The Wall

Ilia Sergeevich Iljiushenok – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
27th Russian Team Chess Championship; Sochi, November 22, 2020
Spanish Game C65

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. Nbd2 Nd7 7. Nc4 f6 8. c3 Nf8!?TN (8. ... Nb6 9. Na5 Bd6 10. b4 c5 11. a3 0-0 12. Be3 Nd7 13. 0-0 b6 14. Nc4 Be7 15. d4 exd4 16. cxd4 cxb4 17. axb4 Kh8 18. Bd2 Nb8 19. d5 f5 20. exf5 Qxd5 21. Ne3 Qd3 ½ : ½ Anand – Giri, 82nd Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2020) 9. d4 exd4 10. cxd4 Be6 11. b3 Be7 12. 0-0 Ng6 13. Ne3 Qd7 14. Qc2 0-0 15. Rd1 Rad8 16. Bb2 Nf4 17. Nh4 Rfe8 18. Nhf5 Bf8 19. f3 Qf7 20. Bc3 Rd7 21. Re1 Red8 22. Rad1 Bxf5 23. Nxf5 Ne6 24. Qb2

24. ... a5 25. Bxa5 g6 26. Ne3 Rxd4 27. Rxd4 Nxd4 28. Bc3 c5 29. b4 b6

30. a4. If 30. Nd5 Black replies 30. ... c6 with equality, as the Pawn is taboo (31. Nxb6?? Qa7−+). If anything is to be suggested it may be 30. bxc5 Bxc5 31. Kh1 f5 32. Rd1 Ne6 33. Rxd8+ Nxd8 34. Qd2 with somewhat better prospects for White. 30. ... f5 31. exf5 gxf5 32. a5 Nb5 33. axb6 cxb6 34. bxc5 Nxc3 35. Qxc3 Bxc5 36. Kf1 Re8 37. Nc2 Rxe1+ 38. Nxe1 Qa2 39. Nd3 Qb1+ 40. Ke2 Qg1 41. Nxc5 Qxg2+ 42. Ke3 bxc5 43. Qe5. Of course the Black Queen check from g1 makes the c-Pawn untouchable. 43. ... Qg6 44. Kf2 Qb6 45. Qxf5 c4+ 46. Ke2 Qb2+ 47. Kd1 Qb3+ 48. Kc1 c3 49. Qg5+ Kf7 50. Qf5+ Ke8 51. Qe4+ Kf8 52. Qf5+ ½ : ½.

If one thing is certain, it is that no one will clear the way for Goryachkina as she keeps struggling — so far vainly — to breakthrough the 2600 Elo wall. Photo: Vladimir Leonidovich Barsky/Russian Chess Federation.