Journey to Now

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) – Nino Batsiashvili

8th Women’s World Rapid Chess Championship; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Almaty, December 28, 2022

Queen’s Gambit Declined D36

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 Be7 6. e3 h6 7. Bh4 c6 8. Bd3 0-0 9. Qc2 Ne8 10. Bg3 Nd6 11. Nf3 Be6 12. 0-0 Nd7 13. Rad1. It may be interesting to note that, only a year ago, Magnus Carlsen, the Champ of Champs, won a roller-coaster game after 13. a4 a5 14. b3 Re8 15. Ne5 Qc8 16. f3 Nxe5 17. Bxe5 Nf5 18. Bxf5? Bxf5 19. e4 Bg6 20. Qb2 dxe4 21. fxe4 Bb4 22. Rae1 f6 23. Bf4 Bxc3 24. Qxc3 Bxe4 25. Qg3 Kh7?! 26. Bxh6! gxh6? (26. ... Bg6) 27. Rxf6 Qd7 28. Ref1? (28. Rxe4!+−) 28. ... Qxd4+−+ 29. Kh1 Rad8 30. Qh4?? Bxg2+ 0 : 1 Predke – Carlsen, 9th World Blitz Chess Championship, Warsaw 2021 (time control: 3 minutes plus 2 seconds per move).
13. ... Qc8 14. Ne5 Nxe5 15. dxe5 Nf5 16. Bf4 g5 17. Bg3 Rd8 18. Qe2 Nxg3 19. hxg3 b5. Black dares to advance her Pawns on both wings, apparently oblivious to its potentially dangerous consequences.
20. Bb1 Bf5

21. e4 Bg4? An unfortunate error, and especially unfortunate because its refutation turns out to be grounded on a sequence of two forced moves. 21. ... dxe4! would have simplified the position, leaving White with little but her symbolic initiative.
22. f3 d4 23. Nd5! cxd5 24. fxg4 Bc5 25. Kh2 Qe6 26. exd5 Qxd5 27. Qd3. White’s attack is now irresistible.
27. ... Kf8

28. e6! Qxe6 29. Rde1 Qxg4. Otherwise Qd3-h7 with a mating net.

30. Rxf7+! 1 : 0. For after 30. ... Kxf7 there follows 31. Qg6+ Kf8 32. Qxh6+ with mate in four moves.

And then 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) won again. Photo: Vladimir Leonidovich Barsky/Chess Federation of Russia.