Aesthetics in Performance

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Julianna Terbe
7th World Women’s Team Chess Championship; Astana, March 13, 2019
Slav Defence D19

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. e3 e6 7. Bxc4 Bb4 8. 0-0 Nbd7 9. Qe2 Bg6 10. e4 0-0 11. Bd3 Bh5 12. e5 Nd5 13. Nxd5 cxd5 14. Qe3 Re8 15. Ng5 Bg6 16. Bxg6 fxg6 17. a5 h6. Other continuations can (and probably should) be tried here; for instance: 17. ... Rc8 18. a6 Qb6∞ Nyžnyk – Mirzoev, 19th Türkiye İş Bankası Chess League, Denizli 2013. 18. Qb3 Bf8 19. Nf3. The alternative 19. Nh3 Qc8 20. Qg3 Qc2 21. Nf4 Kh7 22. Qh3 Qf5 23. Qb3 also gives White a clear edge, Yankelevich – Keller, 4th Spring Open, Hofheim 2016. 19. ... Rb8 20. Bd2 Be7 21. Rfc1 Nf8 22. Rc2 Qd7 23. Rac1 Rec8 24. h4 Rxc2 25. Qxc2 Qb5 26. g3 Kf7 27. Ne1 b6 28. b4 Rb7? The Pawn was obviously untouchable: 28. ... Bxb4?? 29. Bxb4 Qxb4?? 30. Qc7+ and finis. But since after the text Goryachkina ended up winning in study-like fashion, Black should have played 28. ... Bd8, though after 29. Qd1 White still stands better.

29. a6! Rd7. If 29. ... Qxa6 then 30. Qc8! and, due to the threat of b4-b5, White wins material. 30. Qd3 Qxd3 31. Nxd3 Ke8 32. b5 Kd8 33. Nb4 Nh7 34. Nc6+ Ke8 35. Nxe7 Kxe7 36. Rc8 Rd8 37. Rc7+ Rd7 38. Rb7 g5 39. Ba5! Goryachkina poses her final touch to a very well-played game. 39. ... bxa5 40. b6 axb6 41. Rxd7+ 1 : 0.

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina (left) vs. Julianna Terbe (right). Photo: Eteri Kublashvili/Russian Chess Federation.