All for one, but one for all

雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) – 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)
Women’s Candidates Tournament 2024; Toronto, April 4, 2024
Queen’s Gambit Declined D35

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 Be7 6. e3 h6 7. Bh4 Bg4 8. Qc2 0-0 9. h3 Be6 10. Nf3 Ne4!? 11. Nxe4 Bxh4 12. Nc5 Bc8 13. Nxh4 Qxh4 14. Be2 c6 15. b4 Re8 16. 0-0 Qg5 17. Kh1 Nd7 18. b5 (18. a4⩲)
18. ... Nxc5 19. Qxc5 Re6! 20. bxc6 Rg6 21. Bf3 bxc6 22. Qa5 h5 23. Qc7 Qh4

24. Qf4?! White decides to sacrifice a Pawn in order to neutralise Black’s initiative and liquidate into a drawish Rook ending a Pawn down. A plausible continuation could be 24. Rac1! Bg4! 25. Qf4 (idem to say 25. Qg3) 25. ... Bxf3! 26. Qxh4 Rxg2 with a draw!
24. ... Qxf4 25. exf4 Rf6 26. Rfe1 Kf8 27. Rac1 g6 28. Kh2 Rxf4 29. Rxc6 Rxd4

30. Rd1?! This leads to more trouble. After 30. Rc5 Be6 31. Ra5 eventually followed by Re1-e5 White would get closer to a draw.
30. ... Rxd1 31. Bxd1 a5 32. Kg3 Be6 33. Kf4 Ke7 34. a3 Rb8 35. Rc5. 35. Ra6 Rb2 may well transpose into the game.
35. ... Rb2 36. Rxa5 Rxf2+ 37. Bf3 Kf6 38. Ra6 Rf1 39. h4 Rh1 (39. ... Ke7! 40. Kg5 Ra1∓)
40. Kg3? White’s 40th move is a losing mistake! White had to play 40. Bxd5! Rxh4+ 41. Kg3 g5 42. Bxe6 fxe6⩱ with only a meaningless extra Pawn for Black.
40. ... Ke5 41. a4 Kd4 42. Ra8 Ke3! 43. Re8

43. ... g5! A powerful advance, which compels White to give up the Exchange in order to avoid mate in one.
44. Rxe6+ fxe6 45. hxg5 h4+! Elegant to the end.
46. Kg4 h3! 47. g6 (47. gxh3 Rg1 48. Kh5 Kxf3 49. g6 Kf4 50. Kh6 Kf5 51. g7 Kf6−+)
47. ... Kf2! 48. Kf4 (48. g7 hxg2 49. Bxg2 Rg1−+)
48. ... Ra1 49. g7 Rxa4+ 50. Kg5 Ra8 51. gxh3 Kxf3 52. h4 Rg8 0 : 1.

An unequivocal message to anyone who may be thinking to prearrange a draw with each of them. Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova/chess.com.