Ambient Music

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk
Women’s Candidates Tournament; Kazan, June 8, 2019
English Opening A35

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina closed the first half of the Candidates Tournament well atop the standings by 1½ points, but today’s game against 15th Women’s World Chess Champion Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk shows that the two-time Russian Women’s Champion will still have half way to go to get any bill for a Women’s World Chess Championship match. 1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 Nc6 3. Nc3 g6 4. e3 Nf6 5. d4 cxd4 6. exd4 d5 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. Qb3 e6 9. Bb5 Bg7 10. 0-0 0-0 11. Bxc6 bxc6 12. Na4 Qd6 13. Re1 Rb8 14. Qd1 Ne7 15. b3 Nf5 16. Bb2 Rd8 17. Rc1!? A recent game continued: 17. Qc2 Nxd4 18. Bxd4 Bxd4 19. Rad1 e5 20. Nxe5 c5 21. Nxc5 Bf5 22. Qc4 Qxc5 23. Qxf7+ Kh8 24. Qf6+ ½ : ½ Andersen – Wagner, 38th SchachBundesliga, Hockenheim 2018. 17. ... Nxd4 18. Nxd4 Bxd4 19. Bxd4 Qxd4 20. Qf3 Rd5 21. Nc3 Rf5 22. Red1 Qh4 23. Qg3. 23. Qe3 Qe7 24. Qd4 can hardly give White more than a very slight edge, but Goryachkina’s somewhat too minimalist approach — a Queen exchange offer — produces nothing but a drawish endgame a Pawn down, which, quite naturally, proves to be a little more uncomfortable for her. 23. ... Qxg3 24. Rd8+ Kg7 25. hxg3 Rc5 26. f4 Ra8 27. Ne2 Rxc1+ 28. Nxc1 Bb7 29. Rd7 Ba6 30. Kf2 h5 31. a3. This and White’s next move (instead of a3-a4) are both questionable, if not unhelpful. White ought, probably, to have played 31. Rc7 c5! 32. Rxc5 Rc8 with equality. 31. ... c5 32. Ke3 c4 33. b4. 33. Rc7 still looks rather drawish. 33. ... Bb5 34. Rb7 Bc6. 34. ... a6! followed by either ... Ra8-d8 or ... Ra8-c8 would have put White’s defence seriously to the test. 35. Rc7 Bxg2 36. Rxc4 Bf1 37. Rc7 a5 38. Kf2 axb4

39. axb4. 39. Kxf1 bxa3 40. Rc2 Rb8 41. Nd3 g5!?∞ is as much unclear as it is drawish. 39. ... Bb5 40. Rb7 Bc4 41. Rc7 Bb5 42. Rb7 Ra1. 42. ... Ba6 43. Rc7 Rb8 was an imperative must, as the Rook ending is much too likely to end as a draw. 43. Rxb5 Rxc1 44. Rb7 Rc2+ 45. Kf3 Rc3+ 46. Kg2 Kf6 47. b5 Rc5 48. b6 e5 49. Rc7 Rb5 50. fxe5+ Rxe5 51. b7 Rb5 52. Kf3 Rb4 53. Ke3 g5 54. Kd3 Kg6. 54. ... h4 55. gxh4 gxh4 56. Ke3= leads nowhere. 55. Kc3 Rb1 56. Kd4 f6. 56. ... h4 57. gxh4 gxh4 58. Ke5 h3 59. Rc3= also leads to a draw. 57. Kd5 Kf5 58. Kc6 Kg4 59. Rh7 f5 60. Rh8 Kxg3 61. Rxh5 Kf4 62. Rh1 Rxb7 63. Kxb7 g4 64. Rf1+ Ke4 65. Re1+ Kf3 66. Rf1+ Ke4 67. Re1+ Kf3 68. Rf1+ ½ : ½.

Goryachkina had to defend with patience and temper an uneasy ending against Muzychuk. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili.