Tomorrow’s Another Day

Maxim Sergeevich Matlakov – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
74th Russian Chess Championship Superfinal; Ufa, October 19, 2021
Spanish Game C65

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. c3 d5 6. exd5 Qxd5 7. Bc4 Qd6 8. Nbd2 (8. b4 Bb6 9. Nbd2 0-0 10. 0-0 Bg4 11. a4 a5 12. b5 e4 13. Nxe4 Nxe4 14. dxe4 Bxf3 15. Qxd6 cxd6 16. gxf3 Ne5 17. Bd5 Rac8 18. f4 Nd3 19. Bxb7 Rxc3 20. Bd2 Rc2 21. Be3 Bxe3 22. fxe3 Rb8 23. Bc6 Kf8 24. Rfd1 Rc3 25. Bd5 Ke7 26. Rd2 Nb4 27. Kf2 Rbc8 28. Rb1 Ra3 29. b6 Rxa4 30. b7 Rb8 31. Rd4 Nxd5 32. Rxd5 Rxe4 33. Rxa5 Kd7 34. Rf5 f6 35. Rfb5 Kc7 36. Rc1+ Kd7 37. h4 g6 38. Rb6 f5 39. h5 Re7 40. hxg6 hxg6 41. Rc8 Re8 42. Rxe8 Kxe8 43. Kg3 Ke7 44. Rb1 Ke6 45. Kf3 Kd7 46. Kg3 ½ : ½ A. O. Muzychuk – Goryachkina, 1st Women’s Chess World Cup, Krasnaya Polyana 2021, match game 1) 8. ... Bf5 9. b4 Bb6 10. Ng5 0-0 11. Nde4 Nxe4 12. dxe4 Qxd1+ 13. Kxd1 Bg4+ 14. Kc2!? A novelty which implies a Pawn sacrifice to open a line on the Kingside. A recent game continued — far less belligerently — 14. f3 Bd7 15. a4 h6 16. a5 hxg5 17. Bxg5 Bxa5 18. bxa5 b6 19. Bd5 Rac8 20. axb6 cxb6 21. h4 Rfe8 22. Bxc6 Rxc6 23. Rxa7 Be6 24. Ra3 b5 25. Ke2 Rec8 26. Bd2 Rd8 27. Rha1 Kh7 28. Ra8 Bc4+ 29. Ke1 Rd3 30. R1a6 Rxa6 31. Rxa6 b4 32. Rc6 bxc3 33. Rxc4 Rxd2 34. g4 Rh2 35. Rxc3 Rxh4 ½ : ½ Grandelius – Vidit, 2nd Prague International Chess Festival Masters Tournament, Prague 2020. 14. ... h6. 14. ... Bxf2?? 15. Rf1 is obviously a nonsense. 15. Nf3

15. ... Bxf3. Theoretically speaking, one can just wonder whether it is better to open the g-file (such as in the game) or the f-file (15. ... Bxf2). Further analysis and praxis are called for. 16. gxf3 Bxf2 17. Rf1 Bh4 18. a4 a5 19. b5 Nd8

20. f4! After nearly half an hour of profound meditation. 20. ... Re8 21. f5 b6 22. Rg1 Kf8 23. Be3 Nb7 24. Bd5 Rab8 25. Rg4 Bf6 26. Rd1 Red8 27. Rg2. Only three minutes left for White to reach time control, but a much easier game to play and a comfortable edge. 27. ... Ke7 28. Bc1 Bg5 29. Ba3+ Kf6 30. Rg4

30. ... Nd6? “I somehow managed to entangle my opponent in the opening. The result is a pretty strange position: Black has a sound extra Pawn for the endgame, but I have the Bishop pair. Although there are no direct threats, White can gradually strengthen his position, while Black has no counterplay”, Matlakov said afterwards. “Probably initially I could have played better, but because of the embarrassment of riches I strayed from the path and misplaced my pieces. I think Aleksandra Yuryevna mistakenly put her Knight on d6, as she should have rather moved it to c5 after 31. c4, in which case there was nothing clear for me to work on”. And so it follows that Goryachkina should have first played 30. ... Be3! with a view of eventually reserving the c5-square for the Knight. 31. c4 Be3 32. Bb2 Bc5 33. Bc3 Ne8 34. Be1 Ke7 35. Bc3 Bd6 36. Rdg1. Thus finally, the open g-file tells. 36. ... Bc5 37. R1g2 Bd6 38. Kb3 Rbc8 39. Bb7. Of course, there were other ways to win (for instance: 39. Rxg7! Nxg7 40. Rxg7 Rf8 41. Bd2+−), but White has clear ideas as to how to bring home the point. 39. ... Rb8 40. Bd5 Rdc8 41. Be1. Threatening 42. Rxg7! Nxg7 43. f6+! with a decoy. 41. ... Kf8 42. Bc6 Be7 43. Bxe8 Rxe8 44. Rxg7 Bf6. 44. ... Bg5 45. Rh7 (Δ h2-h4) is no better for Black (45. ... Kg8 46. Rxh6+−). 45. Rg8+ Ke7 46. Rxe8+ Rxe8 47. c5! Bg5 48. cxb6 cxb6 49. Bf2 Rb8 50. Bg1 Rd8 51. Bxb6 Rd3+ 52. Kc4 Rd1 53. Bxa5 Rd4+ 54. Kb3 Rxe4 55. Rc2 Re3+ 56. Rc3 1 : 0.

Whatever men and supermen may say, win or lose is part of everybody’s life. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili/Russian Chess Federation.