The Way Back

雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) – Rameshbabu Vaishali
Women’s Candidates Tournament 2024; Toronto, April 11, 2024
Giuoco Piano C54

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. 0-0 d6 6. c3 a5 7. Nbd2 0-0 8. Re1 Be6 9. h3 h6 10. Bb5 Ne7 11. d4 Bb6?!TN 12. Bd3?! Looking all over the board for fear of a surprise, 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) renounced the gain of the Pawn, which, instead, she should have done.
12. ... Re8 13. Nf1 exd4 14. Nxd4 Ng6 15. Ng3 Bd7 16. Bd2 Ne5 17. Bf1 d5 18. exd5 Nxd5 19. Qb3 c6 20. Ne4

A picturesque situation, with four Knights cubed in the middle of the board.
20. ... Qc7 21. a4 Rad8 22. Rad1 Ng6 23. Bc1 Ba7 24. c4 Nb4 25. c5 Nd5 26. Bc4 Bc8 27. Bxd5 cxd5 28. Nb5 Qb8?⊕ (28. ... Qe5 29. Nxa7 dxe4)

29. Nxa7? 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) misses here a winning Queen sacrifice: 29. Qxd5!! Rxd5 30. Nf6+ gxf6 31. Rxe8+ Kh7 32. Rxd5 and Black cannot avoid further loss of material.
29. ... Qxa7 30. Rxd5 Be6 31. Rxd8 Rxd8?⊕ (31. ... Bxb3! 32. Rxe8+ Kh7=)
32. Qc3 b6 33. b3 Bf5 (33. ... Kh7 34. Bb2 Rg8 35. Qd4+−)

34. Nf6+! 34. Bxh6! is a dual.
34. ... Kh8. If 34. ... gxf6 35. Qxf6 Kh7 36. Bb2 Rg8 37. Re8 Nf8 38. Rxf8 with mate in a few moves.
35. Bxh6 bxc5 36. Nh5 1–0. 36. Bxg7+! Kxg7 37. Ne8++ Kh6 38. Qg7+ Kh5 39. Nf6+ Kg5 40. h4+! K~ 41. Qh6# would be, if possible, even more exact.

After a bad start in the early days of the tournament, 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) is finally climbing back to her level. Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova/chess.com.