Friday, July 8, 2022

China Standard Time

Polina Sergeevna Shuvalova – 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)
4th Online Women’s Speed Chess Championship Main Event; Round of 16 match game 1; time control: 5 minutes plus 1 second per move; chess.com, July 8, 2022
Four Knights Game C47

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Bb4 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. Bd3 d5 8. exd5 cxd5 9. 0-0 0-0 10. h3 c6 11. Qf3 Bd6 12. Re1 Rb8 13. b3 Re8 14. Bf4 Be6 15. Rad1 Rb7 (15. ... Bxf4 16. Qxf4 Qa5 17. Qd2 Bd7 18. g4 Qb4 19. Rxe8+ Rxe8 20. Ne2 Qb6 21. Ng3 Be6 22. c4 h6 23. cxd5 cxd5 24. Qf4 Rc8 25. Ne2 h5 26. g5 Ne4 27. h4 Qa5 28. Nd4 Qxa2 29. g6 Rf8 30. Bxe4 dxe4 31. Nxe6 fxe6 32. Qe3 Qb2 33. Rd4 Qb1+ 34. Kg2 Qc2 35. Rd7 Qc6 36. Rd4 e5 37. Qxe4 Qxe4+ 38. Rxe4 Rf6 39. Rxe5 Rxg6+ 40. Kf3 Rf6+ ½ : ½ Ivanchuk – Antón Guijarro, 54th Capablanca Memorial, Havana 2019) 16. Bxd6 Qxd6 17. Ne2 Rbe7


18. Rf1. This appears quite counter-intuitive. White’s best policy was now to offer the exchange of Queens at f4 or g3 with roughly even chances. 18. ... Bd7 19. Ng3 g6 20. a4?! (20. c4!? h5) 20. ... Kg7 21. Rd2 Re5 22. Rfd1 Qb4 23. Bf1 h5 24. Rd4 Qe7


25. c4? This allows Black a powerful passed in the centre, which, in fact, exerts a paralysing effect on White’s game. ⌓ 25. b4 c5 26. bxc5 Qxc5 27. Rf4 R8e6 28. Ne2 Rb6 29. Qc3 Qxc3 30. Nxc3 Bf5⩱ is only a tad better for Black. 25. ... c5 26. R4d2 d4 27. Bd3 (27. Re2 h4 28. Rxe5 Qxe5 29. Ne2 Bf5−+) 27. ... Re1+ 28. Rxe1 (28. Kh2?? Ng4+! 29. hxg4 Qh4#) 28. ... Qxe1+ 29. Nf1 Re6 (Δ ... Bd7-c6) 30. Qf4. The exchange of the heavy pieces does not, of course, help White either: 30. Re2 Rxe2 31. Qxe2 Qxe2 32. Bxe2 Bf5 with an easily won ending for Black. 30. ... Bc6 (30. ... Qc1−+) 31. a5 Qc1 32. Qc7 Re1 33. Kh2 (33. Qxc6 Qxd2 34. Qf3 Qd1−+)


33. ... Be4! 34. Bxe4 Nxe4 35. Qe5+ Nf6 36. Qxc5 Rxf1 37. Qxd4 h4! (37. ... Rh1+ 38. Kg3 Qxd2!−+) 38. g4 Rh1+ 39. Kg2 Qf1+ 40. Kf3 Rxh3+ (40. ... g5!−+) 41. Kf4 Qg2 0 : 1.

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) showed up today in top shape! Screenshot from the live stream.

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