An Appointment with the Queen

Stavroula Tsolakidou – 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2024–25; 2nd stage; Shimkent, November 8, 2024
English Opening A13

1. c4 e6 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 d4 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. 0-0 Bc5 6. d3 a5 7. Nbd2 e5 8. Nb3. 8. a3 h6?! (⌓ 8. ... Nf6) 9. b4! axb4 10. Nb3 Be7 11. axb4 Rxa1 12. Nxa1 Nxb4 13. Nxe5 gave White the better game in Shevchenko – S. Brunello, 44th French Team Chess Championship, Chartres 2024.
8. ... Be7 9. a4 Bf5 10. Ne1 Nf6 11. f4

11. ... e4! Black sacrifices a Pawn for the initiative.
12. Nc2? Gives Black the upper hand. Comparatively best was 12. g4! Bxg4 13. dxe4 0-0 14. Nd3 Be6⩱ with a much easier game for Black, but still nothing definitive.

12. ... Qd7! 13. dxe4 Bxe4 14. Ncxd4 Bxg2 15. Kxg2 Nxd4. Black could also have castled long.
16. Qxd4 Qc6+ 17. Rf3 0-0 18. Be3 Bb4 19. Qd3 Rad8 20. Bd4?! Rfe8 21. h3? This precipitates the end. However, also after 21. c5 h5! Black keeps her bind.
21. ... Ne4! 22. Kh2? Oblivious to the threat.

22. ... Nc5! 0–1. White resigns, for she either loses a piece (23.Nxc5 Bxc5) or gets mated (23.Qd1 Nxb3 24. Rxb3 Rxd4! 25. Qxd4 Rxe2+).

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) showed herself in great form, even though, due to the imminence of her World Championship match with 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), she couldn’t reveal all her secrets. Photo: Konstantin Chalabov/FIDE.