A Day So Gray

Törmönkhiin Mönkhzul – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
19th Asian Games — Women’s Team Standard; 杭州 (Hángzhōu), September 30, 2023
French Defence C01

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Bb5 Bd6 6. c4 dxc4 7. d5 a6 8. Ba4 b5 9. dxc6 bxa4 10. Nbd2. Theoreticians recommend 10. 0-0 Ne7 11. Nbd2 recovering the Pawn with a good game. The text leaves White a Pawn down with little or nothing to show for it.
10. ... Qe7+ 11. Qe2 Qxe2+ 12. Kxe2 Be6 13. Ne4 Ne7 14. Nxd6+ cxd6 15. Bf4 Nxc6 16. Bxd6 0-0-0 17. Bc5 Rhe8 18. Rhd1

18. ... Rxd1. Also strong seems to be 18. ... Bf5+ 19. Kf1 Bd3+ 20. Kg1 Re2∓ with great advantage to Black.
19. Kxd1 Bg4 20. Rc1 Ne5 21. Rc3 Kb7 22. Kd2 Rd8+ 23. Ke3 Bxf3 24. gxf3

24. ... g6. 24. ... Re8 at once seems much better.
25. Bd4 Re8. Or 25. ... Nxf3 26. Bf6 as in the actual game.
26. Kd2 Rd8 27. Ke3 Nxf3 28. Bf6 Rd6 29. Be7 Re6+ 30. Kxf3 Rxe7 31. Rxc4 a3 32. b3 Rd7 33. Ra4 Rd3+ 34. Kg2 Kb6 35. Rxa3 Rd4 36. b4 Rxb4 37. Rh3 h5 38. Rf3

38. ... f5. A little better is 38. ... Rg4+ 39. Kh3 f5, but even then after 40. Rg3! g5 41. f4! gxf4 42. Rc3! White saves the day by combining stalemate with a positional draw.
39. Rg3 Rg4 40. h3! Rxg3+ 41. Kxg3 g5 42. h4 f4+ 43. Kf3 gxh4 44. Kxf4 Kc5 45. Kf3 Kd4 46. Kg2 Ke4 47. Kh3 Kf3 48. Kxh4 Kxf2 49. Kxh5 Ke3 50. Kg4 Kd2 51. Kf4 Kc3 52. Ke4 a5 53. a4 Kb4 54. Kd3 Kxa4 55. Kc4 ½ : ½.