一對 (One Pair)

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)
Women’s World Chess Championship match game 1; 上海 (Shànghǎi), January 5, 2020
Catalan Opening E05

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. g3 0-0 6. Bg2 dxc4 7. Ne5 c5 8. dxc5 Qxd1+ 9. Nxd1 Bxc5 10. 0-0 Nc6 11. Bxc6 bxc6 12. Be3 Bb6 13. Bxb6 axb6 14. Nxc6!? Here is Goryachkina’s long-awaited novelty. So far the game had followed the footpath laid out by Anish Giri and Dmitry Olegovich Jakovenko: 14. Nc3 Bd7?! 15. Rfd1 Rfd8 16. Nxc4 b5 17. Ne5 Be8 18. Rxd8 Rxd8 19. Nd3!? Kf8?! 20. a4 bxa4 21. Rxa4 Nd7 22. Ra7 Rc8?! 23. Ne4 c5 24. Nd6 Rb8 25. Rc7! Ke7 26. Nb7 Kf6 27. b3 g5 28. f3! h6 29. Kf2 Ra8 30. Nd6 Ke7 31. Rc8 Rxc8 32. Nxc8+ Kd8 33. Nd6 Ke7 34. Nb7 Nb6 35. Nbxc5+− Giri – Jakovenko, 3rd 深圳龙岗 (Shēnzhèn Lónggǎng) Masters “读特杯” (“Dú Tè Cup”), 深圳 (Shēnzhèn) 2019. But, as four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) suggests in her commentary, after 14. Nc3 Black can reply 14. ... Nd5 15. Nxc4 (15. Nxc6 Nxc3 16. bxc3 Bb7) 15. ... Nxc3 16. bxc3 b5 17. Ne5 f6! Nxc6 Bd7 “with plenty of compensation for Black, as his Rooks can attack White’s isolanis on the semi-open a- and c-files”. 14. ... Bb7 15. Nb4 Nd5 16. Nxd5 Bxd5 17. Nc3 Bc6 18. Rfd1 Rfd8 19. f3 Kf8 20. Kf2 Ke7 21. Rxd8 Rxd8 22. Ke3 e5 23. Rd1 Ra8 24. a3 Ke6 25. Na2 Ba4 26. Rd2 f6 27. Kf2 Bc6 28. e4 g6 29. Ke3 f5 30. exf5+ gxf5 31. f4 h5 32. fxe5 Kxe5 33. Rd4 b5 34. Nc3 Ra7 35. Ne2 Be8. Maybe with some good reason, this move has been criticised as being a bit too passive. Whatever it is, 35. ... Be4 deserved consideration here; for instance: 36. Nf4 (both 36. Nc3 Bc6 and 36. Rd8 b4! 37. axb4 Rb7 seem likewise to tend to equality) 36. ... c3! with approximately even chances. 36. Rd8 Re7 37. Nf4 Kf6+ 38. Kd2 Re5 39. Nd5+ Kf7 40. Rd6 Bc6 41. Nf4 Bf3 42. h4 Bg4 43. Rd5 Kf6

44. Rxe5. Rather than maintain her status quo initiative by not exchanging Rooks, Goryachkina contented herself with a slightly easier Knight vs. Bishop endgame which, however, could hardly worry 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn). 44. ... Kxe5 45. Ke3 Bd1 46. Ng6+ Kf6 47. Nf8 Ke5 48. Nd7+ Ke6 49. Nb8. After 49. Nb6 Bg4! 50. Kd4 f4! 51. gxf4 Kf5 Black equally appears to come off with a draw. 49. ... Kd5 50. Na6 Ke5 51. Nb4 Bg4 52. Nc2 Bd1 53. Nd4 Ba4 54. Ne2 Bd1 55. Nd4 Ba4 56. Nc6+ Kd6 57. Nd8 Ke5 58. Nf7+ Ke6 59. Ng5+ Ke5 60. Nh3 Bd1 61. Nf4 Bg4 62. Ng2 Bd1 63. Ne1 Bg4 64. Nc2 Bd1 65. Nb4 Ba4 66. Na2 Bb3 67. Nc3 Ba4 68. Kf3 Kd4 69. Ke2 Kc5 70. Ke3. Perhaps Goryachkina had thought, if only for a moment, that 70. Nxa4+ bxa4 71. Ke3 would yield a win for White, but then after 71. ... c3! 72. bxc3 Kc4 Black draws in all variations. 70. ... Bc2 71. Ne2 Bd1 72. Nd4 Bg4 73. Nc2 Bd1 74. Nb4 Bg4 75. Na2 Bd1 76. Kd2 Bf3 77. Nc3 Bc6 78. Ke3 Bd7 79. Ne2 b4 80. axb4+ Kxb4 81. Kd2 Bc6 82. Nf4 Bf3 83. Ne6 Bg4 84. Kc2 Bf3 85. Nd4 Bg4 86. Kd2 Kc5 87. Ke3 Kd5 88. Nb5 Kc5 89. Nc3 Kb4 90. Kd4 Kb3 91. Nd5 Be2 92. Ne3 Bd3 93. Kc5 Be2 94. Kd5 Bd3 95. Kd4 Be2 96. Kc5 Bd3 97. Kd4 ½ : ½.

Much ado about nothing today at 上海市棋牌运动管理中心 (Shànghǎi Board and Card Games Administrative Centre). Photo: 张晓露 (Zhāng Xiǎolù).