Ras malai

Rameshbabu Vaishali – 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)
2nd FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss Tournament; Douglas, November 4, 2023
Sicilian Defence B60

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 Bd7 7. Nxc6 Bxc6 8. Bxf6 gxf6 9. Bb5 Rg8 10. 0-0 Qd7 11. Bxc6 bxc6 12. f4 Rb8

13. Qf3 Qg4 14. b3 Rb4 (14. ... Qxf3 15. Rxf3 e6)
15. Rad1 e6 (15. ... Qxf3 16. Rxf3 e6)
16. Qf2 f5 17. a3 Rb7 18. Rd3 Be7 19. Kh1 Bh4 20. Qd2 d5 21. h3 Qg6 22. exf5 Qxf5 23. Ne2 e5 24. Re3

24. ... Re7?? (24. ... e4 25. c4⩲/±)
25. Qb4! Qg6 (25. ... Kf8 26. Qc5 Kg7 27. Ng3+−)
26. g4! h5 27. fxe5 hxg4 28. Qb8+ Kd7 29. Qxa7+ Kc8 30. Qa8+ Kc7 31. Qa7+ Kc8 32. Qa6+ Kc7

33. Nf4 Qh7 34. Qa7+ Kc8 35. Qa8+ Kd7 36. Qb7+ Kd8 37. Qb8+ Kd7 38. Qb7+ Kd8 39. Qxc6 Rc7 40. Qxd5+ Ke8 41. Qa8+ Bd8 42. Rd1 Qh4 43. Red3 1 : 0.

Thanks to today’s victory, Vaishali secured a spot in the Women’s Candidates with a round to spare. Photo: Anna Shtourman/FIDE.