Afoot and Afloat

Anastasia Mikhailovna Bodnaruk – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
20th European Individual Women’s Chess Championship; Antalya, April 18, 2019
French Defence C18

Goryachkina, for all her Round Seven game, literally sit on the edge of the abyss, finally surviving an absolutely lost cause. 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Qg4 cxd4 8. Qxg7 Rg8 9. Qxh7 Qc7 10. Ne2 Nbc6 11. f4 dxc3 12. h4 Bd7 13. h5 0-0-0 14. Qd3 d4 15. h6 Kb8 16. Rb1. Another try is 16. h7 Rh8 17. Rh6 Bc8 18. g4 b6 19. Ng3 Bb7 20. Ne4 Ng6 21. Ng5 Ka8 22. Bg2 Na5 23. Be4 Bxe4 24. Nxe4 Nc4 25. Nf2 Nb2 26. Qe4+ Kb8 27. Kf1 Ne7 28. Rh3 Qc4+ 29. Qe2 Qa4 30. Ne4 Nc4 31. Rb1 Nd5 32. Nc5 Nd2+ 33. Bxd2 Qxc2 34. Na6+ Kb7 35. Nc5+ Kb8 36. Na6+ Kb7 37. Nc5+ Kb8 38. Na6+ Kb7 ½ : ½ Bodnaruk – Sedina, 18th European Individual Women’s Chess Championship, Riga 2017. 16. ... Bc8. Goryachkina adopted a line much favoured by Ukrainian-Italian International Master Elena Sedina, without, however, bringing it any improvement. 17. h7 Rh8 18. g4 b6 19. Bg2 Bb7 20. Be4 Ng6. 20. ... Nd5 didn’t bring Sedina good luck at all: 21. Rh6 Qc8 22. Qg3 Na5 23. f5 Ne3? 24. Bxe3 Bxe4 25. Nxd4 Nc4 26. Qf4 1 : 0 Bosiočić – Sedina, 18th Open, Trieste 2016. 21. Rh5 Nf8 22. a4. Another matter of study is 22. Bxc6 Qxc6 23. Nxd4 Qe4+ 24. Be3 Nxh7 25. Qxe4 Bxe4 26. Rb4 Rdg8 27. f5 Rxg4 28. fxe6 fxe6 29. Nxe6 Rhg8 30. Rc4 Bxc2 31. Rxc3 Rc8 32. Rxc8+ Kxc8 33. Nd4 Bg6 34. Rh6 Kd7 35. Ke2 Be4 36. Bf2 Ng5 37. e6+ Kd6 38. Nb5+ Ke7 39. Bh4 Bf5 40. Rh5 Re4+ 41. Kf2 Rf4+ 42. Ke3 Re4+ 43. Kf2 Rf4+ 44. Ke3 ½ : ½ Hoolt – Sedina, 37th Women’s Chess Mitropa Cup, Le Castella 2018. White’s play seems largely improvable. 22. ... f6? A new nuance with regard to 22. ... f5? which, however, quite paradoxically ended up rewarding Black: 23. exf6 Nd7 24. Bxc6 Qxc6 (on 24. ... Bxc6 25. Nxd4 White stands much better) 25. g5?? (25. Qxd4 seemed very strong here) 25. ... Nc5−+ Alquist – Hernando Rodrigo, 16th Open Internacional de Sants, Barcelona 2014. 22. ... Nd7!? 23. Ba3 Ndxe5!?∞ is probably the best continuation, even though further study is needed to assess its actual merit. 23. Bxc6!? 23. exf6 might transpose into the game mentioned in the previous note. 23. ... Qxc6 24. Nxd4 Qd5 25. Be3 fxe5? Black doesn’t seem to have any feeling at all for her own position. 25. ... Nxh7 26. Rxh7 f5!∞ was very uncertain, with chances for both colours. Now Black is really lost!

26. Rb5!+− Qg2 27. Nc6+! Bxc6 28. Qxd8+ Kb7 29. Rb4!? Even stronger was 29. Qe7+! Ka6 (or 29. ... Kc8 30. Rb4 Qxc2 31. Qxa7 with a more prosaic win) 30. Ra5+!! with mate in a few moves. 29. ... Ng6 30. Qf6? Simply 30. Qd3+− would have left Black without resource. 30. ... Qxc2! 31. Qf7+. White has nothing better than a draw by perpetual, for if 31. fxe5 then 31. ... Qd3! with harsh equality. 31. ... Ka8. Not 31. ... Ka6?? 32. Qxe6+− Be4 on account of 33. Rxb6+! and mate in two moves. 32. Qg8+ Kb7 33. Qf7+ Ka8 34. Qg8+ Kb7 35. Qf7+ ½ : ½.