Floating the White River

Vladimir Vasilyevich Fedoseev – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
74th Russian Chess Championship Superfinal; Ufa, October 18, 2021
English Opening A11

1. Nf3 d5 2. c4 c6 3. e3 Nf6 4. Qc2 g6 5. b3 Bg7 6. Bb2 0-0 7. d3 b6 8. Nbd2 Bb7 9. g3 Nbd7 10. Bg2 Re8 11. d4 c5 12. 0-0 cxd4 13. exd4 Rc8 14. Rac1 Rc7 15. Rfe1 Qa8 16. Ba3 dxc4 17. bxc4. Hanging Pawns can be a strength or a weakness, depending on the position. 17. ... e6 18. Qd1 Rcc8 19. Bb2 Nb8 20. Re3 Rcd8 21. Qe2 Nc6 22. Bh3 h6 23. Nb3 g5 24. Ne1?! A bit too passive. 24. Ne5! was a strategic imperative, forcing the trade of the Knights and thus changing the morphology of the position from that of a hanging Pawns formation to that of a dynamic isolani with c4-c5 coming soon. 24. ... h5! 25. f3 a5 26. Rd1?! White’s centre is creaking. But if 26. a4 Nb4 was not so unpleasant, it was certainly not pleasant either. 26. ... a4 27. Na1

27. ... Nh7. Goryachkina seems undecided whether to play hot or cool. Perhaps she should have attacked White’s hanging Pawns with 27. ... Na5! followed by ... Bc8-a6. 28. Nac2 Ne7 29. Ba3 Ng6 30. Red3 f5 31. f4 g4 32. Bg2 Nf6 33. Bxb7 Qxb7 34. Rb1 h4! Fast and furious. 35. Ng2 hxg3 36. hxg3 Ne4

Black has a dominant position, both strategically and dynamically. Fedoseev must try something. 37. Bc5 Rb8 38. Re3. If 38. Rxb6 then 38. ... Qc7 39. Rb5 e5! decisively breaking through White’s defences. 38. ... Qc6. Probably simpler is 38. ... Nxc5 39. dxc5 Bf8 40. Rxb6 Qh7 with with great advantage to Black.

39. Rxe4! The best practical chance. White gives up the Exchange and manages to exchange Queens, weakening Black’s Pawns and taking a little relief. 39. ... Qxe4 40. Qxe4 fxe4 41. Bd6 Rbc8 (⌓ 41. ... Rbd8! 42. Rxb6 Ne7) 42. Nge3 Rc6 43. c5 bxc5 44. dxc5 Bf8 (44. ... Ne7) 45. Bxf8 (⌓ 45. Nc4) 45. ... Nxf8 (⌓ 45. ... Kxf8!) 46. Nxg4 Nh7 47. Rb7 (⌓ 47. Nd4 Rxc5 48. Rb7=) 47. ... Rxc5. Goryachkina has had enough and is content with a draw. With 47. ... Rd8! she might still insist on her goal. 48. Nh6+ Kh8 49. Nf7+ Kg8 50. Nh6+ ½ : ½.

Just like a High Noon showdown with no winner and no loser. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili/Russian Chess Federation.