Things Not Seen

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina

FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2022–23 Pool B; Semifinal game 4; Khiva, December 10, 2022

Queen’s Gambit Declined D52

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 Nbd7 6. e3 Qa5. The Cambridge Springs Variation, occasionally adopted by Goryachkina and, of course, perfectly playable.
7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. Rc1 h6 9. Bh4 Nxc3 10. bxc3 Ba3 11. Rc2 b6 12. Nd2. 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) has no curiosity to know what was waiting for her on the beaten track: 12. Be2 Ba6 13. 0-0 Bxe2 14. Rxe2 Qxc3? (very incautious) 15. Rc2 Qa5 16. Rxc6 0-0 17. e4? (17. Rc7 gave White a dominant position) 17. ... Rac8 18. Qc2 Qa6 19. h3 Nb8 20. Rxc8 Rxc8 21. Qb3 Nd7 22. d5 Nc5 23. Qe3 Qd3 24. dxe6 fxe6 25. Re1 Bb4 26. Qxd3? (⌓ 26. Rc1) Nxd3 27. Re2 Rc1+ 28. Kh2 e5 29. Bg3 Bc3 30. Nh4 b5 31. Nf5 b4 32. Ne7+ Kf7 33. Nc6 Ke6 34. h4 Ra1 35. f4? exf4 36. Bf2 Nc1 37. Rc2 Rxa2 38. Rxc1 Rxf2 39. Nxa7 f3 40. Kg3 Ra2 41. Nb5 fxg2 42. Nxc3 Rc2 0 : 1 P. Cramling – Goryachkina, FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2019–21, 2nd stage, Monte Carlo 2019.
12. ... Ba6 13. c4 0-0 14. Bd3 c5 15. 0-0 cxd4 16. exd4 Rfe8 17. Qe2 Rac8? Very careless. Black ought first play 17. ... Bf8! and only then follow up with ... Ra8-c8.

18. c5! Qa4?! 18. ... Bxd3 19. Qxd3 Bb4 20. Nc4 Qa6 21. a3 Ba5 22. Qb3 bxc5!? 23. Qa4 was probably the best way to go for what will occur in the game, with Black sacrificing her Bishop for two Pawns.
19. Bxa6 Qxc2 20. Bxc8 Rxc8 21. Qa6 Rc7

22. Bg3?! Much simpler and stronger is 22. Bd8! Nb8 23. Qxa3 Rc8 24. Qxa7 Rxd8 25. Qxb6 with a material and positional preponderance.
22. ... e5 23. Nf3 Bxc5!? No doubt Black’s best practical chance, as she sacrifices her Bishop for two Pawns giving her opponent the most technical difficulties.
24. dxc5 Nxc5 25. Qa3 f6 26. Rc1 Qg6 28. Nh4. “Yet, 28. Nh4 was not my most accurate move”, 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) said afterwards. And, indeed, it was better for White to consolidate her advantage with 28. Ne1 followed by f2-f3 and Bg3-f2.
28. ... Qf7 28. Rd1 Rd7 29. Rxd7 Qxd7 30. h3 e4!? 31. Bb8 g5! 32. Qxa7

32. ... gxh4? Goryachkina has not enough time for calculating the effects of unobvious moves. After the better 32. ... Qe6! 33. Nf5 (33. Ng6!? Nd7! 34. Nf4 gxf4 35. Bxf4⩲) 33. ... Qxf5 34. Qxb6 the ending is as hard to win for White as it is hard to draw for Black.
33. Qxb6 Ne6. 33. ... e3!? 34. fxe3 Ne4 35. Kh2! is also hopeless for Black.
34. a4 Kf7 35. a5 Nd4 36. Qc7 Ke8 37. Qc4 Qb7 38. Qg8+ Kd7 39. Qf7+ Kc6 40. Qc4+ 1 : 0.

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) masterly took advantage of Goryachkina’s lack of inspiration, probably due in large measure to the burdens and responsibilities, both psychological and real, that others impose her to bear. Photo: Timur Sattarov/FIDE.