Never a Last Time

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
2nd FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss Tournament; Douglas, November 2, 2023
Spanish Game C67

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. 0-0 Nxe4 5. Re1 Nd6 6. a4 Be7 7. Nc3 a6 8. Bf1 e4 9. Nxe4 Nxe4 10. Rxe4 d5 11. Re1 Bg4 12. h3 Bh5 13. c3!? A new move, a new idea. To be sure, as she went through her preparation, 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) will have noted that Goryachkina saved herself by the skin of her teeth after 13. Be2 0-0 14. d4 Bd6 15. Ne5 Bxe2 16. Rxe2 Ne7 17. Bf4 Nf5 18. Qd3 Qc8 19. g4 Ne7 20. Rae1 f6? (⌓ 20. ... Bxe5) 21. Nf3 (21. Nd7 Qxd7 22. Bxd6 cxd6 23. Rxe7 Qxa4 24. c3) 21. ... Ng6 22. Bxd6 cxd6 23. Qb3 Nf4 24. Re4 Nxh3+ 25. Kg2 Ng5 26. Nxg5 fxg5 27. Qxd5+ Kh8 28. c3 Qc6 29. Qxg5 h6 30. Qe3 Rf6 31. f4 Raf8 32. Kg3 Qxa4 33. f5 Qb3 34. Re2 Qd1 35. Re1 Qb3 36. Re6 Kh7 37. Re2 b5 38. Rf2 b4 39. cxb4 Qxe3+ 40. Rxe3 Rb8 41. Rc2 Kg8 42. b5 axb5 43. Re6 Rf7 44. Rxd6 h5 45. Rc5 hxg4 46. Kxg4 b4 47. Rdc6 Kh7 48. Rc7 Rff8 49. Rd5 Rb6 50. Rdd7 Rg8 51. Rb7 Rxb7 52. Rxb7 Rf8 53. Rxb4 (53. Kf4 Kg8 54. d5) 53. ... g6 54. fxg6+ Kxg6 55. Rb6+ Kg7 56. d5 (56. Kg5 Rd8 57. Rb7+ Kg8 58. Kf6) 56. ... Rf1 57. b4? (the endgame guru Karsten Müller claims a win for White by the following main line: 57. Rb4 Kg6 58. Rd4 Rg1+ 59. Kf4 Kf7 60. Ke5 Ke7 61. Rc4 Kd7 62. b4 Rd1 63. b5 Rb1 64. Rh4 Rxb5 65. Rh7+ Kd8 66. Ke6+−) 57. ... Kf7 58. Rb7+ Kf6 59. d6 Ke6 60. d7 (60. Kb6 Rd1=) 60. ... Rd1 61. Kf4 Rxd7 62. Rb6+ Kd5 63. b5 Kc5 64. Rb8 Rd6 65. Ke5 Rb6 66. Rxb6 Kxb6 ½ : ½ Vaishali – Goryachkina, FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2022–23, 1st stage, Astana 2022.
13. ... d4 14. b4 0-0 15. g4 Bg6 16. Bb2 dxc3 17. dxc3 Qxd1 18. Raxd1 Bd6 19. b5 axb5 20. axb5 Na5 21. c4 Rfe8 22. Ne5

22. ... f6?! More exact is 22. ... Nb3! 23. Nxg6 Rxe1 24. Rxe1 hxg6 25. Bg2 Nc5 as after 26. Bd4 Kf8 27. Bxc5 Bxc5 28. Bxb7 Ra2 Black, at the cost of a Pawn, gets into a dynamic balance position.
23. Nxg6 Rxe1 24. Rxe1 hxg6 25. Bg2 Rd8?! 26. Bc3 b6 27. Bd5+ Kf8? (27. ... Kh7 28. h4±)

28. g5! Re8? This cedes a Pawn for no reward, as White remains with a Pawn ahead and two mighty Bishops — which proves more than enough for 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí). However, not much better would have been 28. ... fxg5 on account of 29. Re6 Rd7 30. Rxg6 Bf4 31. Kg2 followed by the invasion of the King.
29. Rxe8+ Kxe8 30. gxf6 gxf6 31. Bxf6 Nb3 32. Kg2 Nc5 33. Kf3 Nd7 34. Bh4 Kf8 35. Be6 Nc5 36. Bg4 Kf7 37. Ke3 Be5 38. f3 Nb7 39. Ke4 Bh2 40. Kd5 Bf4 41. Be6+ Ke8 42. Bf6 Be3 43. Be5 Nd6 44. Kc6 Ke7 45. Bd5 Ne8 46. f4 g5 47. fxg5 Bxg5 48. Bg3 Kd8

49. Bf7 Nd6 50. Bxd6 cxd6 51. Kxb6. Of course, taking the other Pawn would have given Black a draw.
51. ... Kd7 52. Bd5 Bh4 53. Kb7 Bg3 54. b6 Bf2 55. h4! 1 : 0.

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) kept alive her hope of being one of the eight candidates vying for the crown. Photo: Anna Shtourman/FIDE.