Nerves and Common Sense

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 1; 重庆 (Chóngqìng), March 29, 2023

English Opening A20

1. c4 e5 2. d3 Bb4+ 3. Nd2 c5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. g3 d6 6. Bg2 Nge7 7. 0-0 Bxd2. Or by transposition: 7. ... 0-0 8. Nb3 Na5 9. Nfd2 Bxd2 10. Nxd2 Nac6 with approximate equality, Grischuk – Giri, 2020 Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour, 3rd stage, Chessable Masters, chess24.com, June 26, 2020, match game 3 (time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move).
8. Bxd2 h6 9. a3 a5

10. b4. 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) makes no secret of her intentions and offers at once a Pawn pseudo-sacrifice.
10. ... axb4 11. axb4 Rxa1 12. Qxa1 Nxb4 13. Bxb4 cxb4 14. Rb1 Nc6 15. d4. Neither now nor on the next few moves, White shows any interest whatsoever in regaining her Pawn.
15. ... Bf5. 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) said afterwards that after Black’ 15. ... Bf5 she felt a little worried and hence decided to make the situation more complicated still.
16. Rc1 0-0 17. d5 Nb8 18. c5 dxc5 19. Nxe5 f6 20. Nc4 Nd7 21. Ne3 Bg6

22. d6. White is ready to give up a second Pawn for the sake of initiative.
22. ... Kh7 23. Nd5 Qa8 24. Qb2. Of course White cannot afford the exchange of Queens, as after 24. Qxa8? Rxa8 25. Bh3 b3! her situation would be hopeless.
24. ... Qa6. 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) too is playing for the win.
25. Nf4 Qxd6 26. Nxg6 Kxg6 27. Qc2+ f5 28. Rd1. White is two Pawns down, but her bind on the light squares should compensate somewhat for her material deficit.
28. ... Qe7 29. Bh3 Ne5

30. Rd5? They both are scarily short of time, which may justify the excesses of emotive meaning. Probably best was 30. f4! b3! (30. ... Nc6 31. Bxf5+! Rxf5 32. g4 Qe3+ 33. Kh1 Qxf4 34. gxf5+ Kf7∞) 31. Qxb3 Nc6 leaving Black a Pawn up and a good game.
30. ... Qe6? A blunder due to time-trouble. 30. ... c4! was both natural and strong.
31. Qxc5. Suddenly the tables are turned.
31. ... Nd7 32. Rxd7! Qxd7 33. Qxf8 Qd1+ 34. Bf1! b3! 35. Qe8+? Given the circumstances, 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) cannot be blamed for missing 35. e4! fxe4 36. Qe8+ Kf6 37. Qa4+− — which apparently was the only “magic formula”.
35. ... Kh7 36. Qb5

36. ... f4?? As Tartakower used to say, “Victory goes to the player who makes the next-to-the-last mistake”. Likewise, if 36. ... Qc2? then 37. e3! b2 38. Bd3 and Black is lost, but after 36. ... Qb1! 37. e4! (37. e3 does the job as well) 37. ... b2 38. Qxf5+ White has nothing more than a draw by perpetual check.
37. e3! fxe3 38. Qd3+ 1 : 0.

Then 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) said that at least this time Goddess Luck stood on her side. Photo: Sina Sports.