Thrice Upon a Time

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) – Gunay Vugar qizi Mammadzada
2nd FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss Tournament; Douglas, November 5, 2023
Sicilian Defence B90

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e5 7. Nb3 Be6 8. f3 h5 9. Nd5 Bxd5 10. exd5 Nbd7 11. Qd2 g6 12. 0-0-0 Bg7 13. Kb1 0-0 14. h3 Qc7 15. g4 Nb6 16. Bg5 h4 17. Bxh4 Rfc8 18. Bxf6 Bxf6 19. h4 a5 20. g5 Bg7

21. h5 a4 (21. ... gxh5 22. g6!→)
22. Na1 a3 23. b3 gxh5? (23. ... Qc3! 24. Qxc3 Rxc3 25. Bh3 Rf2 26. gxf7+ Kxf7 27. Rhf1⩲)

24. Bh3? A mistake which could cost 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) dearly. She had to play 24. c4! followed the capture of the h5-Pawn.
24. ... Rf8? Now 24. ... Qc3! 25. Qxc3 (25. Qc1?? e4 forces mate in two) 25. ... Rxc3 would have been very embarrassing for White.
25. c4! Mammadzada is not given a second chance.
25. ... e4 26. fxe4 Qe7 27. Nc2

27. ... Qe5 (27. ... Qxe4 28. Rde1)
28. Qd4 Qg3 29. Rd3 Bxd4 30. Rxg3 Be5 31. Rf3 f6 32. Rg1 Kf7 33. g6+ Kg7 34. Ne3 1 : 0.

And finally 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) did it, snatching a ticket to represent herself and China at the next Women’s Candidates. Photo: Anna Shtourman/FIDE.

Ras malai

Rameshbabu Vaishali – 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)
2nd FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss Tournament; Douglas, November 4, 2023
Sicilian Defence B60

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 Bd7 7. Nxc6 Bxc6 8. Bxf6 gxf6 9. Bb5 Rg8 10. 0-0 Qd7 11. Bxc6 bxc6 12. f4 Rb8

13. Qf3 Qg4 14. b3 Rb4 (14. ... Qxf3 15. Rxf3 e6)
15. Rad1 e6 (15. ... Qxf3 16. Rxf3 e6)
16. Qf2 f5 17. a3 Rb7 18. Rd3 Be7 19. Kh1 Bh4 20. Qd2 d5 21. h3 Qg6 22. exf5 Qxf5 23. Ne2 e5 24. Re3

24. ... Re7?? (24. ... e4 25. c4⩲/±)
25. Qb4! Qg6 (25. ... Kf8 26. Qc5 Kg7 27. Ng3+−)
26. g4! h5 27. fxe5 hxg4 28. Qb8+ Kd7 29. Qxa7+ Kc8 30. Qa8+ Kc7 31. Qa7+ Kc8 32. Qa6+ Kc7

33. Nf4 Qh7 34. Qa7+ Kc8 35. Qa8+ Kd7 36. Qb7+ Kd8 37. Qb8+ Kd7 38. Qb7+ Kd8 39. Qxc6 Rc7 40. Qxd5+ Ke8 41. Qa8+ Bd8 42. Rd1 Qh4 43. Red3 1 : 0.

Thanks to today’s victory, Vaishali secured a spot in the Women’s Candidates with a round to spare. Photo: Anna Shtourman/FIDE.

One Day, Another Day

Sophie Milliet – 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)
2nd FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss Tournament; Douglas, November 3, 2023
Sicilian Defence B22

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. c3 Nf6 4. e5 Nd5 5. d4 cxd4 6. cxd4 d6 7. Bc4 dxe5 8. dxe5 Be7 9. 0-0 0-0 10. Qe2 Bd7 11. Nbd2?! Milliet mixes up her lines in the contradictory attempt to turn her Alapin into an attacking formation. More scientific is 11. Rd1 Bc6 12. Nd4 Bc5 13. Nc3 Nxc3 14. bxc3 Qc7 15. Bf4 Nd7 16. h4 Nb6 17. Bb3 Nd5 18. Bd2 Rae8 19. Re1 Kh8 20. h5 Bxd4 21. cxd4 f5 22. exf6 Rxf6 23. Qg4 Qf7 24. f3 Nf4 25. Re5 Rf8 26. Bxf4 Rxf4 27. Qxe6 Qxe6 28. Rxe6 Rxd4 29. Rae1 a5 30. Re7 a4 31. Bf7 Rf4 32. Rd1 h6 33. Bg6 Rc8 34. Kf2 Kg8 35. Ke3 Rff8 36. Rd6 Rfd8 37. Rxd8+ Rxd8 38. Rc7 a3 39. Bf7+ Kf8 40. Bb3 Re8+ 41. Kf4 Re7 42. Rc8+ Re8 43. Rc7 Re7 44. Rc8+ ½ : ½ Ivić – Šarić, 38th European Chess Club Cup, Durrës 2023.
11. ... Bc6 12. Ne4 Nd7 13. Bd3 Qc7! Even more accurate than 13. ... a6 14. Re1 Rc8 15. a3 h6 16. Bd2 Qc7 17. Ng3 Nc5 18. Bc4 Rfd8 19. Rac1 b5 20. Ba2 Nb6⩱ Maciejewski – Loginov, Wisła 1992.

14. Neg5?! With dubious consistency, White embarks in an adventure of no return.
14. ... h6 15. Nh7?! (15. Qe4 N5f6!)
15. ... Rfd8 16. Bb1 Qb6 17. a4 g6 18. Qd2 Nf8. Clearly not 18. ... Kxh7? because of 19. Qxh6+ (19. Bxg6+! Kg8 20. Qxh6 transposes) 19. ... Kg8 20. Bxg6! Nf8 21. Be4 with a vehement attack.
19. Nxf8 Bxf8

20. Qe2?! White does not manage to do anything constructive, thus inexorably slipping into a hopeless situation. She should have tried something like 20. Re1!?, for if 20. ... Bb4? then 21. Qxh6 Bxe1 22. Be3 Nxe3 23. Bxg6! Bxf2+ 24. Kh1 fxg6 25. Qxg6+ with a draw by perpetual check.
20. ... Qb4 21. Qe4 Rac8 22. Nd4 Be8 23. Be3 Qxb2 24. Ra2 Qb4 25. Bd2 Nc3! 26. Bxc3 Rxc3 27. Nb5 Rc4 28. Qxb7

28. ... Bc6 29. Qa6 (29. Qxa7 Bxg2!−+)
29. ... Bxg2! 30. Kxg2 Rg4+ 31. Kh1 Qc4! 32. Nc7 Qxc7 33. Qe2 Qc6+ 34. f3 Rxa4 35. Rxa4 Qxa4 36. Rg1 Bc5 37. Rc1 Bb6 38. Be4 Qd4 39. f4 Qe3 40. Qxe3 Bxe3 41. Rc4 Bxf4 42. Bxg6 Rd1+ 43. Kg2 fxg6 44. Rxf4 Rd5 45. Rf6 Rxe5 46. Rxg6+ Kh7 47. Rf6 Kg7 48. Rf4 Rg5+ 49. Kh3 a5 50. Ra4 Kf6 51. Kh4 Rb5 52. Ra3 Ke7 53. Kg4 Rf5 54. Ra4 Kd6 55. h3 Rb5 56. Ra1 Rf5 57. Ra4 h5+ 58. Kh4 Kc6 59. Re4 e5 60. Kg3 Kb5 61. Re1 a4 62. Re3 Ka5 63. Kh4 Kb4 64. Re4+ Kc3 65. Re3+ Kc2 66. Re2+ Kd3 67. Ra2 Kc3 68. Re2 a3 69. Re3+ Kb4 70. Re4+ Kb5 71. Re2 Kc4 72. Re3 a2 73. Ra3 Rf2 74. Kxh5 Rg2 75. h4 e4 76. Kh6 e3 77. h5 Rd2 0 : 1.

Today 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) won easy, but tomorrow she will have a direct confrontation with Rameshbabu Vaishali. Photo © Anna Shtourman.

Never a Last Time

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
2nd FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss Tournament; Douglas, November 2, 2023
Spanish Game C67

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. 0-0 Nxe4 5. Re1 Nd6 6. a4 Be7 7. Nc3 a6 8. Bf1 e4 9. Nxe4 Nxe4 10. Rxe4 d5 11. Re1 Bg4 12. h3 Bh5 13. c3!? A new move, a new idea. To be sure, as she went through her preparation, 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) will have noted that Goryachkina saved herself by the skin of her teeth after 13. Be2 0-0 14. d4 Bd6 15. Ne5 Bxe2 16. Rxe2 Ne7 17. Bf4 Nf5 18. Qd3 Qc8 19. g4 Ne7 20. Rae1 f6? (⌓ 20. ... Bxe5) 21. Nf3 (21. Nd7 Qxd7 22. Bxd6 cxd6 23. Rxe7 Qxa4 24. c3) 21. ... Ng6 22. Bxd6 cxd6 23. Qb3 Nf4 24. Re4 Nxh3+ 25. Kg2 Ng5 26. Nxg5 fxg5 27. Qxd5+ Kh8 28. c3 Qc6 29. Qxg5 h6 30. Qe3 Rf6 31. f4 Raf8 32. Kg3 Qxa4 33. f5 Qb3 34. Re2 Qd1 35. Re1 Qb3 36. Re6 Kh7 37. Re2 b5 38. Rf2 b4 39. cxb4 Qxe3+ 40. Rxe3 Rb8 41. Rc2 Kg8 42. b5 axb5 43. Re6 Rf7 44. Rxd6 h5 45. Rc5 hxg4 46. Kxg4 b4 47. Rdc6 Kh7 48. Rc7 Rff8 49. Rd5 Rb6 50. Rdd7 Rg8 51. Rb7 Rxb7 52. Rxb7 Rf8 53. Rxb4 (53. Kf4 Kg8 54. d5) 53. ... g6 54. fxg6+ Kxg6 55. Rb6+ Kg7 56. d5 (56. Kg5 Rd8 57. Rb7+ Kg8 58. Kf6) 56. ... Rf1 57. b4? (the endgame guru Karsten Müller claims a win for White by the following main line: 57. Rb4 Kg6 58. Rd4 Rg1+ 59. Kf4 Kf7 60. Ke5 Ke7 61. Rc4 Kd7 62. b4 Rd1 63. b5 Rb1 64. Rh4 Rxb5 65. Rh7+ Kd8 66. Ke6+−) 57. ... Kf7 58. Rb7+ Kf6 59. d6 Ke6 60. d7 (60. Kb6 Rd1=) 60. ... Rd1 61. Kf4 Rxd7 62. Rb6+ Kd5 63. b5 Kc5 64. Rb8 Rd6 65. Ke5 Rb6 66. Rxb6 Kxb6 ½ : ½ Vaishali – Goryachkina, FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2022–23, 1st stage, Astana 2022.
13. ... d4 14. b4 0-0 15. g4 Bg6 16. Bb2 dxc3 17. dxc3 Qxd1 18. Raxd1 Bd6 19. b5 axb5 20. axb5 Na5 21. c4 Rfe8 22. Ne5

22. ... f6?! More exact is 22. ... Nb3! 23. Nxg6 Rxe1 24. Rxe1 hxg6 25. Bg2 Nc5 as after 26. Bd4 Kf8 27. Bxc5 Bxc5 28. Bxb7 Ra2 Black, at the cost of a Pawn, gets into a dynamic balance position.
23. Nxg6 Rxe1 24. Rxe1 hxg6 25. Bg2 Rd8?! 26. Bc3 b6 27. Bd5+ Kf8? (27. ... Kh7 28. h4±)

28. g5! Re8? This cedes a Pawn for no reward, as White remains with a Pawn ahead and two mighty Bishops — which proves more than enough for 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí). However, not much better would have been 28. ... fxg5 on account of 29. Re6 Rd7 30. Rxg6 Bf4 31. Kg2 followed by the invasion of the King.
29. Rxe8+ Kxe8 30. gxf6 gxf6 31. Bxf6 Nb3 32. Kg2 Nc5 33. Kf3 Nd7 34. Bh4 Kf8 35. Be6 Nc5 36. Bg4 Kf7 37. Ke3 Be5 38. f3 Nb7 39. Ke4 Bh2 40. Kd5 Bf4 41. Be6+ Ke8 42. Bf6 Be3 43. Be5 Nd6 44. Kc6 Ke7 45. Bd5 Ne8 46. f4 g5 47. fxg5 Bxg5 48. Bg3 Kd8

49. Bf7 Nd6 50. Bxd6 cxd6 51. Kxb6. Of course, taking the other Pawn would have given Black a draw.
51. ... Kd7 52. Bd5 Bh4 53. Kb7 Bg3 54. b6 Bf2 55. h4! 1 : 0.

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) kept alive her hope of being one of the eight candidates vying for the crown. Photo: Anna Shtourman/FIDE.

Coming Out Within

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) – Antoaneta Stefanova
2nd FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss Tournament; Douglas, October 27, 2023
2r3k1/1q1r1ppp/1pb1pn2/pN6/PbPP4/1Q2B2P/5PP1/2RR1BK1 w - - 1 22

Position after 21. ... Rd8-d7

22. c5!? Rcd8?! (22. ... bxc5 23. dxc5 Ne4)
23. Nd6 Qa8?! (23. ... Rxd6 24. cxd6 Qd7)
24. Bg5 Kh8 25. Qg3 Rxd6?! (25. ... bxc5)
26. Bxf6! (26. cxd6 Ne4)
26. ... gxf6 27. cxd6 Bxd6 28. Qh4

28. ... Be7? (28. ... Kg7 29. d5! Bxd5 30. Bc4!→)
29. Bd3 f5 30. Qxe7 Bxg2 31. Rc7 Rg8 32. Qf6+ Rg7 33. Qxf7 1 : 0.

There can be no compromise for 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí), who’s running to catch the flight to Canada. Photo: ChessBase India.

Future in the past

Divya Deshmukh – 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)
2nd FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss Tournament; Douglas, October 26, 2023
r7/1p3kbp/4b1p1/3p1p2/NB2p3/1P2P1P1/P4P1P/3R2K1 w - - 0 28

Position after 27. ... c6xd5

The position in the diagram is the result of a Leningrad Dutch, and may be assessed as being comfortably equal for Black, but hardly anything more — especially if White had now played 28. Rc1. Instead, it takes only one bad move to wipe out a hard-won and barely defensible comfort zone:
28. Rd2? g5! 29. Bc3 Rc8 30. Bxg7 Kxg7 31. b4 Rc1+ 32. Kg2 Bf7 33. Nc5

33. ... Bh5!? Black intends to weave a mating net by 34. ... Bf3+ 35. Kh3 Rg1, but first 33. ... d4! (also menacing ... b7-b6) would have been much stronger.
34. Ne6+ Kf6 35. Nd4 Bd1! 36. Ne2? White misses her only resource, that is, 36. a4!, with the idea 36. ... Bxa4 37. Ne2 followed by Ne2-c3.
36. ... Rb1 37. a3 Ra1 38. h3 Ke5 39. Nd4

39. ... h5! 40. b5 g4 41. hxg4 hxg4 42. Kh2 Bf3! 43. Nxf3+ gxf3 44. Rc2 Rxa3 45. Rc7 Ra2 46. Rxb7 Rxf2+ 47. Kg1 Rb2 48. Rb8 d4 49. Re8+ Kf6 50. exd4 Rxb5 51. Kf2 Kf7 52. Ra8 Rb2+ 53. Kf1 e3 54. Ra1 Ke6 55. Re1 Rf2+ 56. Kg1 Rg2+ 57. Kh1 e2 58. g4 Rxg4 59. Kh2 Kd6 0 : 1.

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) is more than ever determined to show that she be not past her prime. Photo: Anna Shtourman/FIDE.

A Seat at the Table

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk – Ann Matnadze Bujiashvili
2nd FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss Tournament; Douglas, October 26, 2023
Modern Defence B06

1. e4 c6 2. Nf3 g6 3. d4 Bg7 4. Nc3 d6 5. Be3 Nh6?!

6. h3! A thematic refutation. Muzychuk is not interested in what improvements Matnadze Bujiashvili might have prepared over 6. Qd2 Ng4 7. Bg5 f6 8. Bh4 Qb6 9. Bc4 Qxb2 (by the way, it’s hardly credible that Black can afford to take such a poisoned Pawn without serious consequences) 10. Rb1 Qa3 11. 0-0 Qa5 12. Rfe1 Qc7 13. h3 Nh6 14. e5 fxe5 15. dxe5 d5 16. Bxd5! with crushing advantage for White, Osmanodja – Matnadze Bujiashvili, 11th European Women’s Team Chess Championship, Reykjavík 2015.
6. ... f6 7. Qd2 Nf7 8. 0-0-0. Of course it makes sense, albeit 8. Bc4 0-0 9. a4 Nd7 10. Bb3 a5 11. h4 also gave White a very strong initiative in Sampouw – D. Cox, 21st Chess Olympiad, Nice 1974.
8. ... b5?! (8. ... Na6 9. h4 Nc7 10. Kb1±)

9. d5 b4 10. Ne2 Qa5 11. Kb1 e5? This costs Black a Pawn at least. However, after 11. ... c5 12. Nf4 Nd8 13. h4 White still dominates the board.
12. dxe6 Bxe6 13. a3 0-0 14. Qxb4 Qxb4 15. axb4 a5 16. Nf4 Re8 17. b5! cxb5 18. Bxb5 Bd7

19. Bc4! Rxe4. A desperate and vain Exchange sacrifice, trying to move something. On the other hand, if 19. ... Rc8 then 20. Ba2 Ba4 21. Rd2 Nd7 22. Nd5 Bf8 23. Nc3 Bc6 24. Nd4 with a dominant advantage.
20. Bd5 Bc6 21. Bxe4 Bxe4 22. Nd2 Bc6 23. Nc4 Na6 24. Nxd6. That’s all. The rest is easy for White.
24. ... Ne5 25. Nd5 a4 26. Ne7+ Kf8 27. Nxc6 Nxc6 28. Nc4 a3 29. Nxa3 f5 30. Rd6 Rc8 31. Re1 Kg8 32. Nb5 Be5 33. Na7 Nxa7 34. Rxa6 Nc6 35. Bc5 Nb8 36. Re6 Nd7 37. R6xe5 1 : 0.

Perfidious Albion

Elisabeth Pähtz – Alice Lee
2nd FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss Tournament; Douglas, October 25, 2023
English Opening A20

1. c4 e5 2. g3 c6 3. d4 e4 4. Nc3 d5 5. Nh3 Bb4 6. Qb3 Ba5 7. Bg5 f6!? Nothing trascendental, but 7. ... Qb6 8. cxd5 h6 9. Bd2⩲ isn’t entirely satisfying either, J. J. Cox – Hillarp Persson, 7th London Classic Open, London 2015.
8. Bd2 dxc4 9. Qxc4

9. ... b5. 9. ... f5 10. Nf4 is also quite unpleasant for Black.
10. Qb3 Qxd4!? Very risky.
11. 0-0-0 Qe5

12. Nxe4? Too hasty. More methodical would have been 12. Bg2 Be6 13. Qc2 with advantage for White.
12. ... Qxe4?? The young Asian American hope, at her début on the world stage, pays the price of her inexperience, and will soon see the worst of it. Simply 12. ... Bxd2+ 13. Nxd2 a5! would have left Black with a perfectly playable game.
13. Bxa5+− Be6 (13. ... Nd7 14. Bg2! Qxg2 15. Qe3+ ~ 16. Nf4+−)

14. Bg2! Qe5. Not 14. ... Qxg2 because of 15. Qxe6+ followed by mate.
15. Rd8+ Kf7 16. Qa3! The King hunt proceeds inexorably.
16. ... b4 17. Bxb4 g5 18. Bc3 Qb5 19. Qf8+ Kg6 20. Qe8+ Bf7 21. Be4+ f5 22. Rd6+ Kh5 23. Bf3+ 1 : 0.