Nighty Night

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) – Alina Anatolyevna Kashlinskaya
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2022–23; 1st stage; Astana, September 25, 2022
Tarrasch Defence D32

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 c5 5. e3 Nc6 6. a3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 a6 8. 0-0 b5 9. Ba2 Bb7 10. Qe2 cxd4 11. Rd1 b4 12. axb4 Nxb4 13. Rxd4 Qa5 (13. ... Qc7 14. Bb3!⩲ Barus – Mahmud, Jakarta 1996)
14. Nd2 Nxa2 15. Rxa2 Qg5 16. e4 Be7 17. Nb3 Qe5 18. g3 Qc7 (⌓ 18. ... Rc8)
19. Rc4 Qd7 20. Bf4 Rc8 21. Rd4 Qc6 22. Na5 Qb6 23. Rc4 Rxc4 24. Qxc4 Ng4 25. Qa4+. Better and simpler was 25. Qe2 h5 26. Nxb7 Qxb7 27. Qxa6 winning a clear Pawn.
25. ... Kf8 26. Nd1 Ba8 27. Ne3 Nxe3 (⌓ 27. ... g5 28. Bxg5 Bxg5 29. Nxg4 Kg7=)
28. Bxe3 Qb4 29. Qxb4 Bxb4 30. Nc4 Bxe4. Who knows, perhaps 30. ... Bb7 31. Ra4 can be a better version of the same ending.
31. Rxa6

White’s obvious threat is Ra6-b6 winning a piece.
31. ... Ke7? This is the losing move for Black. The ending resulting from 31. ... Be7! 32. b4± is anything but appealing, but at least still defendable.
32. Ra7+ Kf6. If 32. ... Ke8 then 33. Bf4! Bd5 34. Bd6! Bxc4 35. Bxb4 keeping Black in a bondage.
33. Bd4+ Kg6 34. Ne5+ Kh5

35. f3 f6 36. Nf7 Rc8 37. fxe4 Kg4 38. Kf2 e5

39. Nxe5+! fxe5 40. Rxg7+ Kh5 41. Bxe5 Rc2+ 42. Kf3 Kh6 43. Rg8 1 : 0.

“From the beginning I could see that my opponent was well-prepared, but during the game she gave me the initiative”, 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) said afterwards. “I think we both played well, but at some point, during the game I think she was feeling less confident and I was able to win due to her bad time management”. Photo: Anna Shtourman/FIDE.