Paratext

Anton Aleksandrovich Demchenko – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
27th Russian Team Chess Championship; Sochi, November 20, 2020
Queen’s Pawn Game D02

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bf4 c5 4. e3 Nc6 5. Nbd2 cxd4 6. exd4 Bf5 7. Bb5 e6 8. Ne5 Qb6 9. c4 dxc4 10. a4 (10. Bxc6+ bxc6 11. Ndxc4 Qa6 12. Qe2 Bb4+ 13. Bd2 Bxd2+ 14. Nxd2 Qb5 15. Nb3 0-0 16. Rc1 Rfc8 17. Rxc6 Qa4 18. Rxc8+ Rxc8 19. 0-0 Qxa2= Aronian – Inarkiev, 8th World Blitz Chess Championship, Moscow 2019) 10. ... Qxd4!? A new though natural move. A recent game continued instead 10. ... Bb4 11. 0-0 Bxd2?! (but better seems 11. ... 0-0 12. Ndxc4 Qxd4 with roughly even chances) 12. Qxd2 0-0 13. Bxc6 bxc6 14. Nxc4 Qa6 15. Rfc1 leaving Black with many weaknesses, Ushenina – Kosteniuk, 1st Online Women’s Speed Chess Championship Final, chess.com, July 20, 2020, match game 18 (time control: 3 minutes plus 1 second per move).

11. Nxc6 Qxf4 12. g3 Qc7 13. Nd4+ Nd7 14. Nxf5 exf5 15. Qe2+ Be7 16. 0-0 a6 17. Bxc4. 17. Bxd7+ Qxd7 18. Nxc4 Qe6 19. Rfe1! 0-0! 20. Qxe6 fxe6 21. Rxe6 Bf6 does not seem to offer more than a finely balanced game. 17. ... Ne5 18. Rac1 Nxc4 19. Nxc4 0-0 20. a5 Bg5 21. f4 Qe7. The Rook endgame a Pawn up resulting from 21. ... Be7 22. Nb6 Bc5+ 23. Kh1 Qc6+ 24. Qg2 Qxg2+ 25. Kxg2 Bxb6 26. axb6 Rfc8 27. Rfd1 Kf8 28. Rxc8+ Rxc8 does not promise much more, as after 29. Rd7 Rc2+ 30. Kg1! Rxb2 31. Rxb7 a draw seems most likely. 22. Qxe7 Bxe7

23. Nb6 Rad8 24. Rc7 Bf6 25. b4 Rd2 26. Rxb7 (26. Nd7 Bd4+ 27. Kh1 Rd8! 28. Rxb7 Bc3=) 26. ... Rfd8 27. Nc4 Re2 28. Ne5. Quite justly White sacrifices a Pawn to give way to a very drawish four-Rook endgame. 28. ... Bxe5 29. fxe5 g6 30. Rf2. Otherwise Black doubles Rooks on the second rank. 30. ... Rxe5 31. g4! Rdd5 32. Ra7 Re6 33. gxf5 gxf5 34. Rb7 Kg7 35. Rc2 Kg6 36. Kf2 Rd4 37. Ra2 Rdd6 38. b5 axb5 39. Rxb5 Kf6 40. Rb4 Ra6 41. Rb5 Rad6 42. Rb4 Ra6 43. Rb5 ½ : ½.