Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Humpy Koneru
1st Online Chess Olympiad Final India – Russia; Match 2; time control: 15 minutes plus 5 seconds per move; chess.com, August 30, 2020
Queen’s Gambit Declined D37
In the end, FIDE President Arkady Vladimirovich Dvorkovich made a Solomonic decision to make everyone equally happy, and both India e Russia were awarded the gold medal of the 1st Online Chess Olympiad. The decision was due to an Internet outage India suffered in the Match 2, which caused Divya Deshmukh and Nihal Sarin to lose on time.
1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. d4 Be7 5. Bf4 0-0 6. e3 b6 7. Bd3 Ba6 8. cxd5 Nxd5 9. Nxd5 Qxd5. 9. ... exd5 is vintage theory: 10. 0-0 Bxd3 11. Qxd3 Bd6 12. Ng5 g6 13. Nh3⩲ Ed. Lasker – A. van Foreest, Scheveningen 1913.
10. 0-0 Bxd3 11. Qxd3 c5 12. e4 Qb7 13. d5 exd5 14. exd5 Nd7 15. d6!? A very interesting novelty instead of 15. Rfe1 Rfe8 16. b3 Bf6 17. Rad1 b5 18. h4 h6 19. g4 Nf8? (Black should absolutely have sought counterplay with 19. ... c4! 20. bxc4 Nc5∞) 20. g5 hxg5 21. hxg5 Bb2 22. Be5! Ba3 (22. ... Bxe5 23. Nxe5 would give White a powerful Knight outpost at c6) 23. Nh4! Bb4 24. Re3 Qd7 25. Nf5 c4 26. bxc4 bxc4 27. Qc2 Bc5 28. Bxg7! Bxe3 (after this White’s attack triumphs) 29. fxe3 Ng6 30. Bc3 Nh4 31. Nh6+ Kf8 32. Qh7 Ke7 33. Bf6+ Kd6 34. Nxf7+ Kc5 35. Bd4+ Kb5 36. Rb1+ Ka5 37. Bc3+ Ka6 38. Qh6+ 1 : 0 Korobov – 余泱漪 (Yú Yāngyī), 5th World Rapid Chess Championship, Doha 2016.
15. ... Bf6 16. Ng5 Bxg5 17. Bxg5 Ne5 18. Qg3 f6 19. Bf4 Rfe8 20. Rad1 Qd7 21. Bxe5 Rxe5 22. Qb3+ Kh8 23. Rd2 Rae8 24. h3 h6? A horrible decision, at least from a positional standpoint. 24. ... g6 followed by ... Kh8-g7 would give a much better formation.
25. Rfd1 R8e6 26. Qf3 Re8 27. b3 Kg8 28. a4! a6? Is Koneru thinking about ... b6-b5? 28. ... Rd8(!) 29. Qd3 Qe6 was quite a solid option for Black.
29. Rd5 R5e6 30. Qd3. White could have played 30. a5! right now, without giving Black the opportunity to prevent it. In any event, after 30. a5! bxa5 31. Qd3 Qb5 32. Qf5 Qd7 33. Qc2 there arises a position similar to that in the game, which is clearly better for White.
30. ... Ra8? Good or bad, 30. ... a5 had to be played.
1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. d4 Be7 5. Bf4 0-0 6. e3 b6 7. Bd3 Ba6 8. cxd5 Nxd5 9. Nxd5 Qxd5. 9. ... exd5 is vintage theory: 10. 0-0 Bxd3 11. Qxd3 Bd6 12. Ng5 g6 13. Nh3⩲ Ed. Lasker – A. van Foreest, Scheveningen 1913.
10. 0-0 Bxd3 11. Qxd3 c5 12. e4 Qb7 13. d5 exd5 14. exd5 Nd7 15. d6!? A very interesting novelty instead of 15. Rfe1 Rfe8 16. b3 Bf6 17. Rad1 b5 18. h4 h6 19. g4 Nf8? (Black should absolutely have sought counterplay with 19. ... c4! 20. bxc4 Nc5∞) 20. g5 hxg5 21. hxg5 Bb2 22. Be5! Ba3 (22. ... Bxe5 23. Nxe5 would give White a powerful Knight outpost at c6) 23. Nh4! Bb4 24. Re3 Qd7 25. Nf5 c4 26. bxc4 bxc4 27. Qc2 Bc5 28. Bxg7! Bxe3 (after this White’s attack triumphs) 29. fxe3 Ng6 30. Bc3 Nh4 31. Nh6+ Kf8 32. Qh7 Ke7 33. Bf6+ Kd6 34. Nxf7+ Kc5 35. Bd4+ Kb5 36. Rb1+ Ka5 37. Bc3+ Ka6 38. Qh6+ 1 : 0 Korobov – 余泱漪 (Yú Yāngyī), 5th World Rapid Chess Championship, Doha 2016.
15. ... Bf6 16. Ng5 Bxg5 17. Bxg5 Ne5 18. Qg3 f6 19. Bf4 Rfe8 20. Rad1 Qd7 21. Bxe5 Rxe5 22. Qb3+ Kh8 23. Rd2 Rae8 24. h3 h6? A horrible decision, at least from a positional standpoint. 24. ... g6 followed by ... Kh8-g7 would give a much better formation.
25. Rfd1 R8e6 26. Qf3 Re8 27. b3 Kg8 28. a4! a6? Is Koneru thinking about ... b6-b5? 28. ... Rd8(!) 29. Qd3 Qe6 was quite a solid option for Black.
29. Rd5 R5e6 30. Qd3. White could have played 30. a5! right now, without giving Black the opportunity to prevent it. In any event, after 30. a5! bxa5 31. Qd3 Qb5 32. Qf5 Qd7 33. Qc2 there arises a position similar to that in the game, which is clearly better for White.
30. ... Ra8? Good or bad, 30. ... a5 had to be played.
31. a5! bxa5. If 31. ... Qc6 then 32. Qc4! b5 (Black can do nothing else than give up a Pawn against the double threat of d6-d7 and b3-b4) 33. Qxc5 Qxc5 34. Rxc5 with an easily won ending for White.
32. Rxc5 Rd8 33. Rd5 a4 34. bxa4 Qxa4 35. d7. Here 35. Qc3! would be very strong and probably a better preparation for what is going to follow, but now both opponents will repeatedly miss their best chances for happiness. Except for Black’s last mistake no punctuation is given:
35. ... Re7 (35. ... Qb4!)
36. g3 (36. Qc3!)
36. ... a5 (36. ... Qc6!)
37. Rd6 (37. Qc3!)
37. ... Qa2? Koneru misses her last chance to defend herself with 37. ... Qb4! — here is a sample line: 38. Qd5+ Kf8 39. Rd4 Re5 40. Qc5 Qc6 41. Rxf6+! Kg8 (41. ... Ke7? 42. Re6+!+−) 42. Rfd6 Qxc6 43. Rxc6 Kf7 44. Rc8 Ke7 45. Rc7 Re6 46. Ra7 Rd6 47. Rxd6 Kxd6 48. Rxa5 Rxd7 with a likely draw.
38. Qc3! Finally! In the throes of emotion, Goryachkina didn’t even notice that 38. Rc1! (followed by Rc1-c8) would have won on the spot.
38. ... Qf7 39. Qc7 Qf8 40. Qxa5 f5 41. Qd5+ Kh8 42. Qd4 Kh7 43. h4 f4 44. Qxf4. Another way was 44. g4 Qf7 45. h5 with a strategic zugzwang position, but Goryachkina feels confident enough to play the cat and mouse in a four-Rook endgame with two extra Pawns.
44. ... Qxf4 45. gxf4 Rf7 (45. ... Re4 46. R6d4+−)
46. R6d4 Kg8 47. Kg2 Kf8 48. Kg3 Ke7 49. Re4+ Kf8. Not 49. ... Kf6?? on account of 50. Rd6+ Kf5 51. Re5#.
50. Red4 Ke7 51. Kg4 Rf6 52. Re4+ Kf7 53. Re5 Rg6+ 54. Kf3 Rb6 55. Rd3 Rb7 56. Red5 Ke7 57. Kg4 Rb6 (57. ... Kf7 58. h5+−)
58. h5 (58. Re3+ Kf7 59. Rf5+ Rf6 60. Rd3 Ke6 61. Rxf6+ Kxf6 62. h5+−)
58. ... Kf7 59. Rf5+ Ke7 60. Re5+ Kf7 61. f5 Rb4+ 62. f4 Rb7 63. Red5 Rb1 64. Rd6 Rb5 65. R6d5 Rb6 66. Kf3 Rb7 67. Ke4 Rb4+ 68. R3d4 Rb6 69. Rd6 Rb5 70. R4d5 Rb4+ 71. Ke3 Rb3+ 72. Rd3 Rb5 73. R6d5 Rb6 74. Kf3 Rb1 75. Rd2 Rb3+ (75. ... Rh1 76. Ke4! Rxh5 77. Ke5+−)
76. Kg4 Rb6 77. Rd6 Rb5 78. R2d5 Rb1
32. Rxc5 Rd8 33. Rd5 a4 34. bxa4 Qxa4 35. d7. Here 35. Qc3! would be very strong and probably a better preparation for what is going to follow, but now both opponents will repeatedly miss their best chances for happiness. Except for Black’s last mistake no punctuation is given:
35. ... Re7 (35. ... Qb4!)
36. g3 (36. Qc3!)
36. ... a5 (36. ... Qc6!)
37. Rd6 (37. Qc3!)
37. ... Qa2? Koneru misses her last chance to defend herself with 37. ... Qb4! — here is a sample line: 38. Qd5+ Kf8 39. Rd4 Re5 40. Qc5 Qc6 41. Rxf6+! Kg8 (41. ... Ke7? 42. Re6+!+−) 42. Rfd6 Qxc6 43. Rxc6 Kf7 44. Rc8 Ke7 45. Rc7 Re6 46. Ra7 Rd6 47. Rxd6 Kxd6 48. Rxa5 Rxd7 with a likely draw.
38. Qc3! Finally! In the throes of emotion, Goryachkina didn’t even notice that 38. Rc1! (followed by Rc1-c8) would have won on the spot.
38. ... Qf7 39. Qc7 Qf8 40. Qxa5 f5 41. Qd5+ Kh8 42. Qd4 Kh7 43. h4 f4 44. Qxf4. Another way was 44. g4 Qf7 45. h5 with a strategic zugzwang position, but Goryachkina feels confident enough to play the cat and mouse in a four-Rook endgame with two extra Pawns.
44. ... Qxf4 45. gxf4 Rf7 (45. ... Re4 46. R6d4+−)
46. R6d4 Kg8 47. Kg2 Kf8 48. Kg3 Ke7 49. Re4+ Kf8. Not 49. ... Kf6?? on account of 50. Rd6+ Kf5 51. Re5#.
50. Red4 Ke7 51. Kg4 Rf6 52. Re4+ Kf7 53. Re5 Rg6+ 54. Kf3 Rb6 55. Rd3 Rb7 56. Red5 Ke7 57. Kg4 Rb6 (57. ... Kf7 58. h5+−)
58. h5 (58. Re3+ Kf7 59. Rf5+ Rf6 60. Rd3 Ke6 61. Rxf6+ Kxf6 62. h5+−)
58. ... Kf7 59. Rf5+ Ke7 60. Re5+ Kf7 61. f5 Rb4+ 62. f4 Rb7 63. Red5 Rb1 64. Rd6 Rb5 65. R6d5 Rb6 66. Kf3 Rb7 67. Ke4 Rb4+ 68. R3d4 Rb6 69. Rd6 Rb5 70. R4d5 Rb4+ 71. Ke3 Rb3+ 72. Rd3 Rb5 73. R6d5 Rb6 74. Kf3 Rb1 75. Rd2 Rb3+ (75. ... Rh1 76. Ke4! Rxh5 77. Ke5+−)
76. Kg4 Rb6 77. Rd6 Rb5 78. R2d5 Rb1
79. f6! Rg1+. Of course, neither 79. ... gxf6 80. Kf5 nor 79. ... g6 80. Re5 would make any difference.
80. Kf5 Rh1 81. fxg7 Rxh5+ 82. Kg4 Rh1 83. Rc6 Rg1+ 84. Kf5 Rxg7 85. Rxh6 Ke7 86. Re6+ Kf8 87. Rf6+ Kg8 88. Rg6 1 : 0.
80. Kf5 Rh1 81. fxg7 Rxh5+ 82. Kg4 Rh1 83. Rc6 Rg1+ 84. Kf5 Rxg7 85. Rxh6 Ke7 86. Re6+ Kf8 87. Rf6+ Kg8 88. Rg6 1 : 0.
Goryachkina at the Central House of Chess in Moscow, Russia, which hosted all the Russian team’s games. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili.
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GM Rafael Leitão attaches a question mark to 28. ... a6 (?) because “Esse lance enfraquece muito a posição das pretas” — see https://rafaelleitao.com/goryachkina-x-koneru-english/
ReplyDeleteThat is, "This move greatly weakens Black's position"
ReplyDelete