugular by giving up an Exchange. 23. hxg5 h4 24. Nxh4 Rxh4?! Having said A, Black feels she must say B too, but probably she should content herself with 24. ... Qxg5. 25. gxh4 fxg5 26. Bxd5? It will soon be obvious why White should have kept the file closed by 26. h5. 26. ... gxh4+ 27. Kf1 Qg1+? (27. ... Bxd5 28. Qxd5 h3−+) 28. Ke2 Qg4+ 29. Kd2? (⌓ 29. f3!) 29. ... Bxd5 30. Qxd5 Nf6 31. Qh1? Of course after 31. Qc6 Qf5 Black’s superior coordination and her passed Pawn more than compensate for the material deficit, but that probably was “the best of all possible worlds”.

31. ... Qf5 32. Rg1. Tantamount to capitulation, but neither 32. Qxh4 Rg2−+ nor 32. Ke2 h3−+ can be taken in consideration. 32. ... Rxg1. Or 32. ... Qxf2+ followed by the capture of the Rook on g1. 33. Qxg1 Ne4+? 33. ... h3 would have won at once. 34. Kc1 h3 35. f4? Probably to prevent ... Qf5-f3, but it loses vital time. Best seems 35. Kb2! Qf3 36. Qg8+ Ka7 37. Bxa5! bxa5 (37. ... h2 38. Bxb6+! cxb6 39. Qc8 Nc5! 40. dxc5 Qf6+=) 38. b6+! cxb6 39. Qh7+ Ka6 40. Qd7 forcing perpetual check. 35. ... Qe6 36. Kb2 Qc4 37. Qh1?

37. ... Ba3+! 38. Kxa3 Nxc3 39. Rxc3 Qxc3+ 40. Ka2 Qd2+ 41. Kb3 Qxe3+ 42. Kc4 Qe2+ 43. Kc3 Qg2 44. Qe1 h2 45. Qe8+ Ka7 0 : 1.

A win against all odds for 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) and a great satisfaction for her coach as well. Screenshot courtesy of chess24.com.