Start at the End

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Arturs Neikšāns

2nd Grand Swiss Chess Tournament; Riga, November 6, 2021
Queen’s Indian Defence E12

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Ba6 5. Qc2 c5 6. d5! exd5 7. cxd5 Bb7. Aiming to win a Pawn similarly to the line 4. g3 Ba6 5. Qc2. In this case, however, the difference between 4. a3 and 4. g3 is important. 8. e4! Qe7 9. Bd3! Nxd5 10. 0-0. The most direct is 10. Bg5 Nf6? (⌓ 10. ... f6 11. 0-0 Nc7 transposes to the game mentioned in the next note) 11. Nc3 h6 12. Bf4 Nh5 13. Bc7 Bc6 14. 0-0-0 d6 15. Nb5 Qd7 16. e5 Bxb5 17. Bxb5 Qxb5 18. exd6 Be7 19. dxe7 Nd7 20. Qe4 Rc8 21. Qb7 1 : 0 Artemiev – Petrosyan, 15th Aeroflot Open, Moscow 2017. 10. ... Nc7

11. b4. The alternative 11. Bg5 f6 12. Be3 was the object of theoretical debate in a match between a titan and a comet: 12. ... Nc6 13. Nc3 Qe6 14. h3 Bd6 15. Rad1 Ne5 16. Be2 0-0 17. Nh4 Rfe8 18. f4 Nf7 19. Rfe1 Rad8 20. Bg4 Qe7 21. Nf5 Qf8 22. b4 cxb4 23. Nxd6 Nxd6 24. axb4 Bc6 25. Bf2 Kh8 26. Bh5 g6 27. Bg4 Ne6 28. Qd3 Nf7 29. b5 Ba8 30. Qd2 h5 31. Bf3 Rc8 32. Kh1 Kg8 33. Be3 Qe7 34. Qb2 Nd6 35. f5 Ng5 36. Qa2+ Kg7 37. Bxg5 fxg5 38. Qxa7 g4 39. Qxb6 gxf3 40. Rxd6 fxg2+ 41. Kg1 gxf5 42. Red1 Qe5 43. Rg6+ Kf8 44. Rf6+ Kg8 45. Rxf5 Qg7 46. Rxd7! Qxd7 47. Rg5+ Qg7 48. Rxg7+ Kxg7 49. Qd4+ Kh7 50. Qd7+ Kh6 51. Qd2+ Kg6 52. h4! Kh7 53. Qg5 Rf8 54. Qxh5+ Kg8 55. Qg6+ Kh8 56. Ne2 Rc2 57. Qh5+ Kg8 58. Qg5+ Kh7 59. Qe7+ Kg8 60. Nf4 Rc1+ 61. Kxg2 Re1 62. Kh2 Bxe4 63. Ng2 Rf2 64. Qd8+ Kh7 65. Qc7+ Kh8 66. Qb8+ Kh7 67. Qa7+ Kg6 68. h5+ Kh6 69. Qxf2 Rh1+ 70. Kxh1 Bf3 1 : 0 Stockfish – Leela Chess Zero, Top Chess Engine Championship Season 18 — Superfinal, tcec-chess.com, June 22, 2020, match game 24. Maybe infallible, but too inhuman for Goryachkina, who preferred a more traditional path. 11. ... Nc6 12. bxc5 Qxc5 13. Nc3 Ne6 14. Be3 Qd6!? And here comes the novelty, replacing the previously played 14. ... Qh5 15. Rfd1 Rc8? (⌓ 15. ... Bc5) 16. Bb5! Bc5 (16. ... Nb8 17. Qa4) 17. Rd5 Qg6 18. Rxd7! a6 19. Rxb7 axb5 20. Nd5 0-0 21. Bxc5 bxc5 22. Ne5 Ned4 23. Nxg6 Nxc2 24. Nde7+ Nxe7 25. Nxe7+ Kh8 26. Nxc8 Nxa1 27. Nd6 c4 28. Nxb5 h5 29. h4 Nb3 30. Nd6 f6 31. Nxc4 Nc5 32. Re7 Ra8 33. f3 Ra4 34. Nd6 Rxa3 35. Ne8 Nd3 36. Nxg7 Nf4 37. Ne8 Ra6 38. Rf7 Ra1+ 39. Kh2 Ra2 40. Nxf6 Rxg2+ 41. Kh1 1 : 0 Jussupow – Fries-Nielsen, 25th Chess Olympiad, Lucerne 1982. 15. Rfd1 Qb8. In terms of coordination and harmony, 15. ... Rd8 was in order here, and if 16. Ba6 then 16. ... Qb8 with a reasonable game. 16. Bc4 Be7 17. Nd5 Bd8 18. Rac1 0-0 19. a4 Bc7 20. h3 Bd6 21. Nh4 Bc5 22. Bxc5 bxc5 23. Rb1 Ned4? If he really wished to follow such an idea, then he should have moved the other Knight to d4. According to the engines, however, Black’s best is 23. ... Qd8 24. Nf5 (or 24. Rxb7 Qxh4 25. Rxd7 Ne5) 24. ... Rb8 25. Qc3 Ncd4 with chances to defend.

24. Qc3! Goryachkina now alternates threats on both wings in exemplary attacking style. 24. ... Qd8 25. Qg3! Rb8. 25. ... Qb8 loses material at least: 26. Rxb7! “and farewell king!”. 26. Nf5 g6. 26. ... Nxf5 27. exf5 Kh8 28. f6! is also crushing. 27. Nd6 Ba8 28. e5 Rxb1 29. Rxb1 Kg7 30. Rd1 Na5?!

31. Rxd4! cxd4 32. Nf5+ Kh8 33. Nf6! Rg8 (33. ... gxf5 34. Qh4+−) 34. Qh4 h5 35. Qg5 Qf8 36. Bxf7! Be4. Or 36. ... Qxf7 37. Qh6+ followed by mate. 37. Bxg6 Rxg6 38. Qxh5+ 1 : 0.

Goryachkina finally savoured her first victory in the all-gender Grand Swiss, she being the only woman in 108 starters. Photo: Anna Shtourman.