[Event "FIDE Women's Candidates Tournament"] [Site "Khiva"] [Date "2022.10.31"] [Round "1"] [White "Tan, Zhongyi"] [Black "Lagno, Kateryna"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "D35"] [WhiteElo "2514"] [BlackElo "2563"] [Annotator "chessvibes"] [PlyCount "79"] [EventDate "2022.??.??"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 c6 6. e3 h6 7. Bh4 Be7 8. Bd3 O-O 9. Nge2 Ne8 10. Bg3 Nd6 {[%c_arrow f6e8;keyPressed;alt;from;f6;opacity;0.8; to;e8;persistent;false,e8d6;keyPressed;alt;from;e8;opacity;0.8;to;d6; persistent;false]} 11. Qc2 (11. O-O Re8 12. Qc2 Bf8 13. Rae1 a5 14. Nf4 Na6 15. a3 Qf6 16. f3 b5 17. Bf2 Nc4 18. g3 Qd8 {Maghsoodloo,P (2721) -Carlsen,M (2856) European Club Cup (Mayrhofen) 2022}) 11... a5 12. O-O Na6 13. a3 Re8 14. Rad1 $146 (14. f3 Nc4 15. Bf2 b5 16. e4 Rb8 17. exd5 cxd5 18. Nf4 Nc7 19. Rfe1 Bb7 { Daghli,A (2432)-Tahbaz,A (2436) Sari 2022}) 14... Bf8 15. h3 Bd7 16. Rfe1 b5 17. Nc1 ({It was time for} 17. e4 $1 {[%c_effect e4;square;e4;type;GreatFind; persistent;true] when} dxe4 (17... b4 18. Bxd6 $1 {[%c_effect d6;square;d6; type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} Bxd6 19. e5 $1 {[%c_effect e5;square;e5;type; GreatFind;persistent;true]} Bf8 20. Na4 {is also slightly better for White but} ) (17... Nc7 18. e5 Nc4 {is pretty solid.}) 18. Nxe4 Nxe4 19. Bxe4 Rc8 20. Nf4 {followed by 21.Nd3 is good for White.}) 17... b4 18. axb4 Nxb4 19. Qb1 Nxd3 20. Nxd3 Bf5 21. Qa2 Bxd3 {Both players are happy to part with their bishop pair today. Lagno seems to prefer exchanging a few pieces to secure a solid position, instead of looking for more.} (21... a4 $5 {[%c_effect a4;square;a4; type;Interesting;persistent;true] looks a bit better for Black, e.g.} 22. Nc5 Qg5 23. Kh2 Qg6) 22. Rxd3 Nf5 23. Bf4 Bd6 24. Ne2 Bb4 25. Rc1 Rc8 26. Qa4 Qb6 27. Qc2 c5 28. Rdd1 Qe6 29. dxc5 Rxc5 30. Qd3 Rec8 31. Rxc5 Rxc5 32. Bh2 Qe4 33. Qxe4 dxe4 34. Ng3 Nxg3 35. Bxg3 f6 36. Bd6 Rb5 37. Bxb4 Rxb4 38. Rd2 Kf7 39. g4 g5 40. Kg2 1/2-1/2 [Event "Chess.com"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2022.11.29"] [Round "1"] [White "Kosteniuk, Alexandra"] [Black "Goryachkina, Aleksandra"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C65"] [WhiteElo "2521"] [BlackElo "2584"] [Annotator "Rafael"] [PlyCount "81"] [EventDate "2022.??.??"] [TimeControl "5400+30"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. Nbd2 Nd7 7. O-O O-O 8. Nc4 Re8 9. Kh1 $5 {[%c_effect h1;square;h1;type;Interesting;persistent;true] Not a very popular move, but it was played in two important games in 2022 by Ukrainian GM Kirill Shevchenko. GMs Viswanathan Anand and Fabiano Caruana, among others, have also tried this move in older games. The main idea of the mystery king move is to prepare the f-pawn advance and also vacate the g1-square for the white knight, which can maneuver via g1-e2-g3, as will happen in the game. Of course, it's hard to believe that this plan gives White an objective advantage, but what is sought in this line is a middlegame position that allows for the creation of imbalance.} b6 {A theoretical novelty. The move is natural, as the pawn on b6 is useful to reinforce the structure after the c6-c5 move, something that will inevitably happen sooner or later. Furthermore, the bishop can be developed on b7 in some cases.} (9... f6 10. Nh4 Nf8 11. Be3 {was Shevchenko - Mekhitarian, Chennai 2022.}) (9... a5 10. a4 b6 11. g3 Qe7 12. Be3 {was Shevchenko - Seo, Mayrhofen 2022.}) (9... Bf8 10. Ng1 $5 {[%c_effect g1;square;g1;type;Interesting;persistent;true] Caruana showed the way in a Titled Tuesday game. Online blitz games of elite players are also part of opening theory nowadays.} Nc5 11. Ne2 {Caruana - Petrosyan, Chess.com 2020.}) 10. Ng1 {Kosteniuk sticks to the expected plan.} Nf8 {Continuing the dance with the knights.} 11. Ne2 (11. f4 {is premature.} exf4 12. Bxf4 Ng6 13. Bg3 Be6 {With a comfortable position for Black.}) 11... Ng6 12. Ng3 {White gives up the f4 break.} (12. f4 exf4 13. Nxf4 Nxf4 14. Bxf4 Be6 {The position is equal.}) 12... Be6 13. Ne3 f6 14. Ngf5 {This move is the beginning of White's problems, as it won't be easy to execute a promising plan after this. It seems correct to take the other knight to f5: in that case, White could transfer the queen to g4 and then play h4-h5. It's always nice when we know what our next moves will be in an ideal world.} (14. Nef5 {A possible continuation is:} Bf8 15. Qg4 Kh8 16. h4 Ne7 17. h5 Qd7 18. Be3 c5 19. b3 { and the position is still roughly equal, but it seems better for White than in the game. He can try to play f2-f4 and build up some play on the kingside.}) 14... Qd7 15. Qf3 Kh8 16. Rg1 {Kosteniuk clearly wants to advance the g-pawn.} Nf4 $1 {[%c_effect f4;square;f4;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 17. g3 $6 { [%c_effect g3;square;g3;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] Now White's position is worse.} (17. Rd1 $1 {[%c_effect d1;square;d1;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] is better, preparing to play d4. After} Ng6 {White can decide whether to offer a move repetition or to keep fighting.}) 17... Nh3 18. Rf1 Ng5 19. Qe2 Nf7 { The knight now defends the king and can still maneuver up to d4. Also, now the way is clear to play g6 and drive out the white knight. It's worth remembering that, without the light-squared bishop, White can have serious problems if the position opens up since his king won't be safe.} 20. b3 Nd6 21. Nh4 (21. g4 { White is not able to protect the knight since Black can always play g6.} g6) 21... Nb5 {This knight is a real worker $1} 22. Bb2 Bd4 $1 {[%c_effect d4; square;d4;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] It's useful to exchange the bishop so the pawn can move to c5.} 23. Bxd4 Nxd4 (23... exd4 $5 {[%c_effect d4; square;d4;type;Interesting;persistent;true] is also possible, but after} 24. Nd1 f5 25. a4 Nd6 26. f3 {the white knights will be placed on g2 and f2 with a solid position, despite Black's advantage.}) 24. Qd1 c5 25. c3 $6 {[%c_effect c3;square;c3;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] Removing the knight from d4 is very costly, as the pawns are weakened.} (25. f4 $1 {[%c_effect f4;square;f4; type;GreatFind;persistent;true] is better, creating immediate counterplay.}) 25... Nc6 26. Qe2 a5 $1 {[%c_effect a5;square;a5;type;GreatFind;persistent; true] Black has a comfortable advantage, thanks to the better pawn structure.} 27. f4 a4 28. Rab1 axb3 29. axb3 Red8 30. Rfd1 Ra3 31. Qc2 b5 $5 {[%c_effect b5;square;b5;type;Interesting;persistent;true] Preparing Qf7 without White being able to put the knight on c4. Furthermore, a plan with b5-b4 is also possible.} (31... Qf7 32. Nc4) 32. Nf3 Qf7 33. Nd2 (33. c4 {Perhaps this move is better, but it further weakens the position.}) 33... exf4 34. gxf4 f5 $2 { [%c_effect f5;square;f5;type;Mistake;persistent;true] From now on Black starts to lose the advantage.} (34... Qh5 $1 {[%c_effect h5;square;h5;type;GreatFind; persistent;true] is devastating. Black threatens an invasion with the queen on e2.} 35. Re1 Qh3 {The white pieces are paralyzed, and the position will soon collapse. A possible plan is to advance b5-b4 and create more weaknesses. Black can prepare this plan by moving the rook from a3 to a8 first. White's pawn structure is horrible.}) 35. exf5 Bxf5 36. Nxf5 Qxf5 37. Ne4 {Now White is back in the game.} Ne7 (37... Qxf4 38. Qg2 $5 {[%c_effect g2;square;g2;type; Interesting;persistent;true] and Black needs to start watching out for the attack White can generate after bringing the rooks to the game.}) 38. Qf2 Ng6 39. Qxc5 Qxc5 40. Nxc5 Nxf4 41. Ra1 {The position is simplified and with a great tendency for a draw. The players decide to call it a day.} 1/2-1/2