Time and Again

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) – Ulviyya Fataliyeva

8th Women’s World Blitz Chess Championship; time control: 3 minutes plus 2 seconds per move; Almaty, December 29, 2022

Queen’s Gambit Declined D37

1. d4 e6 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bf4 0-0 6. e3 Nbd7 7. c5 c6 8. Bd3 b6. An oldie but a goodie: 8. ... Nh5 9. Be5 f6 10. Bg3 f5 11. Ng5? (11. b4) 11. ... Ndf6? (11. ... Nxc5!) 12. Be5 g6 13. h3 b6 14. g4 Ng7 15. Na4 Ne4 16. Nxe4 fxe4 17. Be2 Ne8 18. Qb3 b5 19. Nc3 a5 20. Bd1 Bh4 21. Rh2 Ba6 22. Ne2 Ra7 23. Nf4 Qc8 24. Rg2 g5 25. Nh5 Raf7 26. Ng3 b4 27. Qa4 Qd8 28. Qxc6 Bc8 29. a3 Rb7 30. b3 Ra7 31. axb4 Ra6 32. Qb5 Nc7 33. Qb8 1 : 0 Steinitz – Chigorin, International Tournament, Nuremberg 1896.
9. b4 a5 10. a3 Ba6 11. 0-0 Qc8 12. h3 Qb7 13. Qc2 Bxd3 14. Qxd3 h6 15. Rfb1 axb4 16. axb4 b5 17. Nd2 Rxa1 18. Rxa1 Ra8 19. Qb1 Ra6. If 19. ... Bd8 then 20. Rxa8 (or 20. Nb3⩲ Dziuba – Żeberski, 15th Czech Open A, Pardubice 2006) 20. ... Qxa8 21. Qa2 Qxa2 22. Nxa2 Ne8 23. Nb3⩲ Kunte – Kayumov, 7th Open, Dubai 2005.
20. Nb3. Here 20. Rxa6 Qxa6 21. Qa2 Qb7 (21. ... Qxa2? 22. Nxa2 Ne4 23. Nb3+− Hingouet – Stephan, 11th d’Ille et Vilaine Open, Rennes 2018) 22. Qa5 seems to give White a somewhat better game.
20. ... Bd8 21. Na5 Qa8 22. Ra2 Bxa5 23. Qa1

23. ... Nb8?! Very interesting is 23. ... Ne4 24. Rxa5 Rxa5 25. Qxa5 (25. bxa5 Qa6 should not worry Black too much) 25. ... Qc8 on which might follow 26. Nxb5!? cxb5 27. Qxb5 Qa8! 28. Qa5! Qc8∞ with practical chances for White.
24. Bxb8 Qxb8 25. Rxa5 Rxa5 26. Qxa5!? After 26. bxa5 Ne8 27. Na2 b4!? (of course Black cannot allow the White Knight to jump into b4) 28. Qb2 b3 29. Nc1 Qb4 30. Nxb3 (or 30. Qxb3!? Qxa5 31. Nd3 aiming at a more dynamic advantage) 30. ... Nc7 31. Qa2 White is a Pawn ahead, but, with such a time control, technical issues may be anything but natural.
26. ... Qb7 27. Ne2 Kh7 28. Nf4

28. ... Nd7? (⌓ 28. ... Ne4!)
29. Qd8 Nb8? (29. ... Nf6 30. Nd3 Ne4 31. Qe8 Qa7 32. Kh2)
30. Nh5+− (30. Qe8+− Δ Nf4-d3-e5)
30. ... Na6 31. Qf8 f6 32. Nf4 e5 33. dxe5 fxe5 34. Qf5+ Kg8 35. Qxe5 Nxb4

36. h4? (36. Qe8+! Kh7 37. Ng6!+−)
36. ... Kf7?? (36. ... Qd7! 37. Qb8+ Kf7 38. h5⩲)
37. Qe6+ Kf8 38. Ng6# 1 : 0.