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Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Mónica Calzetta Ruiz
20th European Individual Women’s Chess Championship; Antalya, April 11, 2019
Benkö Counter-Gambit A58

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina saved her first round game almost miraculously, just to confirm to herself that being the top seed in the 20th jubilee European Individual Women’s Chess Championship doesn’t mean that everything will come easy. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5!? 4. cxb5 a6 5. bxa6 g6 6. Nc3 Bg7 7. e4 0-0 8. Be2 Qa5 9. Bd2 Bxa6 10. e5 Ne8 11. Nf3 d6 12. e6! fxe6 13. Ng5 Rf5 14. Nxe6? An unnecessary loss of time, instead of which 14. 0-0! seems to give White a powerful initiative. 14. ... Bxe2 15. Nxe2 Qa6! Improving on 15. ... Qa4? of Sirosh – Ladva, 50th Ilmar Raud Memorial, Viljandi 2016, which incongruently offered and allowed White to exchange Queens, increasing the value of his extra Pawn. 16. Nxg7 Nxg7 17. 0-0 Rxd5 18. Nf4 Rd4 19. Qb3+ c4 20. Qc2 Nc6 21. Be3 Rf8! 22. Ne2. Not 22. Bxd4? Nxd4 23. Qe4 because of 23. ... Rxf4! winning at once. 22. ... Rh4! 23. Bg5 Rg4 24. f4 Nf5 25. Qe4? White’s position was quite uncomfortable in any case (especially due to her dark square weaknesses), but the text seems to worsen the situation, offering Black not too hidden tactical motifs. 25. ... Qb6+! 26. Kh1 h6 27. Bxh6. White has nothing better than giving up the Bishop for a fistful of Pawns, for if, instead, 27. h3 there would have followed 27. ... Rg3! 28. Bxh6 Re3! 29. Qxc4+ d5! 30. Qxd5+ e6 with too many threats. 27. ... Nxh6 28. h3 Kg7 29. Rac1. Not 29. hxg4?? on account of 29. ... Rh8! winning on the spot. 29. ... Nf5 30. Rxc4 Ne5! 31. Rc3 Rh4 32. Rb3 Qa6 33. Ra3 Qc4 34. Qxc4 Nxc4 35. Rc3 Nxb2 36. g4 Nh6 37. Kg2 Nf7 38. Rb1 Na4 39. Rc7 Nc5 40. Rxe7 Ra8. The time control is reached, and Goryachkina cannot but contemplate her disaster. 41. Rb2 Ra3 42. Ng1 Rh8 43. Nf3 Nd3 44. Ng5

44. ... Nxb2?? An incredible error which offers Goryachkina an escape from defeat. Simply 44. ... Nxf4+ 45. Kf1 Kf6 would result in an easy win for Black. 45. Rxf7+ Kg8 46. Rb7! Nd3 47. Rb8+ Kg7 48. Rb7+ Kg8. Black cannot avoid perpetual check (48. ... Kf6?? 49. Rf7 mate). 49. Rb8+ Kg7 50. Rb7+ ½ : ½.

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina (right) vs. Mónica Calzetta Ruiz (left). Photo: Turkish Chess Federation.