After Sunset

Olga Alexandrovna Girya – Polina Sergeevna Shuvalova
70th Russian Women’s Chess Championship Superfinal; Moscow, December 16, 2020
Queen’s Gambit Declined D44

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. e4 Bb4 6. Bxc4 Nxe4 7. 0-0 Nf6 8. Qa4+ Nc6 9. Ne5 Rb8 10. d5 exd5 11. Nxc6 bxc6

12. Nxd5 Nxd5 13. Qxc6+ Qd7 14. Qxd5. It was originally Fabiano Caruana who showed how this particular line should be handled by Black. Thus, if 14. Bxd5 then 14. ... 0-0 15. Qxd7 Bxd7 16. Be3 Bd6 17. b3 a5 18. Rfd1 a4 19. Rac1 axb3 20. axb3 Rfe8 21. h3 Be6 22. Bxe6 Rxe6 23. Bc5 Bxc5 24. Rxc5 g6 25. Rxc7 Rxb3 26. Rcd7 Rb8 27. Rd8+ Rxd8 28. Rxd8+ Kg7 ½ : ½ Aronian – Caruana, 6th Norway Chess, Stavanger 2018. 14. ... Qxd5. It may be a new move, but only from a formal perspective. A recent game went 14. ... 0-0 15. Qxd7 Bxd7 16. Rd1 Bg4 17. f3 Bc5+ 18. Kf1 Be6 19. Bxe6 fxe6 20. b3 Bd6 21. h3 Rf5 22. Bd2 Rd5 23. Be1 Bf4 24. g3 Bd6 25. f4 h5 26. h4 Kf7 27. Ke2 Rbb5 28. Kf3 Rf5 29. Rac1 e5 30. Rc4 exf4 31. gxf4 ½ : ½ Mamedyarov – Caruana, 45th SchachBundesliga, Berlin 2019. 15. Bxd5 0-0 16. Be3 Bd6 17. b3 a5. Caruana docet. 18. Rac1 Bd7 19. Rfd1 a4 20. bxa4 Bxa4 21. Rd4 Bd7 22. a4 Be6 23. Bxe6 fxe6 24. Re4 Rb2. The game is now equal, and justly ends in a draw.

25. g3 Ra2 26. Rcc4 e5 27. Kg2 Kf7 28. Rh4 Kg8 29. Rhg4 Kf7 30. Rh4 Kg8 31. Rhg4 Kf7 32. h4 Rb8 33. h5 Ra8 34. Bc5 Rf8 35. Kh3 g6 36. hxg6+ hxg6 37. Be3 Ra8 38. Kg2 Kf6 39. Kf3 Kf7 40. Rh4 Kg7 41. Kg2 Kf6 42. Rcg4 Kf5 43. Rg5+ Kf6 44. Rh6 Rg8 45. Rg4 Kf5 46. Kf3 Kf6 47. Rh7 Ra8 48. Bg5+ Ke6 49. Be3 Kf6 50. Rh6 Rg8 51. Rc4 Ra8 52. Rhh4 Kf7 53. Rhe4 Kf6 54. Kg4 Kf7 55. f4 exf4 56. Bxf4 Kg7 57. Red4 Ra3 58. Re4 Ra5 59. Bxd6 cxd6 60. Red4 Kh6 61. Kh3 ½ : ½.

If nothing else, Shuvalova did enough to get through to the tie-breaker against Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili/Russian Chess Federation.