Eye of the Storm

Petra Papp – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
17th European Women’s Individual Chess Championship; Mamaia, May 28, 2016
Sicilian Defence B33

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 Bg7 11. Bd3 Ne7 12. Nxe7 Qxe7 13. 0-0 0-0 14. c4 Rd8!? A novelty, as far as I know. For 14. ... f5 15. Qf3 Qb7 see Nakamura – Radjabov, 74th Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2012. 15. Qh5 Rb8 16. cxb5 f5 17. exf5. Stronger seems 17. Nc4 and if 17. ... axb5 then 18. Ne3! f4 19. Nd5 with a clear edge. 17. ... e4 18. Rae1 d5

19. bxa6 Rxb2 20. Re3. A wild way to start to attack. 20. ... Qf6. Goryachkina was afraid to accept the gift with 20. ... Qxa3 because of 21. f6!? Bxf6? (this, however, is not forced) 22. Bxe4 with unclear complications. 21. a7 Bb7. If 21. ... Bxf5 then 22. Rf3! with some firework effects. 22. Bb1? Petra does not succeed to coordinate her shattered forces. It seems that 22. Bc2 Ra8 23. Bb3 Rxa7 24. Nc2 h6 25. Rg3 may still offer some ground for initiative. 22. ... Ra8 23. g4? Further worsening her own situation. Deserving consideration is 23. Rd1 Rxa7 24. Nc2 Qb6 and Black stands better. 23. ... Rxa7 24. Rd1 h6 25. Nc2 Bc6 26. Nd4 Ba4 27. Nb3 Qb6 28. g5 Bxb3 29. axb3 Ra1. White has a Pawn more, but her light-squared Bishop is doomed. 30. Bc2. More tenacious is 30. Bxe4, alhough after 30. ... Rxd1+ 31. Qxd1 dxe4 32. f6 Bf8 33. Qg4 h5! 34. Qxe4 Qb4 Black should win anyway. 30. ... Rxc2 31. Rxa1 Bxa1 32. f6 Bxf6! The simplest way. 33. gxf6 Qxf6 34. Qg4+ Kh7 35. Qg3 Qf5 36. Rc3 Ra2 37. Rc6 d4 38. Rc1 Ra6 39. Kf1 Rg6 40. Qc7 Qf3 41. Qd7 d3 0 : 1.

Petra Papp vs. Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
Photo: Federația Română de Șah (Facebook)