Today Is Another Day

Thalia Cervantes Landeiro – 于润荷 (Jennifer Yú)
61st U.S. Women’s Chess Championship; Saint Louis, October 19, 2022
Queen’s Indian Defence E17

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. 0-0 0-0 7. Re1 a5 8. Bg5 Ne4 9. Bxe7 Qxe7 10. Nfd2 f5. The alternative is 10. ... Nxd2 11. Bxb7 Ra7 12. Qxd2 Rxb7 13. Nc3 Qb4 14. b3 d5 15. cxd5 exd5 16. Qc2 c6 17. e4 dxe4 18. Rxe4 Qd6 19. Rae1 Nd7 20. Re7 Rbb8 21. Qf5 Nf6 22. Qe5 Rbd8 ½ : ½ Miton – Rozentalis, 12th MetLife Amplico European Rapid Championship, Warsaw 2012 (time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move). But today 于 (Yú) cannot afford equality, as it would automatically mean renouncing the possibility, even theoretical, of winning the title.
11. Nxe4 fxe4 12. Nc3 d5 13. cxd5! Simpler and better than 13. Qb3 a4! 14. Nxa4 Qf6 15. e3 Qxf2+ 16. Kh1 dxc4?? (16. ... Nd7!⩱) 17. Qxc4 Bd5 18. Qxc7 Rf7? 19. Qd8+ Rf8 20. Qd6 Rxa4 21. Rf1 Nc6 22. Rxf2 Rxf2 23. Kg1 Rf8 24. Bxe4 Rd8 25. Qf4 Nxd4 26. exd4 Rxd4 27. Bxh7+ 1 : 0 Loiseau – R. E. Nielsen, 25th Open, Zadar 2018.
13. ... exd5 14. Qb3. Better first 14. f3 and only after 14. ... Nd7 (or 14. ... e3) then 15. Qb3⩲ with an edge for White.
14. ... Qb4! And not 14. ... Qf6? by reason of 15. Nxd5 Qxf2+ 16. Kh1 Qf7 17. Nxc7 Qxb3 18. axb3 Ra7 19. Nb5 with an overwhelming advantage for White.
15. Red1. 15. Qxb4? axb4 16. Nb5 c6 17. Nc7 (17. Nd6 Ba6∓) 17. ... Ra5 followed sooner or later by ... c6-c5 with manifest advantage to Black.
15. ... Na6. Black could play at once 15. ... Qxb3 16. axb3 Na6 analogously to the game. The difference is that now White could have avoided and perhaps should have avoided the exchange of Queens.
16. Rac1 Qxb3. But here they are, after all. The simplified position which now results is slightly in favour of Black, of course, even though still possibly drawable.
17. axb3 Rad8 18. Nb5?! The beginning of a Knight’s tour which does not seem to help the defence.
18. ... c6 19. Nc3 Nb4 20. Na4 Ba6 21. Bf1. 21. Nxb6 Bxe2 22. Rd2 Bb5 was not pleasant either.
21. ... Rb8 22. Kg2

22. ... g5! Black has considerably improved her position, greatly increasing her chances of winning the game.
23. e3 (23. f3 e3∓)
23. ... Bd3!? Maybe the only shadow in an otherwise superbly conducted endgame. The best seems to be 23. ... Bxf1+ 24. Kxf1 Rf3 similarly to the game.
24. Rd2? 24. Bxd3 was decidedly better, to which Black can reply with 24. ... exd3!⩱ (as 24. ... Nxd3 25. Rxc6 Rxf2+ 26. Kg1 b5 27. Nc3 does not seem to offer much).
24. ... Rf6 25. Kg1 Kf7 26. Bxd3 Nxd3 27. Rf1 Rf3

28. Rc2 Nb4 29. Rd2 Ke7 30. Rc1 Kd6 31. Rf1 Kc7 32. Nc3 Rbf8 33. Ne2 h5! 34. Kg2 c5! White is completely outplayed and can’t do anything but wait.
35. h4 gxh4 36. gxh4 Rg8+ 37. Ng3 Rg4 38. Rh1 Kd6 39. dxc5+ bxc5 40. Ra1 Nc6 41. Rc1

41. ... d4!? (41. ... Ne7−+)
42. exd4? 42. Rc3! was White’s best defence, with the idea of 43. ... d3? 44. Rcxd3+! saving the day. Therefore Black would have probably played 42. ... Rf8 43. Kh3 Rxg3+! 44. Kxg3 d3! 45. f4! Ne7!∓/−+ with good winning chances.
42. ... cxd4 43. Rc4 d3 44. Ra4 (44. Rxe4 Rfxg3+−+)
44. ... Ne5 45. Rxa5 Ng6 46. Ra6+ Kc7 47. Ra4 Nxh4+ 48. Kh3 Nf5 49. Rc4+ Kd6 50. Kh2 Nxg3 51. fxg3 Kd5 52. Ra4 Rgxg3 53. Ra5+ Kd4 54. Rxh5 Ke3 55. Rd1 Ke2 56. Ra1 d2 57. Rh4 e3 0 : 1.

Thanks to her last round of mastery technique, 于 (Yú) tied for the title with eight-time U.S. Women’s Champion Irina Borisivna Krush, so as to make her audiences keep up for another day before the last word — or tiebreaker, as it is technically called — will be spoken. Photo © Crystal Fuller/Saint Louis Chess Club.