Runaway

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – 叶诗雯 (Carissa Yip)
7th World Women’s Team Chess Championship; Astana, March 11, 2019
Grünfeld Defence D70

The Russian women’s team has not always won its matches, but no one can blame Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina for that as she today scored her sixth win in a row. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. f3!? e6!? 4. e4 d5 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Nc3 dxe4 7. fxe4 Bb4 8. Bd3 Nxe4 9. Qe2 0-0. After 9. ... f5 10. Nf3 Qe7 11. 0-0 Nxc3 12. Qxe7+ Kxe7 13. Bg5+ Kf7 14. bxc3 Bxc3 15. Rac1 Ba5 16. Bf4 White’s huge development advantage is much more worth than two Pawns. 10. Bxe4 Re8 11. Nf3 Bf5 12. Bg5 Qd6!? This is a new try but not a clear improvement on 12. ... Bxc3+ 13. bxc3 f6 14. Nd2 fxg5 15. 0-0 Nd7 16. Qc4+ Be6 17. Bd5 Bxd5 18. Qxd5+ Kh8 19. Rae1 c6 20. Qb3 Nb6 21. Nf3 Rxe1 22. Rxe1 Qf6 23. Qe6 Qxe6 24. Rxe6 g4 25. Ne5 Nd5 (it was probably better to give back the Pawn by 25. ... Rf8!?) 26. c4 Nf4 27. Re7 Ne2+ 28. Kf2 Nxd4 29. Rxb7 where, in spite of his minus Pawn, White has a much better ending, Giri – Vachier-Lagrave, 47th International Chess Festival “In Memoriam Hans Suri”, Biel/Bienne 2014. 13. Nd2 Nd7? After this Black’s position quickly breaks apart. 13. ... Qa6 is probably Black’s best, although after 14. Rb1! White still keeps the upper hand. 14. 0-0 Bxc3 15. bxc3 Bxe4 16. Nxe4 Qd5

17. Be7! White intends to amass her heavy guns behind the Bishop on the e-file. 17. ... f5. 17. ... Rxe7 18. Nf6+ gives up the Exchange for no compensation. 18. Ng5 Nb6 19. Rae1 Nc8 20. Qf2! The beginning of the end. 20. ... Rxe7 21. Rxe7 Nxe7 22. Qh4 h5 23. Re1 Qd7 24. Re6. With the threat of Qh4-e1-e5. 24. ... Kg7 25. Qg3 Kh6. On 25. ... Nc6 26. d5 simply wins material by force (26. ... Re8 27. dxc6 Qd1+ 28. Kf2 Qd2+ 29. Kf1 Qd1+ 30. Qe1+−). 26. Qe3 Nd5 27. Nf7++ Kg7 28. Qh6+! Kxf7 29. Rxg6 1 : 0.

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili/Russian Chess Federation.