White on Black

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Antoaneta Stefanova
1st Women’s Chess World Cup; match game 2; Krasnaya Polyana, July 23, 2021
Semi-Slav Defence D45

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 a6 5. e3 e6 6. b3 Bb4 7. Bd2 Nbd7 8. Bd3 0-0 9. 0-0 Bd6. It’s not the first time that Stefanova has reached such a position, in which her opponents continued with 10. Qc2 (Koneru – Stefanova, FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2015–16, 2nd stage, Tehran 2016 and Kashlinskaya – Stefanova, 2nd Women’s World Rapid Chess Championship, Khanty-Mansiysk 2014), 10. e4 (Dzagnidze – Stefanova, FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2013–14, 5th stage, Lopota 2014), and 10. Rc1 (Iturrizaga Bonelli – Stefanova, 3rd Indonesia Open Chess Championship, Jakarta 2013). 10. Re1 Re8 11. Qc2 h6 12. h3 b6!? 12. ... e5 is most usual here, after which could follow 13. cxd5 Nxd5 14. Nxd5 cxd5 15. dxe5 Nxe5 16. Nxe5 Bxe5 17. Bc3 Bxc3 18. Qxc3 Qg5 19. Kf1 Bf5 20. Bxf5 Qxf5 21. Rac1 Rac8 22. Qd2 Qe5 23. Kg1 g6 24. Red1 h5 25. a4 Rc6 26. Rxc6 bxc6 27. Rc1 Rb8 28. Rc3 c5 29. Rxc5 Rxb3 30. Qd1 Ra3 31. Rxd5 Qa1 32. Qxa1 Rxa1+ 33. Kh2 Rxa4 34. g4 hxg4 35. hxg4 Rxg4 ½ : ½ Sargissian – 卜祥志 (Bǔ Xiángzhì), 40th Chess Olympiad, Istanbul 2012. 13. Rad1 Qc7 14. e4 dxc4 15. bxc4 e5 16. dxe5 Nxe5 17. Nxe5 Bxe5 18. Ne2 Bd6 19. Be3 Nd7 20. f4 Bc5 21. Bxc5 Nxc5

22. e5 b5 23. Ng3 Nxd3? This dogmatic move gives shape and solidity to White’s initiative. Probably best was 23. ... Be6 24. Bf1⩲ with the edge still for White — but yet nothing definitive. 24. Rxd3 bxc4. Now 24. ... Be6 can be met by 25. c5! preparing for the attack.

25. Rde3! Qb6 (25. ... Be6 26. Nh5→) 26. Kh2 c5. Black cannot prevent her opponent from launching an overwhelming attack by Ng3-h5 followed by the transfer of the Rook along the third rank to g3. If 26. ... g6 there would follow 27. f5! with a breakthrough. 27. Nh5 Kh8 28. Rg3 Rg8 29. f5! Rb8. 29. ... Ra7 may be aesthetically more suitable, but then after 30. Qe4 White’s attack must succeed anyway.

30. e6! f6 (30. ... fxe6 31. f6!+−) 31. Qc1! (Δ Nh5xg7) 31. ... Qc7 32. Nxf6 Qxg3+ 33. Kxg3 gxf6+ 34. Kh2 Kh7 35. Qc3 Bb7 36. Re2 Rg5 37. Qxf6 Rbg8 38. g4 h5 39. e7 hxg4 40. Qxg5! 1 : 0.

Goryachkina won in grand style the return game with Stefanova to take the match to tomorrow’s tie-breaker. Photo © Anastasia Korolkova.