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[Event "Olympiad Women 2016"]
[Site "Baku AZE"]
[Date "2016.09.03"]
[Round "2.14"]
[White "Tin, Ruiqi"]
[Black "Hakimifard, G."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B40"]
[WhiteElo "1892"]
[BlackElo "2308"]
[Annotator "Wei Ming"]
[PlyCount "250"]
[EventDate "2016.09.02"]
[EventType "team"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "AZE"]
[SourceTitle "The Week in Chess 1139"]
[Source "Mark Crowther"]
[SourceDate "2016.09.05"]
[WhiteTeam "Singapore"]
[BlackTeam "Iran"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "SIN"]
[BlackTeamCountry "IRI"]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. c3 d5 4. exd5 exd5 5. d4 Nc6 6. Bb5 Bd6 7. O-O Nge7 8.
dxc5 Bxc5 9. Nbd2 O-O 10. Nb3 Bd6 11. h3 Bf5 12. Be3 Bg6 13. Qd2 Qc7 14. Rad1
Rad8 15. Nbd4 {White has gotten a standard French Tarrasch/c3 Sicilian IQP
position and she is slightly better. Generally in these positions, the e7
knight is a lot better on the f6 square where it eyes the e4 square and it
doesn't get in the way of its counterpart on c6. Still, there is a lot of play
in the position.} Na5 16. b3 Nac6 17. Bd3 a6 18. Bxg6 Nxg6 $6 {Strangely
allowing White's next move.} 19. Nf5 Nce5 20. N3d4 ({I do not really see an
immediate refutation if White goes} 20. Qxd5 $5 {, plucking a pawn.} Bb4 (20...
Qxc3 $4 21. Nxd6 $18) 21. Qe4 Bxc3 (21... Qxc3 22. Nxe5 Qxe5 23. Qxb4 (23. Nh6+
$5) 23... Qxf5 24. Qxb7 $16) 22. Rc1 {and Black is caught in an unpleasant pin.
}) 20... Rfe8 21. Nxd6 $1 {Each exchange increases White's advantage and Ruiqi
has an additional idea as shown in the next few moves.} Qxd6 22. Rfe1 f6 23. f4
$1 Nc6 24. f5 $1 Nf8 25. Bf4 Qd7 26. g4 $1 {I like White's handling of the
middlegame so far. Black's f8 knight is a very poor beast and White has a
straightforward plan of playing in the centre by doubling rooks, or prepare an
attack with g4-g5. White was also not afraid of throwing her kingside pawns
forward even though this exposes her king somewhat. At the same time, it is
also extremely important to consider black's potential counterplay from the
position and it is clear that her only chance lies in putting a piece on the
e4 square. White has to be careful and prevent this at any cost.} Ne5 27. Kg2 {
A safe move, but not especially essential. Also, the King might be safer on h2
or h1, allowing White to use the g-file for her rooks at some point.} (27. Re3
$1 {, seems strong. White can continue with Rde1, or Qf2-g3, attacking Black's
stronghold on the e5 square. At the same time, it is also nice to provide
additional cover on the f3-square, further ruling out any potential cheapos.})
27... b5 28. Re2 {A good solid move.} ({The direct} 28. g5 $1 {also looks very
good.} Nc6 (28... Nf7 29. gxf6 gxf6 30. Rg1 {with a big attack.}) 29. Rxe8 Rxe8
(29... Qxe8 30. Re1 Qd7 31. Ne6 Re8 32. Nc5 Qf7 33. Rxe8 Qxe8 34. Qxd5+ $18)
30. Nxc6 Qxc6 31. Qxd5+ Qxd5+ 32. Rxd5 Re2+ 33. Kf3 Rxa2 34. Rd8 $1 {wins the
knight. Still, I can understand the reluctance to weaker her king even further
as these lines were not that easy to calculate.}) 28... Qb7 29. Rde1 Nfd7 {
Here, alarm bells should already be ringing. The knight is heading for e4!} 30.
Kg3 $2 {I believe Ruiqi had overlooked the danger to her position. As happens
very often in chess, 1 bad move could turn the position around drastically.} ({
White would have liked to go} 30. Ne6 $2 {but it is clear now that the King is
on a bad square after} d4+ $1) ({Perhaps, White was forced to go} 30. g5 $1 {
when} Nc5 31. Bxe5 fxe5 32. Rxe5 Ne4 33. Qf4 Rxe5 34. Qxe5 $16 Nxg5 $2 35. f6
Ne4 36. fxg7 $18 {wins.}) 30... Nc5 31. Kg2 {I believe the next few moves were
time trouble induced.} Ne4 32. Qe3 Rc8 33. Rc2 Re7 34. Kh2 Rec7 (34... b4 $5
35. cxb4 $2 Rxc2+ 36. Nxc2 Rc7 37. Re2 $2 Rc3 $1 $19) 35. Rec1 Qb6 36. Kg2 Qa5
37. b4 $6 ({Don't give away more squares especially in time trouble if you can
help it!} 37. Ne2 $1 {Defending passively and preparing Ng3 when the
opportunity arises is good.}) 37... Qb6 38. Kh2 Nc4 (38... Qxd4 $3 {is a
beautiful shot.} 39. cxd4 Rxc2+ 40. Rxc2 Rxc2+ 41. Kg1 Rc3 42. Qe2 Nf3+ 43. Kf1
g5 (43... Nxd4 $2 44. Qd1) 44. fxg6 hxg6 {and White is hopelessly tied up.})
39. Qd3 Re7 40. Re2 Rd7 41. Ne6 Qb7 42. Rd1 Nb6 43. Rc2 Na4 44. Rdc1 Rc4 45.
Be3 Qb8+ (45... Naxc3) 46. Bf4 Qc8 47. Bd2 Qc6 48. Be1 Re7 49. Nd4 Qd6+ 50. Kg2
Rec7 51. Ne2 Qe5 52. Bg3 Nxg3 53. Qxg3 Qe4+ 54. Qf3 Kf7 55. Kf2 g6 56. fxg6+
hxg6 57. Qxe4 dxe4 58. Ke3 Rc8 59. a3 f5 60. gxf5 gxf5 61. Kf4 Kf6 {The dust
has settled and after missing several wins earlier, Black is now only a little
better. White's king is very well placed, blocking the connected passed pawns
and the weak a6 pawn promises White sufficient counterplay.} 62. Rd1 Nxc3 63.
Nxc3 {A natural but inaccurate move.} ({The difficult} 63. Rd6+ $1 Ke7 64. Ke5
$11 {is very strong. Keeping both rooks enhances White's counterplay and Black
can no longer hold on to both central passed pawns.}) 63... Rxc3 64. Rxc3 Rxc3
65. Rd6+ Ke7 66. Rxa6 Rf3+ 67. Ke5 Kf7 68. Kd4 Rd3+ 69. Ke5 e3 70. Kxf5 Rd5+ $2
(70... Rd7 $3 {with the idea} 71. Rf6+ Ke8 $1 {would have won cleanly. Now,
White has a lifeline and she went for it.}) 71. Ke4 e2 72. Kxd5 e1=Q 73. Kc5
Qe5+ 74. Kb6 Ke6 75. Ra5 Qb8+ 76. Kc5 Ke5 77. Kc6 Qe8+ 78. Kc5 Qb8 79. Kc6 Qe8+
80. Kc5 Qd7 81. Kb6 Kd4 82. Rxb5 Qd8+ 83. Kb7 Qd7+ 84. Kb6 Qd6+ 85. Kb7 Kc4 86.
Ra5 {We've finally arrived at the most instructive part of the game. A few
fundamental things that we can quickly establish: 1) h3 pawn would be lost
sooner or later; 2) White's rook has to remain on the a5 square where it is
safely protected and guards the critical a3 pawn; 3) In order to win, Black
has to force White's King into the corner, placing White in zugzwang and
forcing the rook to leave its anchor on a5. Ben and I were following the
game live in our hotel room and we were initially not able to achieve point 3.
However, it is now quite clear that Black can place the White king in a series
of small zugzwangs and then it is only a matter of time before the rook is
forced to leave the a5 square. Ben then pointed out that White can always go
Ra6, and goes back to a5 everytime the king is placed in zugzwang. He is right
of course, and the position is drawn.} Qd7+ 87. Kb6 Kb3 88. h4 Qd6+ 89. Kb7
Qe7+ 90. Kb6 Qxh4 91. Kc6 Qf6+ 92. Kc7 Qe7+ 93. Kc6 Qe6+ 94. Kc7 Qc4+ 95. Kb6 (
95. Kb7 Qf7+ (95... Qd4 96. Kc7 Qg7+ 97. Kc6 (97. Kb6 Qd7 $1 98. Ra6 $1) 97...
Qf6+ 98. Kc7 Qe7+ 99. Kc6 Qd8 100. Kb7 Qd7+ 101. Kb8 Qc6) 96. Kc8 Qf8+ 97. Kc7
Qe8 98. Kb6 ({For the sake of argument,} 98. b5 {also draws but with very
little time, I would be nervous to push any of these pawns as they might all
disappear in a jiffy!} Kc4 99. b6 {and there is no way to win the a5 rook.})
98... Qd7 99. Ra6 Qc8 100. Ra5 Qb8+ 101. Kc6 Kc4 102. Rc5+ Kd4 103. Ra5 {
and Black has not made any progress.}) 95... Qc8 {Zugzwang! Now White has a
critical decision to make and in time trouble, it is perfectly understandable
that she made the wrong choice here.} 96. Ka7 $2 (96. Ra6 $1 {is the only move,
and Black has no way of making progress. For example,} Qb8+ 97. Kc6 Kc4 98. Ra5
$11) (96. Ra7 $2 Qb8+ 97. Rb7 Qd6+ $19 {Black gets all the pawns eventually.})
(96. Kb5 Qc7 $1 {Another zugzwang!} 97. Ra6 Qb7+ 98. Rb6 Qd5+ $19) (96. b5 Qd8+
97. Ka6 Kc4 98. b6 (98. Ra4+ Kc5) 98... Qa8# {is a pictureresque mate}) 96...
Qc7+ 97. Ka8 Qb6 $1 {Point 3 achieved and now there is no respite.} 98. Ra7 Kc4
99. Ra5 Kd4 100. Ra7 Kd5 101. Rd7+ Kc6 102. Rh7 Qa6+ 103. Kb8 Qxa3 104. Rh6+
Kb5 105. Kb7 Kxb4 106. Rh4+ Kc5 107. Rh5+ Kd6 108. Rh6+ Ke5 109. Rh5+ Kf4 110.
Rb5 Qd6 111. Ra5 Ke4 112. Ra4+ Kd5 113. Ra5+ Kc4 114. Ra6 Qd7+ 115. Kb6 Kb4
116. Ra7 Qd6+ 117. Kb7 Kb5 118. Kc8 Qf8+ 119. Kb7 Qd8 120. Ra1 Qe7+ 121. Kc8
Qe8+ 122. Kb7 Qe4+ 123. Kc8 Qc4+ 124. Kb7 Qf7+ 125. Kc8 Qg8+ 0-1
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