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Sophie Milliet – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
20th European Individual Women’s Chess Championship; Antalya, April 20, 2019
Caro-Kann Defence B12

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Nf3 e6 5. Be2 Ne7 6. c3 Ng6 7. 0-0 f6 8. Be3!? A recent (rapid) game continued with 8. Na3 fxe5 9. dxe5 Bxa3 10. bxa3 0-0 11. Nd4 Nxe5 12. g4 Be4? (12. ... c5 was clearly called for) 13. Nxe6 Qf6 14. Nxf8 Nf3+ 15. Bxf3 Bxf3 16. Nxh7!+− Gaponenko – Girya, 5th Women’s World Rapid Chess Championship, Saint Petersburg 2018. 8. ... Be7. Preferable seems to be 8. ... Nd7, as played by 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) against 徐译 (Xú Yì) in the Chinese Blitz Chess Championship at 深圳 (Shēnzhèn) in 2017. 9. Nbd2 0-0 10. Ne1 Nh8. Despite her balancing efforts, also today, Goryachkina will struggle to defend an inferior position for a long time before achieving a lucky draw. 11. f4 fxe5 12. fxe5 Bg5 13. Bxg5 Qxg5 14. Ndf3 Qe3+ 15. Rf2 Nd7 16. Qd2 Qxd2 17. Nxd2 Bg6 18. Nef3 h6 19. Raf1 Bh7 20. h4 Ng6 21. g3 Ne7 22. Ne1 Rxf2 23. Rxf2 c5 24. Bb5 Nc6 25. Nb3 c4. This decision could cost Goryachkina the game. 25. ... cxd4 26. cxd4 a6 was much more to the point, as 27. Bxc6 bxc6 28. Rf3 a5 29. Rc3 a4 30. Nd2 Rc8 should hold for Black. 26. Na5 Nxa5 27. Bxd7 Bf5 28. Ng2 Rd8 29. Ba4 a6 30. Nf4 g5 31. hxg5 hxg5 32. Nh5 b5 33. Bc2 Bxc2 34. Rxc2 Nc6 35. Rf2 Rf8 36. Nf6+ Kg7 37. Nh5+ Kg8 38. Nf6+ Kg7 39. Rh2

39. ... Rh8? Goryachkina consistently invites the exchange of Rooks, so as to force a virtually lost Knight ending. Instead, 39. ... Kg6! 40. Nd7! Rf3 41. Kg2 Re3 42. Nc5 Re2+ 43. Kg1 Re1+ 44. Kf2 Rc1 45. Rh8! b4! gave more drawing chances, not only from a practical but also from a “scientific” standpoint. 40. Rxh8 Kxh8 41. Nd7 Nd8 42. a4? A chivalrous draw offer by Milliet, who could have done equally well, or ideally better, only with 42. g4?? (42. ... a5=). Nevertheless, White could have presented the bill with 42. a3 a5 43. Nb8, putting her opponent on the verge of her second débâcle in two days. 42. ... bxa4 ½ : ½.