One Day, Another Day

Sophie Milliet – 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)
2nd FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss Tournament; Douglas, November 3, 2023
Sicilian Defence B22

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. c3 Nf6 4. e5 Nd5 5. d4 cxd4 6. cxd4 d6 7. Bc4 dxe5 8. dxe5 Be7 9. 0-0 0-0 10. Qe2 Bd7 11. Nbd2?! Milliet mixes up her lines in the contradictory attempt to turn her Alapin into an attacking formation. More scientific is 11. Rd1 Bc6 12. Nd4 Bc5 13. Nc3 Nxc3 14. bxc3 Qc7 15. Bf4 Nd7 16. h4 Nb6 17. Bb3 Nd5 18. Bd2 Rae8 19. Re1 Kh8 20. h5 Bxd4 21. cxd4 f5 22. exf6 Rxf6 23. Qg4 Qf7 24. f3 Nf4 25. Re5 Rf8 26. Bxf4 Rxf4 27. Qxe6 Qxe6 28. Rxe6 Rxd4 29. Rae1 a5 30. Re7 a4 31. Bf7 Rf4 32. Rd1 h6 33. Bg6 Rc8 34. Kf2 Kg8 35. Ke3 Rff8 36. Rd6 Rfd8 37. Rxd8+ Rxd8 38. Rc7 a3 39. Bf7+ Kf8 40. Bb3 Re8+ 41. Kf4 Re7 42. Rc8+ Re8 43. Rc7 Re7 44. Rc8+ ½ : ½ Ivić – Šarić, 38th European Chess Club Cup, Durrës 2023.
11. ... Bc6 12. Ne4 Nd7 13. Bd3 Qc7! Even more accurate than 13. ... a6 14. Re1 Rc8 15. a3 h6 16. Bd2 Qc7 17. Ng3 Nc5 18. Bc4 Rfd8 19. Rac1 b5 20. Ba2 Nb6⩱ Maciejewski – Loginov, Wisła 1992.

14. Neg5?! With dubious consistency, White embarks in an adventure of no return.
14. ... h6 15. Nh7?! (15. Qe4 N5f6!)
15. ... Rfd8 16. Bb1 Qb6 17. a4 g6 18. Qd2 Nf8. Clearly not 18. ... Kxh7? because of 19. Qxh6+ (19. Bxg6+! Kg8 20. Qxh6 transposes) 19. ... Kg8 20. Bxg6! Nf8 21. Be4 with a vehement attack.
19. Nxf8 Bxf8

20. Qe2?! White does not manage to do anything constructive, thus inexorably slipping into a hopeless situation. She should have tried something like 20. Re1!?, for if 20. ... Bb4? then 21. Qxh6 Bxe1 22. Be3 Nxe3 23. Bxg6! Bxf2+ 24. Kh1 fxg6 25. Qxg6+ with a draw by perpetual check.
20. ... Qb4 21. Qe4 Rac8 22. Nd4 Be8 23. Be3 Qxb2 24. Ra2 Qb4 25. Bd2 Nc3! 26. Bxc3 Rxc3 27. Nb5 Rc4 28. Qxb7

28. ... Bc6 29. Qa6 (29. Qxa7 Bxg2!−+)
29. ... Bxg2! 30. Kxg2 Rg4+ 31. Kh1 Qc4! 32. Nc7 Qxc7 33. Qe2 Qc6+ 34. f3 Rxa4 35. Rxa4 Qxa4 36. Rg1 Bc5 37. Rc1 Bb6 38. Be4 Qd4 39. f4 Qe3 40. Qxe3 Bxe3 41. Rc4 Bxf4 42. Bxg6 Rd1+ 43. Kg2 fxg6 44. Rxf4 Rd5 45. Rf6 Rxe5 46. Rxg6+ Kh7 47. Rf6 Kg7 48. Rf4 Rg5+ 49. Kh3 a5 50. Ra4 Kf6 51. Kh4 Rb5 52. Ra3 Ke7 53. Kg4 Rf5 54. Ra4 Kd6 55. h3 Rb5 56. Ra1 Rf5 57. Ra4 h5+ 58. Kh4 Kc6 59. Re4 e5 60. Kg3 Kb5 61. Re1 a4 62. Re3 Ka5 63. Kh4 Kb4 64. Re4+ Kc3 65. Re3+ Kc2 66. Re2+ Kd3 67. Ra2 Kc3 68. Re2 a3 69. Re3+ Kb4 70. Re4+ Kb5 71. Re2 Kc4 72. Re3 a2 73. Ra3 Rf2 74. Kxh5 Rg2 75. h4 e4 76. Kh6 e3 77. h5 Rd2 0 : 1.

Today 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) won easy, but tomorrow she will have a direct confrontation with Rameshbabu Vaishali. Photo © Anna Shtourman.