Caught in the Middle

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Alexey Vasilyevich Sarana
23rd European Individual Chess Championship; Vrnjačka Banja, March 5, 2023
English Opening A38

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 c5 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 g6 5. Bg2 Bg7 6. d4 cxd4 7. Nxd4

7. ... h5 8. Nf3 d6 9. 0-0 Bd7 10. Bg5 Rc8 11. Rc1. Mutatis mutandis, the position has transposed into a KID (E60).
11. ... Qa5. This improves on a game H. H. Stefánsson – J. V. Gunnarsson, 46th Icelandic Team Chess Championship, Reykjavík 2021, which White won after 11. ... a6 13. Rfd1 Be6 14. b3 b5? (⌓ 14. ... Qa5) 15. cxb5 axb5 16. Bxf6 Bxf6 17. Nxb5 Qb6 18. Nc3 Nb4 19. Nd4 Bxd4 20. Qxd4 Qa5 21. Qd2 Qa3 22. Nb5 Qa5 23. Nd4 Bd7 24. a3 Rxc1 25. Qxc1 Na6 26. Qb2 Rc8 27. Rc1 Rxc1+ 28. Qxc1 Qb6 29. Qc4 Nc7 30. Nc6 e6 31. Qb4 Qxb4 32. Nxb4 Nb5 33. Nc2 Kf8 34. a4 Nc3 35. Kf1 d5 36. Ke1 Ke7 37. Kd2 Na2 38. e4 Kd6 39. exd5 exd5 40. a5 Kc5 41. b4+ Nxb4 42. Nxb4 Kxb4 43. Bxd5 1 : 0.
12. Qd2 Bf5 13. b3 Ne4 14. Nxe4 Bxe4 15. Qe3 Bxf3 16. Bxf3 0-0

17. Qd2 Qxd2 18. Bxd2 Nd4 19. Kg2 Nxf3 20. Kxf3 f5 21. Rfd1 Rc6 22. Be3 Rfc8

23. c5. Goryachkina is careful to steer the game towards a draw. 23. Bxa7 is unnecessarily risky for White, although after 23. ... b6 24. b4 (the only move, but a sufficient one) 24. ... Rxc4 25. Rxc4 Rxc4 26. Bxb6 Rxb4 Black’s chances to play for more than a draw would be quite unrealistic.
23. ... a6. If 23. ... dxc5 then 24. Rd7 and White recovers the Pawn with equality.
24. cxd6 exd6 25. Rxc6 Rxc6 26. Bf4 ½ : ½.