Downtime

Gabriel Eduardi Sargissian – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
29th Russian Team Chess Championship; Sochi, May 5, 2022
q7/1p3kp1/2p1p1p1/2P1Q3/1P1P1PPP/6K1/8/8 w - - 1 45

Position after 44. ... Qd8-a8

The diagram shows that Goryachkina (Black) has paid a high price for the sake of a dubious theoretical consistency as she has now to defend a Queen ending a Pawn down — a task which would probably prove prohibitive after, say, 45. h5! (45. ... gxh5 46. f5!). Instead, the text gives Black a chance: 45. Qc7+ Kg8 46. Qa5 Qc8 47. Qa2. 47. Qa7 Qd8 48. Qxb7 Qxd4 49. Qxc6 Qc3+ 50. Qf3 Qxb4 should be a draw. 47. ... Qd7 48. Qc4 Kf8 49. Kf3

49. ... Qd8? A grave error, which in fact loses the game. 49. ... Ke7! would still have made a tough defence. 50. Qxe6 Qxh4 51. Kg2 Qd8 52. d5 g5 53. fxg5 Qxd5+ 54. Qxd5 cxd5 55. Kf3 Ke7 56. Ke3 Kd7 57. b5 1 : 0.

Like random bytes on the long and arduous way through the firewalls. Photo: Vladimir Leonidovich Barsky/Russian Chess Federation.