[Event "Women's World Cup 2025"] [Site "Batumi, Georgia"] [Date "2025.07.01"] [Round "41.1"] [White "Koneru, Humpy"] [Black "Lei, Tingjie"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2536"] [BlackElo "2557"] [Variant "Standard"] [Annotator "WGM Sabina Foisor"] [FEN "2rq1rk1/p3bppp/bp2p3/2nn4/2NN4/PP2P3/1BB1QPPP/R2R2K1 b - - 0 16"] [ECO "?"] [Opening "?"] [StudyName "Women's World Cup"] [ChapterName "Koneru, Humpy - Lei, Tingjie"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/fB3lLxYD/z1ZwnPQI"] [FEN "2rq1rk1/p3bppp/bp2p3/2nn4/2NN4/PP2P3/1BB1QPPP/R2R2K1 b - - 0 16"] [SetUp "1"] [Orientation "white"] { Despite only having to draw the next game, in the following position Lei tried to force matters, but miscalculated and got into a much worse position. } 16... Na4?? (16... Bf6 { had to be played. } 17. b4 Qd7 18. bxc5 bxc5 19. Nf3 Bxb2 20. Bxh7+ Kxh7 21. Qxb2 Bxc4 22. Qc2+ Kg8 23. Ng5 Rfd8 24. Qxc4 Qe7) 17. bxa4?? (17. Nxe6 { was a beautiful tactical miss by Humpy that would have led to a fast win as follows: } 17... fxe6 18. Qh5 h6 19. Bxg7 Bf6 20. Qxh6 Bxg7 21. Qxe6+ Rf7 22. Bg6 $18) 17... Bxc4 18. Qg4 Nf6? (18... Bf6 { maintains some balance, though White is the one pressing on the kingside now. } 19. e4 Bxd4 20. Rxd4 e5 21. Rdd1 Nf6 22. Qg3 Qe7 23. Qxe5 Qxe5 24. Bxe5 Rfe8 25. f4 Ba6 26. Rac1 $14) 19. Qh3?? (19. Qh4 { It's interesting how a small nuance of the placement of the queen could change the evaluation from equal to winning! } 19... Qc7 (19... Qe8 20. Nb5 h6 21. Nd6 Bxd6 22. Bxf6 $18) 20. Rac1 Qc5 21. Nb5 h5 22. Bd3 Bxd3 23. Rxc5 Rxc5 24. Rxd3 $18) 19... Qc7? (19... Qe8 { was a much better placement for the queen. }) 20. Rac1 Qb7 21. Nb5 g6?! (21... Be2 22. Re1 Bg4 23. Qg3 Bf5 24. Bxf6 Bxf6 25. Nd6 $16) 22. Bxf6 Bxf6 23. Nd6 Qa6 24. Nxc8 Rxc8 25. Qg4?? { gives up the advantage. } (25. Qf3 { would have maintained the advantage. } 25... Bb2 26. Rb1 Bxa3 27. Rd7 Rf8 28. Qf4 $18) 25... Be2 26. Qf4? { The mistake that turns the tables. } (26. Bd3 Bxd1 27. Rxc8+ Qxc8 28. Qxd1 { is equal, but of course that wouldn't have helped the match as Lei had won in their previous encounter. }) 26... Bxd1 27. Rxd1 Qe2?! (27... Kg7 28. Rd2 Qa5 29. Qb4 Bc3 30. Qxa5 Bxa5 31. Re2 Rc3 $17) 28. Qxf6 Qxc2 29. Qd4 Qc5 30. Qd7 Rc7 31. Qd8+ Kg7 32. h3 Qe7 33. Qd4+ Qf6 34. Qd2 Rc3 35. Qd7 Rxa3 36. Qxa7 Ra2 37. Rf1 b5 38. a5 Qd8 39. Rc1 (39. a6 Qd6 40. Qb7 Rxa6 41. Qxb5) 39... Qd2?! (39... Rxa5 40. Qc5 Qf6 $17) 40. Rf1 Qxa5 41. Qd4+ Kg8 42. Rc1 Qa8 43. Rc7 Ra1+ 44. Kh2 { This could have been a totally different end of the match had Lei played Qf8 and keep her king safe. Instead... } 44... Ra6?? { was played with the intention of stopping Qd4-b6, but she must have forgotten of her back-rank. } (44... Qf8 45. Rb7 { It's possible that Black overlooked that, after } (45. Qxa1 { she has } 45... Qd6+ { regaining the rook! }) 45... Qc8 46. Rxb5 Qc7+ 47. g3 Rh1+ 48. Kxh1 Qc6+) 45. Qd7 Qf8 46. Rc8 { From here, Humpy fought her way back to win the match in the next round of tie-breaks. } 46... Ra8 47. Rxf8+ Rxf8 48. Qxb5 Kg7 49. Qe5+ Kg8 50. Qf6 Rc8 51. g4 Rb8 52. Kg3 Rb5 53. h4 Rd5 54. e4 Rb5 55. f3 h6 56. Qd8+ Kg7 57. Qd7 Rb8 58. Qd4+ Kg8 59. Qd2 Kg7 60. Qc3+ Kg8 61. Kf4 Rb5 62. Qc6 Rb8 63. Ke5 Kg7 64. Qd7 Ra8 65. Kf4 Rb8 66. g5 hxg5+ 67. Kxg5 Rf8 68. Qe7 Rb8 69. Qf6+ Kg8 70. Kh6 { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0