The Gingerbread Girl

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – 沈阳 (Shěn Yáng)
9th China–Russia Match; 宁波市 (Níngbō), July 19, 2015
Queen’s Gambit Declined D10

Notes by Grandmaster Andrey Alekseevich Deviatkin. 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. e3 Bf5 4. cxd5 cxd5 5. Qb3 Qc8 6. Nc3 e6 7. Nf3 Nc6 8. Bd2 Bd6 9. Rc1 Nge7 10. Na4 0-0 11. Nc5 Rb8 12. Bb5 Qc7 13. h3 Rbc8 14. 0-0 b6 15. Na6 Qb7 16. Qa4 h6 17. Bc3 Rfd8 18. b4 Nb8 19. Nxb8 Qxb8 20. Ba6 Rc7 21. a3 Be4 22. Nd2 Bg6 23. Bb2 f6 24. Rxc7 Bxc7 25. Rc1 Be8. In a Slav Variation similar to the Exchange Variation, but with the Black Knight on e7 instead of f6, White was slightly better but the Chinese player defended well and equalised. Now it was time for Goryachkina to settle for 26. Qc2 Bh2+ 27. Kf1 Bd6 28. Bd3, and here, for example, 28. ... Rc8 29. Qb1 Rxc1+ 30. Qxc1 Bg6 31. Bxg6 Nxg6 32. Qc6 (or 32. b5) 32. ... Kf7 33. b5! Ne7 34. Qd7 Qe8 35. Qxe8+ Kxe8 with equality. After the direct 26. b5? we get an instructive example on the theme of shutting a piece out of the game: 26. ... Bh2+ 27. Kh1 Bd6 28. Qb3 Rd7 29. Rc3 Bg6 30. a4 Rc7 31. Kg1 Kf7. Black has no reason to hurry. 32. Nf3 Rxc3 33. Bxc3 Qc7 34. Nd2 Bd3 35. Qb2

35. ... g5! The Ba6 is out of it, and the Chinese player opens a second front, in fully classical style. Strangely, in the previous round, another Russian had a Knight out of the game. Clearly, the Chinese are excellent not just at tactics but strategically as well, always a mark of the world’s élite. 36. Qb3 h5 37. a5 g4 38. axb6 axb6 39. hxg4. More tenacious is 39. Bb2 Bc2 40. Qc3, although White’s position in the endgame is unenviable. Ed. Note: Idem to say after 40. ... Qxc3 41. Bxc3 Bd3. 39. ... hxg4 40. Bb2 Bh2+ 41. Kh1 Be2 42. Nb1 Qb8. The Queen comes in to give mate. 43. Bc8. Sad consequences of the mistake at move 26. 43. ... Bd6 44. Qc2 Qxc8 45. Qh7+. Ed. Note: Clearly not 45. Qxe2 on account of 45. ... Qh8+ and mate in two moves. 45. ... Ke8. And Black soon won. 46. Nc3 Bc4 47. e4 Kd7 48. Na4 Qd8 49. e5 fxe5 50. dxe5 Bc7 51. Ba3 Bxb5 52. Nc3 Bc6 53. Qg7 d4 54. Nb1 Be4 55. Nd2 Bxg2+ 56. Kxg2 Qa8+ 57. Kg1 Qxa3 58. Ne4 d3 59. Nf6+ Kc8 60. Qh6 Nf5 61. Qh8+ Kb7 0 : 1.

沈阳 (Shěn Yáng). Photo: Chess Ivy.