A Theory of Semiotics

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Vladislav Mikhailovich Artemiev
27th Russian Team Chess Championship; Sochi, November 19, 2020
Grünfeld Defence D85

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Nf3 c5 8. Bb5+. Another continuation is 8. h3 0-0 9. Be3 e6 10. Be2 b6 11. h4 Bb7 12. e5 cxd4 13. cxd4 Nc6 14. h5 Qd5 15. hxg6 hxg6 16. Rc1 Rad8 17. Bc4 Qa5+ 18. Kf1 Nxe5 19. Nxe5 Bxe5 20. Bd2 Rxd4 21. Bxa5 Rxd1+ 22. Rxd1 bxa5 23. Rh3 Rc8 24. Bb3 Bc6 25. Re3 Bb5+ 26. Kg1 Rc5 27. a4 Bc6 28. Re2 Kf8 29. Rc2 Rxc2 30. Bxc2 Ke7 31. Bb3 Bc7 32. Rc1 Kd7 33. Rxc6 Kxc6 34. Bc4 Kc5 ½ : ½ Goryachkina – A. O. Muzychuk, Women’s Grand Prix 2019–2020, 2nd stage, Monte Carlo 2019. 8. ... Nc6 9. 0-0 0-0 10. Ba3 cxd4 11. Bxc6 bxc6 12. cxd4 Bg4 13. Bc5 Re8 14. Rb1 e5. The most usual is 14. ... Qd7, after which there could follow 15. Rb4 a5 16. Ra4 Qb7 17. h3 Bxf3 18. Qxf3 e5 19. Rc4 exd4 20. Bxd4 Bxd4 21. Rxd4 Qb2 22. Ra4 Red8 23. Qb3 ½ : ½ Smejkal – L. Portisch, Interzonal Tournament, Rio de Janeiro 1979. 15. dxe5 Qa5 16. Qc2 Bxf3 17. gxf3 Qd8!? A novelty which shouldn’t make too much difference with respect to 17. ... Bxe5 18. Rfd1 Qc7 19. h3 Bf4 20. Bd4 Be5 21. Be3 Bf4 22. Bd4 Be5 23. Be3 Bf4 24. Bd4 ½ : ½ Bogner – Karthik, 1st Josef Kupper Memorial, Zürich 2019. 18. Rfd1 Qg5+ 19. Kf1 Bxe5 20. Rb7 Rab8 21. Rdd7 Rxb7 22. Rxb7 Bxh2. 22. ... Qf6 23. Qb3 Bxh2 just transposes into the game.

23. Qb3. Goryachkina, perhaps, could aim for more with 23. Bd4, but then Black would give back his extra Pawn by 23. ... c5! in fact rejecting any of White’s claims. 23. ... Qf6 24. Bxa7 h5 25. Bd4 Be5. Clearly not 25. ... Qxd4?? on account of 26. Qxf7+ followed by mate next move. 26. Bxe5 Rxe5 27. Rb8+ Kg7 28. Qa3 (Δ 29. Qf8+ Kh7 30. Rb7+−) 28. ... c5 29. Qb2 h4 30. Ra8. The endgame is pretty equal, and Goryachkina has no difficulty in holding her own. 30. ... Kh6 31. Qb8 Rh5 32. Qf8+ Qg7 33. Qxg7+ Kxg7 34. Kg2 c4 35. Rc8 Ra5 36. Rxc4 Rxa2 37. e5 h3+ 38. Kxh3 Rxf2 39. Kg3 Re2 40. f4 Re1 ½ : ½.

Just like Beth, Goryachkina starts her Queen’s hunt all over again from a man’s world. Photo: Vladimir Leonidovich Barsky/Russian Chess Federation.