[Event "Women's Candidates"] [Site "Toronto"] [Date "2024.04.15"] [Round "10.4"] [White "Salimova, Nurgyul"] [Black "Vaishali, Rameshbabu"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2432"] [WhiteTeam "BUL"] [BlackElo "2475"] [BlackTeam "IND"] [Annotator "GM Eugene Perelshteyn"] [FEN "7r/8/1pBPnkp1/p2Rp3/P3Pp1P/5P2/5K2/8 b - - 0 36"] [Variant "From Position"] [ECO "?"] [Opening "?"] [SetUp "1"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/Mez4h4WA/V41J4hzT"] [Orientation "white"] { [Annotations by GM Eugene Perelshteyn] Both players played really well up to here. However, Vaishali starts to go wrong. } 36... Rc8? (36... Rxh4 37. d7 Nd8 38. Bb5 Ke6 { maintains the equality as the d-pawn is easily stopped. }) 37. Bb5 Rc2+ 38. Kf1 Rc1+ 39. Kg2 Nd8 40. d7 { Perhaps this push is a bit premature. } (40. Rd2 { would be a strong waiting move, as it's not clear what Black should play. For example: } 40... Ke6? 41. Be8! Kf6 42. Rb2 $18 { and the b6-pawn drops. }) 40... Ke6 41. Rd2 Ke7 42. Kh2! { White finds a new target: the pawn on g6. } 42... Rc5 43. Rg2 Kf7 44. h5! gxh5 45. Rg5 Ke7 46. Rxh5 { Now White is winning, but we have a roller-coaster awaiting with the looming sudden death time pressure. } 46... Nc6 47. Rh7+ Kd8 48. Kh3 Kc7 49. Kg4 Nd8 50. Kf5 Rc3 51. Kxe5 Rxf3 52. Rh1 Nb7 53. Kf6 Re3 54. e5? { This allows Black back in the game. } (54. Rh8 Rxe4 55. Rc8+ Kd6 56. Rb8 $18) 54... Nc5 55. Rh7 f3 56. Re7 f2 57. Kf7 Rh3 58. e6 Nb7? { Black returns the favor. } (58... Rh7+) 59. d8=Q+? { Did White miss that she could not take the knight on b7 due to the skewer? } (59. Re8! { is a nice win, for example: } 59... Nd8+ 60. Rxd8 Kxd8 (60... Rh7+ 61. Kg6 $18) 61. e7+ $18) 59... Kxd8 60. Rd7+ Kc8 61. Rd1 Rf3+ 62. Kg6 Re3 63. Kf6 Rf3+ 64. Kg5 Re3 65. Kf6 Rf3+ 66. Ke7 Nc5 67. Kd6? { The losing move. } (67. Rc1 { maintains equality. }) 67... Re3 68. Bd7+ Nxd7 69. exd7+ Kd8 70. Rf1 Re2 71. Kc6 Re6+! { Vaishali finds the winning plan and breaks out of a rut with this nerve-racking win! } 72. Kd5 Rf6 73. Ke5 Rf7 74. Ke6 Re7+ 75. Kd6 Rxd7+ 76. Kc6 Rf7 77. Kxb6 Rf5 78. Kc6 Ke7 79. Kb6 Kd6 80. Ka6 Kc6 81. Rc1+ Rc5 82. Rf1 Rf5 83. Rc1+ Kd5 84. Rf1 Kc4 85. Kb6 Kd3 86. Rxf2 Rxf2 87. Kxa5 Kc4 88. Kb6 Kb4 { 0-1 Black wins. } 0-1