The Gorgon’s Gaze

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2024–25; 2nd stage; Shimkent, November 3, 2024
Giuoco Piano C50

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 Nf6 5. Nc3 h6 6. h3 a6 7. Be3 d6 8. Bxc5 dxc5 9. a4 Be6 10. Bxe6 fxe6

11. 0-0? Castling into the storm. White should keep herself open to go either east or west as the case may be with 11. Nb1! at once; for example: 11. ... Nd7 12. Nbd2 Qf6 13. c3⩲ J. van Foreest – Kosteniuk, 5th PRO Chess League Main Season, chess.com, March 10, 2023 (time control: 10 minutes plus 2 seconds per move).
11. ... Qe7 12. Nb1. “My opponent blitzed out her moves in the opening and started to think only after my move of 11. ... Qe7”, Goryachkina said afterwards. “It was obvious that I was going to castle long. Maybe she mixed something up, because the position was dangerous for her”.

12. ... g5! That’s the point: Black will castle long and unleash an irresistible attack against the White King.
13. Nbd2 g4 14. hxg4 Nxg4 15. g3 0-0-0 16. Kg2 Rdf8 17. c3 h5 18. Rh1 Qg7. Clearing the e7-square for the c6-Knight.
19. Rh3 Ne7 20. Qb3 Rf6. Goryachkina is methodically massing on the f-file in order to get to breakthrough. Nevertheless, 20. ... Ng6! at once (with the threat of ... Ng6-f4+) was now very strong.
21. Rf1 Rhf8 22. Kg1. 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) now surrenders her two Knights for a Rook in the vain hope to avoid worse consequences. Anyway, also after 22. Qd1 Ng6 Black dominates the situation.
22. ... Rxf3 23. Qxe6+ Kb8 24. Nxf3 Rxf3 25. Rxh5 Rxd3 26. Rh3 Rd6 27. Qc4 Rd2 28. Qxc5

28. ... Ng6! The Queen’s Knight finally arrives on the scene of the final triumph.
29. Rh5 Nf4! 30. Rh4. If 30. gxf4 then 30. ... Nxf2+ 31. Rg5 Nh3+ with mate in a few moves.
30. ... Nxf2! 31. Qe3 N4h3+ 32. Rxh3 Nxh3+ 33. Kh1 Rd8 34. Rf5 Rh8 0–1.

It feels that if you look into her eyes, you will be turned to stone. Photo: Konstantin Chalabov/FIDE.