With Open Eyes

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) – 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié)
Women’s Candidates Tournament 2024; Toronto, April 13, 2024
Queen’s Pawn Game D02

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bf4 c5 4. e3 Nc6 5. Nbd2 Bg4 6. c3 e6 7. Qb3 Qc8 8. h3 Bh5 9. Nh4 Be7 10. g4 Bg6 11. Nxg6 hxg6 12. Be2 a6 13. h4 b5 14. h5!?TN c4 15. Qd1 Qd8 16. Rg1 gxh5 17. gxh5 Bd6 18. Bg5 Be7 19. Bf4 Bd6

20. Bg5. If 20. Bxd6 Qxd6 21. Rxg7 Black would reply 21. ... Ke7 with obvious compensation for the Pawn.
20. ... Be7 21. f4?! In her post-game press conference 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) called 21. f4 a likely mistake “because the Pawn structure looks quite strange for White“. Therefore, 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) ought to have contented herself with claiming a draw by threefold repetition after 21. Bf4.
21. ... Rb8 22. a3 a5 23. Bh4?! (23. Kf2 Nh7⩱)
23. ... Kf8 (23. ... Nh5! 24. Bxe7 Qxe7∓)
24. Bg3 Bd6 25. Bh4

25. ... Ne7! 26. Bxf6 gxf6 27. Bf1 b4 28. axb4 axb4 29. Bh3 f5 30. Qf3 Bc7 31. Ke2 Ng8 32. Qg3 Nf6 33. h6 Ke7 34. Qg5 Qf8 35. Ra7 Rc8 36. Bg2? 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) said afterwards she didn’t take 36. Bxf5! any seriously, because 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) was too short of time to make such decisions; in any case, maybe “I can play 36. ... Qxh6”.
36. ... Rxh6 37. Nf3 Rh5 38. Qg3 Ne4 39. Qe1 bxc3 40. bxc3 Qg7

With the time control reached, 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) now sunk into a thought so long that it evidences sheer resignation.
41. Bf1 Qh8 42. Qa1 Kf6 43. Rg2 Rh3! 44. Ne5 Qh5+ 45. Ke1 Rxe3+ 46. Re2 Qh4+ 47. Kd1 Rxe2 48. Bxe2 Qxf4 49. Qb2 Rh8 50. Bf3 Rh2 51. Qc1 0–1. For mate follows after 51. ... Rd2+ 52. Ke1 Qe3+ 53. Kf1 Ng3#.

雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) started all over again, for the better. Photo: Michał Walusza/FIDE.