Half Way

雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) – Anna Olehivna Muzychuk

FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2022–23 Pool A; Semifinal match game 4; Monte Carlo, November 5, 2022

Grünfeld Defence D85

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Qa4+. Varying from 7. Be3 c5 8. Nf3 Qa5 9. Qd2 Nc6 10. Rb1 a6 11. Rc1 cxd4 12. cxd4 Qxd2+ 13. Kxd2 e6 14. Bd3 0-0 15. h4 Rd8 16. Rc4 h6 17. Rb1 Bd7 18. Rb6 Be8 19. e5 Rd5 20. Rc2 Rad8 21. Be4 Rb5 22. Rxb5 axb5 23. Ke2 Bf8 24. Rd2 Na5 25. Rc2 Nc6 26. Rd2 Na5 27. Rc2 Nc6 28. Rd2 ½ ; ½ 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) – A. O. Muzychuk, FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2022–23 Pool A, Monte Carlo 2022, Semifinal match game 2.
7. ... Nd7 8. Nf3 0-0 9. Be2 Nb6?! This calls to mind the old dictum by Siegbert Tarrasch that a Knight on b6 (or b3 with White) “always stands badly”, which is especially true because Black should hurry to play the thematic 9. ... c5; for example: 10. 0-0 Nb6 (well, maybe it’s not so bad, after all) 11. Qa3 cxd4 12. cxd4 Bg4 13. Rd1 Qd6 14. h3 Bxf3 15. Bxf3 Rfd8 16. e5 Qxa3 17. Bxa3 Rd7 18. Rab1 Rad8 19. Rdc1 Rxd4 20. Bxe7 Re8 21. Bc5 Rd2 22. Bxb7 Bxe5 23. a4 Bb2 24. Re1 Rxe1+ 25. Rxe1 Nxa4 26. Re8+ Kg7 27. Bf8+ Kf6 28. Be7+ Kg7 29. Bf8+ Kf6 30. Be7+ Kg7 31. Bf8+ Kf6 ½ : ½ Girya – M. O. Muzychuk, FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2015–16, 4th stage, 成都 (Chéngdū) 2016.
10. Qb4 Qd6 11. 0-0 Bg4?! But, as Grandmaster Alex Vladislavovich Yermolinsky asks in his comments to the game Inarkiev – 李超 (Lǐ Chāo) mentioned in the following note, “What is the point of parting with a Bishop when Black isn’t attacking d4? [...] 11. ... Qxb4 12. cxb4 Bg4 would make more sense”.
12. Qb3

12. ... Be6!? Not the most consistent, but after 12. ... c6?! 13. Rd1 Qc7 14. Ba3 Nc8 15. Rac1 Bxf3 16. Bxf3 Rd8 17. e5! White got a great advantage: 17. ... e6 18. c4 Rb8 19. Be4 c5?! 20. Bxc5 f6 21. Bb4 fxe5 22. d5 b6 23. dxe6 Ne7 24. Rd7! Rxd7 25. exd7 Qxd7 26. c5+ Kh8 27. c6 Rc8 28. Qf7 Qd4 29. Bxe7 1 : 0 Inarkiev – 李超 (Lǐ Chāo), FIDE Grand Prix 2017, 4th stage, Palma de Mallorca 2017.
However, Yermolinsky, in his own words, “an old Grünfeld hand”, opines that “No matter what 12. ... c5 13. Ba3 Qc6 had to be tried”.
13. d5 Bg4 14. h3 Bxf3 15. Bxf3 c6 16. Ba3 Qc7 17. Rae1 cxd5 18. exd5 Bf6 19. Re4

When interviewed afterwards, 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) felt that White ought to have somewhat better chances due to the Bishop pair and a general advantage in mobility, which may be a bit optimistic, at least from a computer perspective. There is no question, however, that Black’s game is not so easy to play with as machines think.
19. ... Rfc8? After this error, White’s advantage becomes crushing. Black had to play 19. ... Nc8! 20. Rc4 Qe5 21. Qxb7 Nd6 22. Bxd6 exd6 with enough compensation for the Pawn.
20. Bg4! Rd8 21. c4 h5 22. Be2 Rac8 23. Re1 Rd7 24. g4 h4 25. Qe3 g5 26. Bd3 Na4

27. Bxe7! Sic et simpliciter. White liquidates to an easily won ending.
27. ... Rxe7 28. Rxe7 Qxe7 29. Qxe7 Bxe7 30. Rxe7 Nc5 31. Bf5 Kf8 32. Rxf7+! Nevertheless, 32. Rxb7! is the “dual”.
32. ... Kxf7 33. Bxc8 b6 34. Bf5 Kf6 35. d6 Nb7 36. d7 Ke7 37. f4 gxf4 38. Kf2 Nd6 39. Kf3 Nxc4 40. Kxf4 Nd6 41. g5 Nb7 42. Ke5 1 : 0.

The fourth and last game of FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2022–23 Pool A saw 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) prevail over Muzychuk, mostly by virtue of her superior theoretical preparation. Photo: Michał Walusza/FIDE.