Treasure hunting

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Elisabeth Pähtz
14th European Women’s Team Chess Championship; Terme Čatež, November 14, 2021
Bogo-Indian Defence E11

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 a5 5. g3 d5 6. Bg2 dxc4 7. a3 Be7 8. Qa4+ Bd7 9. Qxc4 Bc6 10. Nc3 0-0 11. Qd3. Not surprisingly at all, Goryachkina is at her ease in Karpov’s shoes: 11. 0-0 Nbd7 12. Qd3 b6 13. Rac1 Bb7 14. Bf4 c5 15. Rfd1 cxd4 16. Nxd4 Bxg2 17. Kxg2 Rc8 18. Ncb5 e5 19. Rxc8 Qxc8 20. Nf5 Bc5 21. Bg5 Qc6+ 22. f3 Qe6 23. Nc7 Qc6 24. Nd5 Qe6 25. e4 g6 26. Nfe3 Kg7 27. b4 axb4 28. axb4 Bd4 29. Nc2 Nxd5 30. exd5 Qxd5 31. Nxd4 exd4 32. Qxd4+ Qxd4 33. Rxd4 Ne5 34. Rd6 Nc4 35. Bf6+ Kg8 36. Rc6 b5 37. Rc5 Rb8 38. g4 h6 39. h4 Nd6 40. Rc6 Ne8 41. Be5 Rd8 42. Rc5 Rd2+ 43. Kg3 f6 44. Bf4 g5 45. Bxd2 1 : 0 Karpov – Édouard, 3rd Karpov Trophy Blitz, Cap d’Agde 2014 (time control: 3 minutes plus 2 seconds per move). 11. ... b6 12. 0-0 Bb7 13. Ne5 Bxg2. Perhaps 13. ... Qc8 might have been considered here, hoping for something better than what she’s going to get. 14. Kxg2 Nfd7 15. Qf3. Black now suffers some difficulty in finding a good place for her Queen’s Rook, to the detriment of her whole development.

15. ... Ra6 16. Rfd1 Qe8 17. Bf4 Bd6 18. Nxd7 Qxd7 19. Rac1 a4 20. e4 Bxf4 21. Qxf4 Ra5

22. d5! Na6 23. dxe6 Qxe6 24. Rd5 Rc5 25. Rxc5. Goryachkina goes in for the gain of a Pawn, which perhaps could be delayed in favour of a more consolidating policy: 25. Rcd1 with powerful advantage. 25. ... Nxc5 26. Qxc7 Rc8? This naïve mistake causes Black insurmountable problems. 26. ... f5! was better in order to seek compensation by opening the f-file.

27. Rd1! The threat of back rank mate makes the White Queen immune to capture as White takes command of the d-file with decisive effect. 27. ... f6 28. Rd8+ Rxd8 29. Qxd8+ Kf7 30. Qd5 Ke7. After 30. ... Qxd5 31. exd5 the Pawn down Knight ending is completely hopeless for Black. 31. Qd4 h5? This loses another Pawn, in an already lost position. 32. Nxa4 Nxe4 33. Nxb6 h4 34. Nd5+ Kf8 35. Nf4 h3+ 36. Nxh3 Qc6 37. f3 1 : 0.

And, who knows, maybe inspired by the high teaching of the Living Goddess, three-time Russian Women’s Chess Champion Goryachkina continues, slowly but inexorably, to pursue the mountain’s stony edge. Photo: ECU Press.