Alice Without a Looking Glass

Vladislav Mikhailovich Artemiev – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
73rd Russian Chess Championship Higher League; Sochi, October 10, 2020
Semi-Slav Defence D30

1. c4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 Nf6 4. Qc2 e6 5. d4 Nbd7 6. b3 Bd6 7. Bb2. On 7. Nc3 Black can continue with 7. ... 0-0 8. Be2 b6 9. 0-0 Bb7 10. Bb2 Qe7 11. Rad1 h6 12. e4 Nxe4 13. Nxe4 dxe4 14. Qxe4 Nf6 15. Qh4 Rad8 16. Bd3 Ba3 17. Ba1 Bb4 18. Ne5 Rfe8 19. Bc2 Nd7 20. Qe4 f5 21. Qe2 Nxe5 22. Qxe5 Bd6 23. Qe2 Qg5 24. c5 bxc5 25. dxc5 Bxc5 26. Rxd8 Qxd8 27. Bxg7 Kxg7 28. Qe5+ Kf7 29. Qxc5 Qd5 30. b4 Qxc5 31. bxc5 Ba6 32. Rd1 Bc4 33. Rd7+ Re7 34. Rxe7+ Kxe7 35. a3 Kf6 36. f4 e5 37. g3 exf4 38. gxf4 Ke6 39. Kf2 Kd5 40. Ke3 Kxc5 41. Bxf5 Bf7 42. Bb1 Kd6 43. Ke4 Bg6+ 44. f5 Bf7 45. Bc2 ½ : ½ Esipenko – Goryachkina, 16th Aeroflot Open, Moscow 2018. 7. ... Qe7 8. Nbd2 h6 9. Ne5 0-0 10. Bd3 Ba3 11. Bxa3 Qxa3 12. f4 c5 13. 0-0 cxd4!? Of course, a significant improvement could be expected here from Goryachkina, because in a game played a few years ago, the careless 13. ... b6? culminated in a disaster for Black: 14. Nb1 Qa5? (14. ... Qa6 15. cxd5 b5 16. Nc3 is very bad too, but at least saves time) 15. Nc6 Qa6 16. cxd5 b5 17. dxe6 (17. Ne7+ Kh8 18. dxc5+−) 17. ... fxe6? (17. ... Qxc6 was best, though after 18. exd7 Bb7 19. e4 White must win anyway) 18. Ne7+ Kf7 19. Ng6 Rd8 20. dxc5 Nxc5 21. Qxc5 Rxd3 22. Ne5+ 1 : 0 Manigk – Gasik, 26th Czech Rapid G1, Pardubice 2015. 14. exd4 b6 15. cxd5 Nxe5 16. fxe5 Nxd5 17. Nc4 Qe7 18. Nd6 Nb4 19. Qd2 Nxd3 20. Qxd3 Bb7 21. Qg3 f5! With this freeing move, Black not only prevents Rf1-f6, but also induces her titled opponent to simplify to a drawish endgame. 22. exf6 Rxf6 23. Rxf6 Qxf6 24. Qe5 Bd5 25. Qxf6 gxf6 26. Rc1 Kg7 27. Rc8 a5 28. Rxa8 Bxa8 29. Kf2 Bd5 30. g4 Kf8 31. Ke3 Bc6

32. a4. 32. Nc4 b5! 33. Nxa5 Bd5 (White’s Knight is dominated) 34. a4 bxa4 35. bxa4 Ke7 36. Kd3 Bf3= draws as well. 32. ... Bd5 33. Nc4 Ke7 34. Kd3 Kd8 35. Nxb6 Bxb3 36. Nc4 Bxa4 37. Nxa5 Bd1 38. h3 h5 39. gxh5 Bxh5 40. Nb7+ Ke7 41. Ke3 e5 42. dxe5 ½ : ½.

Today, the top seed of the 73rd Russian Chess Championship Higher League — in fact a qualifier for the Superfinal — was held to a draw by two-time Russian Women’s Chess Champion. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili/Russian Chess Federation.