Geometrically speaking

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Bibisara Erkhanovna Assaubayeva
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2022–23; 3rd stage; New Delhi, March 29, 2023
Catalan Opening E04

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4 5. Nf3 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 a5 7. a3 Be7 8. Qa4+ Nbd7 (8. ... Bd7 9. Qxc4 Bc6 10. Nc3 0-0 11. Qd3 b6 12. 0-0 Bb7 13. Ne5 Bxg2 14. Kxg2 Nfd7 15. Qf3 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 Nxc5 26. Qxc7 Rc8 27. Rd1 f6 28. Rd8+ Rxd8 29. Qxd8+ Kf7 30. Qd5 Ke7 31. Qd4 h5 32. Nxa4 Nxe4 33. Nxb6 h4 34. Nd5+ Kf8 35. Nf4 h3+ 36. Nxh3 Qc6 37. f3 1 : 0 Goryachkina – Pähtz, 14th European Women’s Team Chess Championship, Terme Čatež 2021)
9. Qxc4 0-0 10. Qc2

10. ... c6?! This leads to a somewhat clumsy Queenside’s arrangement. 10. ... c5! was much more to the point.
11. 0-0 Ra6 12. Nc3 b5 13. Bg5 Bb7 14. Ne5 Nxe5 15. dxe5 Nd7 16. Bxe7 Qxe7

17. Nxb5! cxb5? Probably Assaubayeva didn’t like the look of her Queenside Pawns after 15. ... Nxe5 16. Nd4 Rc8 17. a4⩲/± — and probably rightly so — but allowing Goryachkina to secure a “zero risk” material advantage is a mission really impossible.
18. Bxb7 Rb6 19. Be4 g6 20. Qc7 Qd8 21. Qxd8 Rxd8 22. Rfd1 Rbb8 23. Bc6 Nxe5 24. Rxd8+ Rxd8 25. Bxb5. White eventually came out a Pawn ahead, which will be enough for her to make a win.
25. ... Rd5 26. a4 Rd4. Prevents b2-b4.
27. Rc1 Kg7 28. Rc7 g5 29. Ra7 Rb4 30. Rxa5 Rxb2 31. f3. Now Goryachkina provides a superb display of virtuoso technique.

31. ... h5 32. Ra7 h4 33. Kg2 hxg3 34. hxg3 Kf8 35. Kf2 Rb4 36. Rc7 f6 37. Ke3 Nf7 38. Rd7 g4 39. f4 e5 40. fxe5 Nxe5 41. Ra7 f5 42. Bd3 f4+ 43. gxf4 g3 44. Ra8+ Kg7 45. Rc8 Nxd3 46. exd3 g2 47. Rc1 Kf6 48. Rg1 Rb2 49. a5 Kf5 50. a6 Ra2 51. a7 Rxa7 52. Rxg2 Re7+ 53. Kf3 Re1 54. Rg5+ Kf6 55. Kf2 Re8 56. Ra5 Re7 57. Kf3 Re1 58. d4 Rf1+ 59. Ke4 Re1+ 60. Kd5 Rf1 61. Ra6+ Kf5 62. Ra8 Kf6 63. Kd6 Kf7 64. Ke5 Re1+ 65. Kf5 Rd1 66. Ra7+ Ke8 67. Ke5 Re1+ 68. Kf6 Re4 69. f5 Rxd4 70. Ra8+ 1 : 0.

Faithful to herself, Goryachkina showed at her best in a technical endgame. Photo: Ismael Nieto/FIDE.