Alice Lee impresses, but Tan Zhongyi takes the top prize in chess at hard-fought Cairns Cup

Chinese GM Tan Zhongyi made a powerful statement ahead of her world title match next year against reigning women’s world champion GM Ju Wenjun, capturing the 4th Cairns Cup over an elite field of female rivals at the St. Louis Chess Club last week.

Tan’s modest Queen’s Fianchetto Defense is a sensible choice against her far less experienced opponent, and with the appearance of what GM Joel Benjamin calls the “snake bishop” — 5…Bd6!? — awaiting its marching orders, the opening produces a taut positional struggle. Thus: 26…Ne4! 27. Qd1 Nc3 28. Qf3 Ne2+ 29. Kh2 Nf4 30. g3 Be2! 31. Qb3 Qxb3 32. Bxb3 Nd3 33. Bxd5 Rad8 34. Bxf7 Nxe1 35. Rxe1 Re7, and White must lose material; e.g., 36. Bh5 Bf3 37. Rb1 Re2 38. Rf1 Rdd2 39. Kg1 Re5 40. Nf5 Rxf5 41. gxf5 Bxh5.

But now White seems to dawdle as her young opponent rushes to rewrite the narrative: 18. c4 Rb8! 19. Be3 b5 20. cxb5?! Rxb5 21. c4 Rb4 22. Qc2 c5 23. g4 Qa6, and now White faces the difficult psychological chore of defending when she had hoped to be on the attack.

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