LEI vs LAGNO – FIDE WOMENS WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP 2018 QUARTER FINAL

Kateryna Lagno

This game is from the Quarter Final of the 2018 FIDE Women’s World Chess Championship, fully annotated. It is between Tingjie Lei with White against Kateryna Lagno with Black.

This game features a Ruy Lopez. To learn more about the Ruy Lopez, here is the best instruction book I could find on Amazon.

Lei,Tingjie (2457) - Lagno,Kateryna (2556)

FIDE WCC 2018 Khanty-Mansiysk (4.2), 13.11.2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.a4 Rb8 8.Nxe5 [8.d3 d6 9.h3 0–0 10.Nbd2 Ne7 11.Re1 Ng6 12.Nf1 h6 13.Ne3 Be6 14.c3 Bxb3 15.Qxb3 Re8 16.axb5 axb5 17.Nf5 Qd7 18.Be3 Bxe3 19.Nxe3 Nf4 20.Qc2 b4 21.c4 c6 22.Ra5 Ra8 Adams,M (2737)-Leko,P (2763)/Miskolc 2005/CBM 108/1–0 (46)] 

8...Nxe5 9.d4 Bxd4 10.Qxd4 C78: Ruy Lopez: Archangelsk and Möller Defences

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10...d6N [10...Nc6 11.Qc3 b4 12.Qg3 0–0 13.Re1 d6 14.Bh6 Nh5 15.Qf3 Qh4 16.g3 Ne5 17.Qe2 Qh3 18.Nd2 gxh6 19.f4 Bg4 20.Qf2 Nd7 21.Bc4 Be6 22.Bf1 Qg4 23.Be2 Qh3 24.Bf1 Qg4 25.Be2 Michielsen,J (2314)-Bokhout,P/Ottawa 2007/CBM 119 ext/½–½ (41)] 

11.Bf4 White threatens to win material: Bf4xe5 

11...0–0 

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12.f3 Consolidates g4 

12...Ng6 13.Bg5 Be6 14.Nc3 

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14...c5 Black prepares the advance b4 

15.Qd2 

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15...c4 This push gains space 

16.Ba2 b4 17.Ne2 

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17...h6 Black threatens to win material: h6xg5 

18.Be3 b3 19.cxb3 cxb3 20.Bb1 d5 21.exd5 Nxd5 22.Bd4 

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22...Qd6 Black has an active position 

23.Be4 Rfd8 24.Rad1 

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24...f5 Black threatens to win material: f5xe4 

25.Bb1 Black has a very active position 

25...Nb4 26.Qe3 Nc2 

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27.Bxc2 [27.Qc1!? is an interesting idea 27...Rbc8 28.Bf2=] 

27...bxc2µ Opposite coloured bishops appeared 

28.Rd2 White threatens to win material: Rd2xc2 

28...Bc4 

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Black has an active position [¹28...Bb3µ] 

29.Rc1?? White is ruining his position [29.Bc3 Qc7 30.Rxc2 Re8²] 

29...Re8?? 

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Black threatens to win material: Re8xe3. hands over the advantage to the opponent [29...Rb3!? 30.Qf2 Rxb2 31.Qe3–+] 

30.Ba7 [30.Qc3!? is interesting 30...Bxe2 31.Ba7=] 

30...Qb4µ [30...Rxe3 is no comparison 31.Rxd6 Rxe2 32.Bxb8+-] 

31.Qd4? [¹31.Qc3 Qxc3 32.Nxc3µ] 

31...Rxe2–+ 

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[Worse is 31...Bxe2 32.Bxb8 Qxd4+ 33.Rxd4±] 

32.Rxe2 Bxe2 33.Qd5+ Kh7 34.Bxb8 

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34...Qb6+ [34...Qxb8?! is the less attractive alternative 35.Rxc2 Qb6+ 36.Kh1²] 

35.Kh1 

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35...Qe3 [¹35...Bd1 makes it even easier for Black 36.Qd2 Qxb8 37.Rxc2 Bxc2 38.Qxc2 Qe5–+] 

36.Bf4µ Qxf4 37.Rxc2 Qxa4 38.Rc1 Qf4 

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39.Re1?? an oversight. But White was lost anyway. [39.Rc2 Bb5µ] 

39...Bb5 [¹39...Nh4 and Black takes home the point 40.Kg1 Bxf3 41.gxf3 Nxf3+ 42.Kf2 Nxe1+ 43.Kxe1 Qe4+ 44.Qxe4 fxe4–+] 

40.g3? [¹40.Rd1!?µ] 

40...Qb4–+ 

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41.Rb1 [41.Qd1 Qxb2 42.Qc1 Qf2–+] 

41...f4 [¹41...Qe7 keeps an even firmer grip 42.Rg1 Qe2–+] 

42.Kg2 Qe7 43.Qd2 Qe3 

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44.Qf2 [44.Qxe3 fxe3 45.Re1 e2–+] 

44...Ne5 

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45.gxf4?? terrible, but what else could White do to save the game? [45.Qxe3 fxe3 46.f4–+] 

45...Qxf4 

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46.Qg3 [46.Re1 does not save the day 46...Nd3 47.Qe3 Nxe1+ 48.Qxe1 Qg5+ 49.Kh1 Qf6–+] 

46...Qd2+ 47.Qf2 Be2 

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48.Kg1 [48.Re1 there is nothing better in the position 48...Bxf3+ 49.Kg1 Qxf2+ 50.Kxf2 Nd3+ 51.Kxf3 Nxe1+ 52.Ke2–+] 

48...Nxf3+ [¹48...Nd3 and Black has it in the bag 49.Rf1 Nxf2 50.Rxf2 Qxb2 51.h4–+] 

49.Kh1 

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49...Nd4 [¹49...Ng5 might be the shorter path 50.Rf1 Bf3+ 51.Qxf3 Nxf3 52.Rxf3 Qxb2–+] 

50.Ra1 

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[50.Kg1–+ is still a small chance] 

50...Bf3+ [50...Qxb2 51.Kg2 Bf3+ 52.Kg1 Qxa1+ 53.Qf1 Qc3 54.Qf2 Qc1+ 55.Qf1 Qe3+ 56.Qf2 Qg5+ 57.Qg3 Ne2+ 58.Kf2 Nxg3 59.Kxf3 a5 60.h4 Qxh4 61.Ke3 a4 62.Kd2 Qc4 63.Ke3 a3 64.Kf3 a2 65.Kg2 a1Q 66.Kf3 Qaf1+ 67.Kxg3 Qcf4#] 

51.Kg1 Qg5+ 52.Kf1 

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52...Be2+ [52...Be2+ 53.Ke1 Qe5–+]  0–1