Hello, Goodbye

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)
Women’s World Chess Championship match game 12; Vladivostok, January 23, 2020
Queen’s Pawn Game D01

1. d4 d5 2. Nc3. Apparently, 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) just didn’t expect something like this. 2. ... Nf6. It took 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) about 20 minutes to make this obvious reply — and that could have been her crucial mistake! 3. Bf4 e6 4. Nb5 Na6 5. e3 Bb4+. Just about three years ago, at the Russian Team Blitz Championship, Goryachkina, with Black, preferred 5. ... c6 6. Nc3 Be7 7. Nf3 0-0 8. h3 c5 with fine play, Alekseenko – Goryachkina, Russian Team Blitz Championship, Sochi 2017. 6. c3 Be7 7. a4 0-0 8. Bd3 c6 9. Na3 c5 10. Nf3 Ne4 11. h3 f5 12. Nb5 c4 13. Bxe4 fxe4 14. Ne5 Nb8 15. 0-0 a6 16. Na3 Nd7 17. Nc2 Qe8. Objectively speaking, White got nothing out of the opening. 18. f3 Nxe5 19. Bxe5 Bd7 20. Ne1 Qh5 21. Kh2 exf3 22. Nxf3 Be8 23. Qe1 Qg6 24. Bf4 Qe4 25. a5 h6 26. Nd2 Qh7 [26. ... Qd3!? 27. Nf3!? (27. e4 dxe4 28. Qxe4 Qxe4 29. Nxe4 Bc6=) 27. ... Qh7 28. Qg3 Qg6=]

27. e4! Finally, as the clock tickles by, Goryachkina uncovers her cards, which is enough to upset her opponent: “After 27. e4 I began to go astray, and things got worse and worse till the point of no return was passed”, 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) said afterwards. 27. ... dxe4 28. Be5 (28. Nxe4? g5!) 28. ... Rc8. 28. ... Rxf1 29. Nxf1 Qg6 was probably safer and a little more comfortable. 29. Rxf8+ Bxf8 30. Qe2 e3? 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)’s position falls apart under time pressure. Probably best was 30. ... Bc6 31. Nxc4 Qg6 32. Rf1 Be7 32. Ne3⩲ with an edge for White, but quite a solid position for Black. 31. Nxc4 Bb5 32. b3 Qe4 33. Rf1 Qc6 34. Qxe3 Qe8 (34. ... Bxc4 35. bxc4 Qxc4 36. Qf3+−) 35. Qe2 Qg6 36. Rf3 Kh7 37. Qf2 Bc6 38. Rg3 Qf5 39. Qe2 Rd8 40. Ne3 Qf7. Black has reached time control in a hopless situation, both positionally and materially, and Goryachkina can now mercilessly play her cat and mouse game: 41. Qd3+ g6 42. Rg4 Bg7 43. Bxg7 Kxg7 44. Nc4 Bb5 45. Qg3 Bxc4 46. bxc4 Rd7 47. Re4 Qf6 48. Qe3 Rd6 49. c5 Rc6 50. Kg1 Qf5 51. Rf4 Qg5 52. h4 Qe7 53. Qe5+ Kg8 54. Rf6 Kh7 55. h5 gxh5 56. Qf4 e5 57. Qxh6+ Kg8 58. Qg6+ Kh8 59. Qxh5+ Kg8 60. Qg5+ 1 : 0. Goryachkina did it her way and succeeded in taking the match to the tie-breaker tomorrow.

“Well, I was not ready to say goodbye today, so see you tomorrow”, Goryachkina finally said. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili/Russian Chess Federation.