A Way to Wish

Yulia Nikolaevna Grigorieva – Polina Sergeevna Shuvalova
70th Russian Women’s Chess Championship Superfinal; Moscow, December 14, 2020
Queen’s Indian Defence E14

Shuvalova might well say with Shakespeare, “All’s well that ends well”, but her lucky escape, which was basically due to the lack of technique by her opponent, clearly indicates that she will need all her creativity and strength to fly on the final sprint. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. e3 Bb7 5. Nc3 d5 6. cxd5 exd5 7. g3 Bd6 8. Bg2 a6 9. 0-0 Nbd7 10. b3 0-0 11. Bb2 Qe7 12. Rc1 Rfe8 13. Ne1 Ne4 14. Nd3 Rad8!? A novelty in place of 14. ... g6 15. Qc2 Rac8 16. Nf4 Ndf6 17. Nce2 Ng4 18. Nc3 Ngf6 19. Nce2 Ng4 20. Nc3 Ngf6 ½ : ½ Ofitserian – Levin, 25th Chigorin Memorial, Saint Petersburg 2017. 15. Re1 g6 16. Qc2 Rc8 17. Qe2 h5 18. f4 c5 19. Nxe4 dxe4 20. Ne5 cxd4 21. exd4 Nf6 22. Rxc8 Rxc8 23. Bh3 Rc7 24. Rf1 Ba3

25. f5 Bxb2 26. Qxb2 gxf5. 26. ... g5! may be more effective at neutralising White’s attack. 27. Qd2. In turn, 27. Bxf5! Nd5! 28. Qf2 gives White strong attacking chances. 27. ... Nd5 28. Bxf5 (28. Qh6 Qf6=) 28. ... e3 29. Qd3 Qg5 30. Nf3 Qh6 31. Re1 Re7 (31. ... Qf6! 32. Ne5 Ne7) 32. Ne5 h4 33. Qe4 f6? Shuvalova’s nerves break. Both 33. ... hxg3 (34. Qg4+ Qg7) and 33. ... Qg5 seem to leave Black with a tenable game.

34. Be6+!+− Rxe6 35. Qg4+ Kh7 36. Qf5+! Kg7 37. Qxe6 fxe5 38. Qd7+ Kh8 39. Qxb7 Qf6 40. Qb8+ Kh7 41. Rf1 e2 42. Qb7+ Qg7 43. Qxg7+ Kxg7 44. Re1. White came out with the Exchange ahead in a clearly won endgame. 44. ... exd4 45. Rxe2 hxg3 46. hxg3 Kf6 47. Kg2 Nc3 48. Rd2 Ke5 49. Kf3 b5 50. g4 a5 51. g5 Kf5 52. Rxd4 Kxg5 53. a4 bxa4 54. bxa4 Kf5 55. Rc4 Nd5 56. Rc5 Ke5 57. Rxa5 Kd4 58. Rb5 Kc4 59. Rb8 Nb4

60. Ke4?? In such a position it was more difficult to draw than to win, and yet Grigorieva did it! Instead, 60. a5 was — among many others — a clear win (60. ... Nc6 61. a6!+−). 60. ... Na6!= 61. Ra8 Nc5+ 62. Ke5 Kb4 63. a5 Kb5 64. Ra7 Na6 65. Kd6 Nb4 66. Ra8 Na6 67. Kd7 Nc5+ 68. Kc8 Na6 69. Ra7 Nc5 70. Kb8 Na6+ 71. Ka8 Nc5 72. Rc7 Na6 73. Ra7 Nc5 74. Kb8 Na6+ 75. Kb7 Nc5+ 76. Kc7 Na6+ 77. Kd6 Nb4 78. Rb7+ Kxa5 79. Kc5 Na6+ 80. Kc4 Ka4 81. Rb6 Ka5 82. Rb5+ Ka4 83. Rb1 Ka5 84. Kd4 Nb4 85. Kc3 Na6 86. Kc4 Nc7 87. Rh1 Kb6 88. Rh7 Kc6 89. Rh6+ Kd7 90. Kc5 Ne6+ 91. Kd5 Nc7+ 92. Ke5 Nb5 93. Ra6 Nc7 94. Rb6 Ne8 95. Ke4 ½ : ½.

Thus, as effect of today’s results, the gap between Shuvalova and Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina remained much the same. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili/Russian Chess Federation.