Thursday, April 18, 2024

Passionately Human

雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) – Anna Olehivna Muzychuk
Women’s Candidates Tournament 2024; Toronto, April 17, 2024
Giuoco Piano C54

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 Nf6 5. 0-0 d6 6. c3 a5 7. Nbd2 0-0 8. Re1 Be6 9. Bb5 Qb8 10. Nf1 Qa7 11. Re2 a4 12. h3 Qa5 13. Bxc6 bxc6 14. Ng5 Bb6 15. Ng3 h6 16. Nf3 Rfd8 17. Bd2 Qa6


18. Qc1!? Taking a walk on the wild side.
18. ... Qxd3 19. Bxh6! Who says A must say B.
19. ... gxh6? Muzychuk feels secure enough to accept the gift, and, indeed, it is hard to believe that she was bound to refuse it by 19. ... Nh7! and hold on to balance.
20. Qxh6 Ne8 21. Rd2 Qc4 22. Nxe5?! 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) too cannot be blamed for not seeing what she could not see: 22. Kh2!! (Δ b2-b3) 22. ... f6 23. b3! axb3 24. axb3 Qxb3 25. Rxa8 Rxa8 26. Nh4 Bf7 27. Nhf5 Qe6 28. Nh1!! (Δ Rd2-d3-g3+) 28. ... Ra1 29. Rd3 Rxh1+ 30. Kxh1 Bxf2 31. Rf3 Be1 32. Rf1+− (Stockfish’s analysis).
28. ... dxe5 23. Rxd8 Rxd8 24. Qg5+ Kf8 25. Qxd8 a3!∓ 26. Qd2 axb2 27. Qxb2 Qd3 28. Kh2 Nd6 29. Re1 Nb5 30. c4? White pushes too hard in the heat of an attack without foundation, and inevitably falls into a no return position. She ought to have played 30. Rc1.
30. ... Qc3 31. Qe2 Bxc4 32. Qg4 Nd6


33. Qg5!? A last desperate trick which shouldn’t have fooled a merciless opponent.
33. ... Qxe1 34. Nf5 Nxf5 35. Qd8+ Kg7 36. Qg5+ Kf8 37. Qd8+ Kg7 38. Qg5+ Kh8 39. exf5


39. ... f6! This should win!
40. Qxf6+ Kg8 41. Qg6+ Kf8 42. Qf6+ Bf7? As then pointed out by 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié), after 42. ... Ke8 43. Qxc6+ Kd8 44. Qxc4 Kc8! “there must be something for Black” (who will take on f2 next move).
43. Qd8+ Be8 44. Qf6+ Kg8 45. Qe7! Bh5 46. Qg5+ Kf8 47. Qf6+! Just so: for if 47. Qxh5? then 47. ... Qd2! with Black still on top.
47. ... Ke8 48. Qxc6+ Kd8 49. Qd5+ Kc8 50. Qa8+ Kd7 51. Qd5+ Kc8 52. Qa8+ Kd7 53. Qd5+ ½–½.

雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) somehow managed to climb back out of the abyss where she had fallen. Photo: Michał Walusza/FIDE.

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