The Hours After

Andrey Evgenyevich Esipenko – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
74th Russian Chess Championship Superfinal; Ufa, October 13, 2021
Giuoco Piano C54

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 a6 (7. ... g5 8. Bg3 0-0 9. Bb3 a6 10. Nbd2 Ba7 11. Qe2 Nh5 12. h3 Ne7 13. Nh2 Nf4 14. Bxf4 gxf4 15. g3 Ng6 16. h4 Qf6 17. Qf3 Kh8 18. h5 Ne7 19. gxf4 Qxf4 20. Qxf4 exf4 21. Nhf3 b5 22. Rh4 Be6 23. Rxf4 Bxb3 24. axb3 f5 25. Kf1 Bb6 26. Re1 fxe4 27. Rxf8+ Rxf8 28. dxe4 d5 29. Kg2 Rg8+ 30. Kf1 Rf8 31. c4 dxe4 32. Rxe4 Ng8 33. cxb5 axb5 34. Re5 Nf6 35. Rxb5 ½ : ½ Kuipers – Esipenko, 81st Tata Steel Challengers Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2019) 8. Nbd2 Ba7 9. 0-0 Qe7 10. b4 g5 11. Bg3 Nh7 12. a4 h5 13. h4 g4 14. Ne1 Nf8. Targeting the h4-Pawn. 15. Nc2 Ng6 16. Ne3

16. ... Bxe3?! A new move which, however, can barely justify the time Goryachkina devoted to it. Of course it was not yet time for Black to take the Pawn with 16. ... Nxh4 because of 17. Nd5 Qd8 18. Nxc7+! with White on top. Indeed, the critical line to which theory refers is 16. ... Be6 17. b5 Nd8 18. d4 Nxh4 19. dxe5 dxe5 20. Bxe5 0-0 21. Bxe6? fxe6! 22. Bd4 c5 23. bxc6 Nxc6 24. Bxa7 Rxa7 25. Ndc4 Rd8 26. Qb3? (⌓ 26. Qe2 Qg5 27. Rfd1) 26. ... Raa8? (the mighty engines found an anything but obvious win for Black: 26. ... b5! 27.axb5 Nf3+! 28. gxf3 gxf3 29. Ng4! Re8! with irresistible attack) 27. Rfd1 Kh8 28. Rab1 Rxd1+ 29. Qxd1 Rd8 30. Qb3 Ng6 31. Rb2 Rd7 32. Nb6 Rd8 33. Nbc4 Rd7 34. Nb6 Rd8 35. Nbc4 Rd7 ½ : ½ Domínguez Pérez – Svidler, 9th Sinquefield Cup, Saint Louis 2021. 17. fxe3 Be6 18. d4 Bxc4 19. Nxc4 b6

20. b5. White probably pushed matters a little too hastily. There is more than one good move here — for instance: 20. Ra2 (intending to double Rooks on the f-file) 20. ... Nxh4 21. dxe5 Nxe5 22. Qd5 with great advantage to White. 20. ... axb5 21. axb5 Rxa1 22. Qxa1 Nd8 23. dxe5. Apparently Esipenko can find no way to breakthrough his opponent’s “Maginot Line”, even if now the only advantage he has is with time. 23. ... Nxe5 24. Nxe5 dxe5 25. Qa8? An adventure into a dead end. Better was 25. c4 f6 26. Rf5 Rh6= with more or less equality. 25. ... f6 26. Qc8

26. ... 0-0! Almost the only move — and indeed a good one! 27. Qf5 Qe8! With a few minutes left, Goryachkina cannot afford anything but right moves. Here for example 27. ... Qf7?? would prove irreparably wrong on account of 28. Bxe5! fxe5 29. Qg5+ Qg7 30. Rxf8+ Kxf8 31. Qxd8+ Kf7 32. Qxc7+ Kg8 33. Qxg7+ Kxg7 34. c4 with an elementary win. 28. Qc8 Qe7. Perhaps, with more time on the clock, Goryachkina would dare to play 28. ... Qf7! after which 29. Qf5? Nb7! followed by ... Nb7-d6 is very inadvisable, while either 29. Qa8 (29. ... Qd7) or 29. c4 (29. ... Ne6) would leave Black with the upper hand. 29. Qf5 Qe8 30. Qc8 Qe7 31. Qf5 ½ : ½.

As they say, winning is not always everything. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili/Russian Chess Federation.