Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Tatyana Anatolyevna Getman
70th Russian Women’s Chess Championship Superfinal; Moscow, December 16, 2020
Queen’s Gambit Declined D31

Finally, what was predictable happened. While Goryachkina wrapped the much less rated Getman in her black widow’s web, Polina Sergeevna Shuvalova contented herself with a draw against last year’s Russian Women’s Champion Olga Alexandrovna Girya. That only means that a tie-breaker is needed to decide the issue. 1. c4 e6 2. Nc3 d5 3. d4 Bb4 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bf4 c6 6. e3 Ne7 7. Qb3 Bd6 8. Bxd6 Qxd6 9. Bd3 0-0. Theory also gives 9. ... b6 10. Nf3 Ba6 11. Bxa6 Nxa6 12. 0-0 0-0 13. Rac1 Nc7 14. Rfe1 Ne6 15. Qa4 Rac8 16. b4 Rc7 17. Rc2 Rfc8 18. Rec1 h6 19. Ne5 Nf5 20. Nd3 Ng5 21. Qb3 Ne6 22. Qb1 Qd8 23. a4 Qg5 24. Ne2 Nd6 25. Ne5 c5 26. Nf3 Qd8 27. dxc5 bxc5 28. b5 Nc4 29. Qa1 Rd7 30. Ne5 Nxe5 31. Qxe5 d4 32. exd4 Nxd4 33. Nxd4 Rxd4 34. h3 Rxa4 35. Rxc5 Rxc5 36. Rxc5 Rd4 37. Kh2 Rd7 38. Qf4 Qf8 39. Rc6 Qe7 40. Rc8+ Rd8 41. Qc7 ½ : ½ Navara – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 9th ČEZ CHESS TROPHY, Prague 2013, match game 2 10. Nf3 Nd7 11. 0-0 Nf6 12. Rac1 Ng6 13. h3 Re8 14. a3 Qe7 15. Qb4 Qxb4 16. axb4 a6 17. Nd2 Ne7 18. Nb3 Bf5 19. Be2 Nc8 20. g4 Be6 21. f3 Nd6 22. Kf2 Rad8 23. Nc5 Bc8 24. Bd3 Nd7 25. Rfe1 f5?! It feels a bit too committal, to say the least. 26. gxf5 Nxc5 27. bxc5 Nxf5 28. Bxf5 Bxf5 29. h4 Rf8 30. Rg1 Rf6 31. Rg3 Rd7 32. Ke2 Bg6

33. Rg5 h6 34. Re5. Goryachkina continues to rack up advantages free of any risks, in the best style of Karpov. 34. ... Kh7. 34. ... Rdf7 35. Rg1! doesn’t look any better. 35. Rg1 Bc2 36. Kd2 Bb3 37. f4 Bc4. Allowing the Knight to infiltrate through the Queenside, but on other moves White goes on with h4-h5 followed by Nc3-e2-g3-f5.

38. Na4 Bb5 39. Nb6 Rc7 40. Re8. Threatening h4-f5 followed by Nb6-c8-e7-g6.

40. ... Rf5? Black’s 40th move is a losing mistake. With 40. ... Rg6! 41. Rh8+ Kxh8 42. Rxg6 Bf1! Black could have still put up a fight. 41. Nc8+− Rh5 42. Ne7 g5 43. fxg5 hxg5 44. hxg5 Kg7 45. g6 Rh2+ 46. Kc3 Re2 47. Nf5+ 1 : 0.

As it was expected Goryachkina did not fail to take her place on the stage. Photo: Eteri Kunìblashvili/Russian Chess Federation.