The Longest Yard

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Sergei Andreevich Lobanov
27th Russian Team Chess Championship; Sochi, November 25, 2020
Queen’s Gambit Declined D37

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bf4 0-0 6. e3 Nbd7 7. Be2 dxc4 8. Bxc4 a6 9. a4 c5 10. 0-0 cxd4 11. Qxd4 Nb6 12. Bb3 Qxd4 13. Nxd4 Bd7 14. a5 Nbd5 15. Nxd5 Nxd5 16. Bxd5 exd5

17. Be5!? A novelty which does not bring anything new to theory. Another way to come to the same conclusion is 17. Bc7 Bf6 18. Bb6 Rac8 19. Rfc1 Rxc1+ 20. Rxc1 Rc8 21. Rxc8+ Bxc8 22. Kf1 Bxd4 23. Bxd4 f6 24. Ke2 Kf7 25. Kd3 Bd7 26. Bc5 Bc8 ½ : ½ Hübner – Jussupow, 1st Invitational Remco Heite Chess Tournament, Wolvega 2006. 17. ... f6 18. Bc7 Rac8 19. Rac1 Rfe8 20. h3 Bc6. Making the way for a completely drawn Rook endgame. 21. Nxc6 Rxc7 22. Nxe7+ Rexe7 23. Rfd1 Rxc1 24. Rxc1 Re4 25. Rd1 Rb4 26. Rxd5 Rxb2 27. Rd7 Rb5 28. g4 h5 29. gxh5 Rxh5 30. Rxb7 Rxa5 31. Ra7 Ra1+ 32. Kg2 a5 33. e4 a4 34. f4 a3 35. e5 fxe5 36. fxe5 Re1 37. Ra8+ Kf7 38. Ra7+ Kg6 39. Rxa3 Rxe5 40. Rb3 Rf5 41. Ra3 ½ : ½.

It feels like Goryachkina takes one step forward and two back (or sometimes two steps forward and one back) towards her goal (that is to say, the 2600 Elo barrier); and thus, in spite of her great talent, it might take her too much time to get close to her promised land. Photo: Vladimir Leonidovich Barsky/Russian Chess Federation.