Georgia clinch team title

IM Malcolm Pein September 27, 2023

GEORGIA defeated Kazakhstan in the final to win the FIDE Women’s World Team Championship in Bydgoszcz.
Each match consisted of two halves, played at a Rapid time limit. The Georgians defeated the Kazakhs 2.5-1.5 then 3.5-0.5.
Exactly the same five Georgian players had also won the event in 2015 in China.
In Poland, Bella Khotenashvili, Meri Arabidze, Nino Batsiashvili, Lela Javakhishvili and Salome Melia proved too experienced for the young Kazakh side.
They also knocked out China, but did require a blitz play-off to edge past the USA.
The USA lost out on the bronze medals to France, but did see 13-year-old IM Alice Lee score 7.5/12 on top board, which sufficed for an individual gold medal.
For Georgia, Arabidze and Batsiashvili also won individual golds. Khotenashvili struggled slightly on top board, but came good when needed, defeating Lee in the play-off, then Bibisara Assaubayeva in the final.
India failed to qualify from their pool for the knockout stages, despite including Divya Deshmukh, the surprise winner of the Tata Steel Chess India Women’s Rapid.

A Savina – D Divya
Queen’s Gambit Declined 45+10

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e3 h6 6.Bxf6 Bxf6 7.Nf3 0-0 8.Rc1 c6 9.h4!? g6! 10.Bd3
(10.g4!? Bg7! 11.h5 g5 keeps lines closed)
10...Bg7 11.0-0 Nd7 12.cxd5 exd5 13.b4
(The classic minority attack, but what is the pawn doing on h4?)
13...Nf6 (13...a6 14.a4 Nf6 15.b5 axb5 16.axb5 Bg4 looks logical)
14.b5 cxb5!? 15.Bxb5 Bg4 16.Be2 Ne4?!

17.Qd3? (White would have been doing well after 17.Nxe4! dxe4 18.Nd2 Bxe2 19.Qxe2 Qxh4 20.Rc7)
17...Re8 18.g3?
(A significant weakening and 18.Nd2!? Bxe2 19.Qxe2 Nxc3 20.Rxc3 Bxd4 21.Rd3 Be5 22.Nf3 was still acceptable enough as the d5-pawn should fall)
18...Rc8 19.Nb1
(Sub-optimal, but a decent defensive try with Bf5 such a threat)
19...Qd6 20.Kg2?
(20.Rxc8 Rxc8 21.Ne1 Bf5 22.Qd1 was grim, but essential)

For today’s puzzle, can you spot the pretty tactic which won Black material and the game?

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