Blazing Saddles

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk
1st Women’s Chess World Cup; match game 1; Krasnaya Polyana, August 1, 2021
Catalan Opening E04

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4 5. Nf3 a6 6. 0-0 Nc6 7. Be3 Nd5 8. Qc1 Nxe3 (8. ... Bd7 9. Bg5 f6 10. e4 Ndb4 11. d5 fxg5 12. dxc6 Nxc6 13. Qxc4 g4 14. Nfd2 Bd6 15. h3 h5 16. Nc3 Ne5 17. Qe2 h4 18. f4 Bc5+ 19. Kh1 gxh3 20. Bf3 hxg3 21. fxe5 g2+ 22. Kh2 Qg5 23. Rf2 Qxe5+ 24. Kg1 Qg3 25. Bh5+ g6 26. Bxg6+ Kd8 0 : 1 Reinaldo Castiñeira – Morozevich, 4th A.D. San Juan International Tournament, Pamplona 2010) 9. Qxe3!?TN Be7 10. Rc1 0-0 11. Rxc4 Bd7 12. a3 a5 13. Nbd2 a4 14. Ne5 Na5 15. Rc2 Bb5 16. Re1 Ra6?! 17. h4! Rd6. It all feels a bit too artificial. 18. Qc3 c6 19. e3 f6 20. Nef3 e5!? Black offers a Pawn in the hope to gain scope for her two Bishops and a stairway to heaven for her passed c-Pawn.

21. b4! Just a little patience, as White cannot play 21. dxe5?? at once on accout of 21. ... Rd3 trapping the Queen. 21. ... axb3 22. Nxb3 Nxb3 23. Qxb3+ Kh8 24. a4 Ba6 25. dxe5. Finally cashing in. 25. ... Rd3 26. Rc3 Rxc3 27. Qxc3 fxe5 28. Qxe5 c5 29. h5 c4 30. h6 Bf6 31. hxg7+ Bxg7 32. Qh5 Qf6?! Offering the exchange of Queens with 32. ... Qe8 would have better served Black’s aims for compensation.

33. Ng5! Qxf2+ 34. Kh2 Qc2 (34. ... h6 35. Rf1+−) 35. e4 h6

36. Nf7+? After having done so much, Goryachkina stumbles at last on herself. 36. Rd1!+− would have been a worthy corollary of her attack, as Black has no good way to prevent Rd1-d6 followed by Rd6xh6+ with mate to come — if 36. ... c3 then 37. Qg6! hxg5 38. Rd7 with a mating finish. 36. ... Kg8 37. Qd5? And yet the engines still give a winning line for White: 37. Re2!! Qd1 (37. ... Qxa4 38. Rf2+−) 38. Bh3 Rxf7 39. Be6 Qf1 40. Rd2 Bd4!? 41. Qxf7+ (41. Rxd4?? Qf2+=) 41. ... Qxf7 42. Bxf7 Kxf7 43. Rxd4+− — but it was very hard to see for a human. 37. ... c3 38. Nxh6+ Kh7 39. Nf7 Qf2 40. Ng5+? Goryachkina unwisely keeps playing with fire. By now there was nothing better than 40. Qh5+ Kg8 41. Nh6+! Bxh6 42. Qxh6 with a likely perpetual. 40. ... Kg6! The time control move is also the best. Now the tables are dramatically turned. 41. Rh1 Qd4? Kosteniuk couldn’t believe her eyes and contented herself with little. 42. ... c2! would have put White on the ropes. 42. Nh3 Qxd5 43. exd5 Bh6 44. Re1 Bd3 45. Nf4+ Bxf4 46. gxf4 Rxf4 47. d6 Rxa4 48. Bxb7 Rd4 49. Kg3 Bf5 50. Bf3 c2 51. Rc1 Kf6 52. Kf2 Ke5

53. Ke3?? It is an inexplicable mistake for one who has the well-deserved reputation of being a superb technician. What is more disconcerting is that there was a dual saving solution: 53. d7! Rxd7 54. Bg4!= and 53. Ke1! Rxd6 54. Bd1!= in both cases forcing a book draw. 53. ... Rd3+ 54. Ke2 Rxd6 55. Ke1 Kd4 56. Bd1 Ke3! The only winning move. 57. Rxc2. If 57. Bxc2 then 59. ... Rg6! followed by mate in two. 57. ... Bxc2 58. Bxc2 Rd2 (58. ... Ra6−+) 59. Bf5 Rf2 60. Be6 Rf6 61. Bd5 Rd6 62. Bb3 Rb6 63. Bc2 Ra6 0 : 1. For after 64. Kf1 Ra1+ 65. Kg2 Ra2 it is all over.

After all, tomorrow is another day — Kosteniuk needs only a draw, while for Goryachkina is a “win or lose” game. Photo © Anastasia Korolkova.