Alone in the Mirror

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) – Marie Rachel Sebag
1st Women’s Chess World Cup; match game 1; Krasnaya Polyana, July 18, 2021
Sicilian Defence B94

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 Nbd7. “Although this is played relatively often, it does not have a good theoretical reputation. Not only does Black have to play the opening accurately to avoid a tactical disaster, he faces the prospect of a positionally inferior middlegame at the end”, John Nunn wrote in his book “The Najdorf for the Tournament Player”, Collier Books, New York, 1988, p. 275. 7. f4 Qc7 8. Qf3 g6 9. 0-0-0 Bg7 10. g4. The following are very good vintages of 1954 and 1961: 10. Be2 h6 11. Bh4 e5 (11. ... 0-0 12. g4 e5 13. Nb3 exf4 14. g5 Nh5 15. Nd5 Qd8 16. Rdg1 Ne5 17. Qf2 hxg5 18. Rxg5 Nf6 19. Rg2 Be6 20. Qxf4 Bxd5 21. exd5 Nxd5 22. Qe4 Nf6 ½ : ½ Barden – Sajtar, 11th Chess Olympiad, Amsterdam 1954) 12. Ndb5 axb5 13. Nxb5 Qa5 14. Nxd6+ Kf8 15. Bc4 exf4 16. Nxf7 Qc7 17. Bb3 Ne5 18. Nxe5 Qxe5 19. Rd8+ Ne8 20. c3 g5 21. Qh5 Qe7 22. Bf2 Bg4 23. Rxe8+ Rxe8 24. Qxg4 Be5 25. Rd1 1 : 0 Spassky – Vladimirov, 29th USSR Chess Championship, Baku 1961. 10. ... h6 11. Bh4 e5 12. Nb3!?TN (12. Nde2 b5 13. f5 Bb7= Cueto – Danner, 34th Chess Olympiad, Istanbul 2000) 12. ... exf4

13. g5! hxg5 14. Bxg5 Nb6 15. Qxf4 Nh7 16. Bh6 Be5 17. Qd2. This move sounds quite strange both strategically and tactically, even though it will eventually pay off. However, 17. Qf2 Bg4 18. Rd3⩲ seemed more natural. 17. ... Bg4 18. Be2. Committal, but White has no intention at all of giving up the d-file. 18. ... Bxc3 19. bxc3 Bxc3 19. bxc3 Bxe2 20. Qxe2 0-0-0. Not 20. ... Qxc3 on account of 21. e5! grabbing the initiative. But Black could also play 20. ... Nf8! 21. Bf4 0-0-0 transposing into the line given in the next note. 21. Bf4

21. ... Na4? Sebag is dramatically overestimating her attacking chances, which causes her to lose almost immediately. After the correct 21. ... Nf8! 22. Rhf1 Ne6 23. Bg3 Rd7 Black would be perfectly fine. 22. Rd4! Nxc3. 22. ... b5 23. c4! is no better at all. 23. Qd3+− b5 24. Bxd6 Ne2+ 25. Kb2 Nf4 26. Qd2 Rxd6 27. Rxd6 Ne6 28. Qd5 Kb8 29. Rxa6 1 : 0.

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí), the only Chinese participant in the inaugural Women’s Chess World Cup, is more than ever determined not to regret the choice she has made. Photo © Anastasia Korolkova.