Far From Over

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Alexander Alexandrovich Moiseenko
20th European Individual Chess Championship; Skopje, March 24, 2019
Nimzo-Indian Defence E36

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 d5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 c5!? 7. dxc5 d4. Moiseenko chose the sharp variation introduced by his country fellow Grandmaster Oleg Mikhailovich Romanishin in which Black sacrifices one or two Pawns for a powerful initiative. 8. Qg3 Nc6 9. Nf3. 12th World Chess Champion Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov paid dearly for taking the second Pawn: 9. Qxg7 Rg8 10. Qh6 e5 11. b4 Rg6 12. Qd2 Ne4 13. Qb2 Qf6 14. e3 a5 15. b5 Ne7 16. Bd3? Nxc5 17. Bxg6 Qxg6 18. Kf1 Be6−+ Karpov – Édouard, 5th Karpov Trophy, Cap d’Agde 2016. 9. ... e5 10. b4 e4. A very interesting though controversial other line is 10. ... 0-0 11. Nxe5 Ne4 12. Nxc6 bxc6 13. Qd3 Bf5 14. Bb2 Qg5∞ Dreev – Sakaev, 60th Russian Chess Championship, Moscow 2007. 11. Nd2. White could also continue 11. b5 exf3 (11. ... Na5 12. Nd2 appears to be more unpleasant for Black) 12. bxc6 with a very slight edge. 11. ... Be6! A powerful novelty instead of 11. ... 0-0 12. e3⩲ Ivanišević – Naiditsch, 20th Vidmar Memorial, Bled 2016. 12. e3!? Goryachkina boldly challenges her opponent to show his cards. But, objectively speaking, the best continuation seems to be 12. Qxg7 Rg8 13. Qh6 Qe7! (intending Queenside castling), with Black’s development advantage well compensating for the two sacrificed Pawns. 12. ... Nh5! 13. Qd6 Qh4! 14. g3 Qf6 15. Nxe4 Qf3 16. Ng5 Qxh1 17. Nxe6 fxe6 18. Qxe6+ Kf8. What an unbalance! White has two Bishops and three Pawns against Rook and two Knights, and, more importantly still, an arrow in reserve.

19. b5! Re8!? Black decides to return a Knight in order to coordinate his position without running risks. 20. Qd6+?? It is hard to understand such unbelievably bad judgment! It was natural and consequent 20. Qf5+! Nf6 21. bxc6 Qxc6 (maybe 21. ... bxc6!?∞) 22. g4!? h6!?∞ with a game unclear enough to make its outcome more unclear. 20. ... Ne7 21. exd4 Kf7 22. Be3 Nf6 23. 0-0-0. White’s position quickly deteriorates now, but there were no good moves; if 23. Qf4 there might follow 23. ... g5! with devastating force. 23. ... Nf5 24. Qf4 Nxe3 25. fxe3 Qxh2 26. Bd3. Allowing Her Majesty to enter the Queenside stage, but 26. Rd2 Qg1 27. Rf2 Rhf8 would have lead to the same outcome. 26. ... Qa2 27. g4 h6 28. Rf1 Rhf8 29. g5 hxg5 30. Qxg5 Kg8 31. Rg1 Re7 32. Qg3 Rff7 33. c6 bxc6 34. bxc6 Qxa3+ 35. Kd2 Qb4+ 36. Ke2 Nh5 0 : 1.