Riding the Wave

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
70th Russian Women’s Chess Championship Superfinal; Moscow, December 10, 2020
Bishop’s Opening C28

1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d3 Nc6 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Ne2 d5 6. exd5 Nxd5 7. 0-0 Be6 8. Bxd5 Bxd5 9. f4 f6. If 9. ... 0-0 then 10. f5 f6 11. Nxd5 Qxd5 12. Ng3 Rf7 13. Ne4 Bf8 14. Be3 b6 15. Qh5⩲ Kosteniuk – Shchekachev, 4th Russian Cup, Moscow 2000. 10. fxe5 Nxe5 11. Nxd5 Qxd5 12. c3 Bd6 13. Nf4 Qf7 14. d4 0-0-0 15. b4!? A novelty which does not change the theoretical assessment, the reference matrix being 15. Qa4 a6 16. Qb3 Qxb3 17. axb3 Ng6 18. Nxg6 hxg6 19. Bf4 Bxf4 20. Rxf4 Rde8 21. h3 g5 22. Rf5 Re2 23. Rf2 Rhe8 24. Raf1 Kd7 25. Rxe2 Rxe2 26. Rf2 Re1+ 27. Rf1 Re2 28. Rf2 Re1+ 29. Rf1 Rxf1+ 30. Kxf1 Ke6 31. Ke2 Kf5 32. Kf3 a5 33. c4 b6 34. Ke3 Ke6 ½ : ½ Adhiban – Giri, 79th Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2017. 15. ... Ng6 16. Qg4+ Qd7 17. Qxd7+ Rxd7 18. Nh5 Re8 19. Bd2

19. ... Re4. 19. ... Re2 20. Rad1 Rde7 21. g3 Nf8 22. Rf2 R2e4 is quite balanced as well. 20. g3 Bf8 21. Rae1 Rde7 22. Rxe4 Rxe4 23. Kf2 Nh8 24. Kf3 Re6 25. Nf4 Ra6 26. Ra1 b5 27. Ke4 Nf7 28. Kd3 Kd7 29. a3 Nd6 30. Bc1 c6 31. Ra2 Be7 32. Re2 Nc4 33. h4 Ra4 34. Ne6 g6 35. Nc5+ Bxc5 36. bxc5 h5 37. Rf2 Ke6 38. Re2+ Kd7 39. Rf2 Ke6 40. Re2+ ½ : ½.

The derby between Alexandra and Aleksandra ended in a draw, which must have made Goryachkina quite unhappy because she found it impossible to follow Polina Sergeevna Shuvalova’s rhythm of success. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili/Russian Chess Federation.