Friday, March 31, 2023

Halfway Home

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) – 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié)
“两江新区杯” (“Liǎngjiāng New Area Cup”) FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2022–23 Final; match game 3; 重庆 (Chóngqìng), March 31, 2023
Tarrasch Defence D32

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. dxc5 d4 7. Na4 Bxc5 8. Nxc5 Qa5+ 9. Bd2 Qxc5


10. b4!? A Pawn sacrifice favoured by most engines.
10. ... Qb6. Critical is 10. ... Nxb4 11. Rc1 Qd6 12. e3!? which gives rise to the sort of tactical nuances that usually provide for enough compensation — though usually no more than enough. Be that as it may, 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) prefers a safer and quieter way.
11. Qa4 a6 12. e3 dxe3 13. fxe3 Rb8 14. b5 axb5 15. Qxb5 (15. Bxb5 Ne7=)
15. ... Qxb5 16. Bxb5 Nf6! (16... Bd7 17. Bc3 Nf6 18. Bxf6 gxf6 19. 0-0 Ke7 20. a4 Rhc8 21. Nd2 Ne5 22. Ne4 Bxb5 23. axb5 Nd7 24. Rad1 Rc2 25. Rf4 Ra8 26. Nd6 Raa2 27. Nf5+ Kd8 28. Rg4 Kc7 29. Ne7 Kb6 30. Rg7 Ne5 31. Nd5+ Kxb5 32. Rb1+ Kc5 33. Nxf6 Ng6 34. Rxh7 Rxg2+ 35. Kh1 Rgc2 36. Ng4 Rg2 37. Nf6 Rgc2 38. Ng4 Rg2 39. h3 f5 40. Rh5 Nh4 41. Rxh4 fxg4 42. hxg4 b5 43. Rh5+ Kc4 44. Rbxb5 Rxg4 45. Rb1 Re2 46. Ra1 Re4 47. Rc1+ Kd3 ½ : ½ K. S. Shevchenko – Song, 55th Biel Master Open Tournament, Biel/Bienne 2022)
17. Ne5


17. ... 0-0. The point of Black’s previous move: a Pawn sacrifice which offers plenty of play in all lines.
18. Nxc6 bxc6 19. Bxc6 Ba6 20. Bf3 Rfe8. 20. ... Rb2 at once also leads to equality.
21. Kf2 Rb2 22. Rhd1 Ne4+ Reb4 25. Rxb2 Rxb2 26. a4 f5 27. Ke1 Bd3 28. a5 g5


29. Ra1. White cannot do anything but allow the exchange of Rooks, thus remaining with a meaningless extra Pawn in an ending with Bishops of opposite colours.
29. ... Rb1+ 30. Rxb1 Bxb1 31. Bb4 Be4 32. g3 g4 33. Kd2 Kf7 34. Kc3 Ke6 35. Kd4 Kd7 36. a6 Kc6 37. Bc5 Kb5 38. a7 Ka6 39. Ke5 Kb7 40. Kd6. White cannot go hunting for the h7-Pawn: 40. Kf6 Ka8 41. Kg7 Kb7 42. Kxh7?? f4+ and Black wins.
40. ... Bd3 ½ : ½.

When interviewed afterwards, 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) admitted she was unable to put her opponent to the test, not seeing a way to do so, but also because “I was still in a blue mood, after losing yesterday”. 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) too, on her part, seemed laconically content with the outcome: “It’s okay”. Photo: 王亮 (Wáng Liàng).

No comments: