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Gunay Vugar qizi Mammadzada – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
14th European Women’s Team Chess Championship; Terme Čatež, November 19, 2021
French Defence C07

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. Ngf3 cxd4 5. exd5 Qxd5 6. Bc4 Qd6 7. 0-0 Nf6 8. Nb3 Nc6 9. Nbxd4 Nxd4 10. Nxd4 Be7 11. c3 0-0 12. Qf3 Qc7 13. Bb3 a5 14. a4 Bd7 15. Re1 Qb6 16. Bf4TN (16. Bg5 Rfe8 17. Rab1 Rad8 18. Bc2 Nd5 19. h4 Bc6 20. Bxe7 Rxe7 21. Qg3 Red7 22. Re2 Nf6 23. Rbe1 h6 24. Qf4 Rd5 25. Qg3 Kh8 26. Bb3 R5d7 27. Re5 Rxd4 28. cxd4 Rxd4 29. R5e3 Qd8 30. Qh3 Nh5 31. g3 Nf6 32. Qf1 Ng4 33. Rc3 Qb6 34. Rd1 Rb4 35. Bc2 Rxb2 36. Qe2 f5 37. Rc4 Rb4 38. Rxb4 axb4 39. Bb3 Be4 40. a5 Qxa5 41. Bxe6 Ne5 42. Bb3 Kh7 43. h5 Qb6 44. Qa2 Nf3+ 45. Kf1 Nh2+ 46. Kg1 Nf3+ 47. Kf1 Nh2+ ½ : ½ Samusenko – Shimanov, 74th Russian Championship Higher League, Cheboksary 2021) 16. ... Rac8 17. Be5 Rfd8 18. Qh3 Ne8. Very interesting is the engines’ suggestion 18. ... Rc5 on which there can follow 19. Bc2!? (19. Qg3 Nh5=) 19. ... Qxb2 20. Bxf6 Bxf6 21. Qxh7+ Kf8 22. Nf5 Rxf5 23. Bxf5 Qxc3∞ with unclear play. 19. Re3 Bf6 20. f4 Bc6 21. Rf1 h6

22. f5!↑ Bd5 23. fxe6 Bxb3

24. Nxb3. An automatic move, which however may be a perceptible loss of time. Critical is 24. Bxf6 Nxf6 25. Rxf6! Bxe6 (the only move as 25. ... gxf6?? is demolished by 26. e7 Re8 27. Nf5+− and 25. ... fxe6?? by 26. Rg3!+−) 26. Nxe6 fxe6 27. Qxe6+ Qxe6 28. Rfxe6 simplifying to a Rooks ending a Pawn up — which indeed would be hardly winnable for White. 24. ... Qxb3 25. Bxf6 Nxf6 26. e7 Re8

27. Rxf6! Rc7! The best and only move, as Black could not play 27. ... gxf6?? because of 28. Rg3+ Kh7 29. Qf5+ followed by mate in two. On the other hand, if the Queen abandoned the diagonal a2-g8, White would just take the f7-Pawn with the Rook. 28. Rf1. If 28. Rxh6 Black replies 28. ... Qd1+ 29. Kf2 Qd2+ drawing by perpetual check. 28. ... Rcxe7 29. Rxe7 Rxe7 30. Qc8+ Kh7 31. Qf5+ g6 32. Qxa5 Qxb2. Now that the dust has settled, it seems that the time has come for a draw. 33. Qc5 Qe2 34. h3 Rd7 35. Qf8 Qe3+ 36. Kh1 Qe6 37. Qb4 Kg7 38. Qf4 h5 39. Qg3 Qe4 40. Qf4 Qe6 41. Qg3 Rd5 42. Qc7 Rd7 43. Qg3 Rd5 44. Qc7 Rd7 ½ : ½.

The ponytail challenge was a hard fought draw in forty-four moves. Photo: ECU Press.