Lucky Girl

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Natalia Andreevna Pogonina
65th Russian Women’s Chess Championship; Chita, August 19, 2015
Catalan Opening E04

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4 5. Nf3 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 a5 7. a3 Bxd2+ 8. Nbxd2 b5 9. b3 cxb3 10. Qxb3 c6 11. 0-0 0-0 12. Rfc1 Bb7 13. Qb2 Nbd7 14. Ne1 Qb6. Less convincing would be 14. ... Nb6 as after 15. Bxc6 Bxc6 16. Rxc6 Rb8 17. Qxb5 Qxd4 18. Nb3 the a5-Pawn is doomed (sacrificed by Black) for little or no compensation, Giri – Fridman, 3rd HMC Calder Élite, Rosmalen 2014. 15. Nd3 Rfc8 16. Nb3 Ba6 17. Nbc5 Nxc5 18. Nxc5 h6 19. e3 Ra7 20. Qb3 Nd7 21. f4 Nxc5 22. Rxc5 Rd7 23. Rac1 Rd6 24. g4 b4 25. a4 Qd8 26. Bf3 Kh8 27. Kg2 f6 28. h4!? Aleksandra Yuryevna is pushing for the win too hard... 29. ... e5! Natalia Andreevna thematically launches her straight counter-attack in the centre! 29. fxe5 fxe5 30. Rxe5 Qxh4 31. Rh1 Qd8 32. g5? c5! 33. dxc5?

33. ... Rd2+? Amazingly, Pogonina inverts the order of moves and misses an easy win! The right order was 33. ... Rxc5! 34. Rxc5 Rd2+ 35. Kh3 (neither 35. Kg1 Qd6 nor 35. Kg3 Qd6+ would avoid the disaster) 35. ... Qf8! and White is overwhelmed with too many (deadly) threats. 34. Kg3 Rxc5 35. Qe6 Rxe5 36. Qxe5 Kg8 37. Qe6+ Kh8 38. Qe5 Kg8 39. Qe6+ Kh8 40. Qe5 Kg8 41. Qe6+ ½ : ½.

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
Photo: ruchess.ru