Hiding in the Open

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Eytan Rozen
23rd European Individual Chess Championship; Vrnjačka Banja, March 7, 2023
Semi-Slav Defence D46

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6 7. Bd3 0-0 8. 0-0 dxc4 9. Bxc4 e5 10. h3 Qe7 11. a3 a5 12. Bb3. One might argue, at least from a dogmatic perspective, that the Bishop stood best at a2.
12. ... b5. Flashes through the mirror: 12. ... Bc7 13. Bd2 h6 14. Nh4 Rd8 15. Nf5 Qf8 16. Rad1 exd4 17. exd4 Nb6 18. Rfe1 Bxf5 19. Qxf5 Qd6 20. Ne4 Qh2+ 21. Kf1 Nfd5 22. Qf3 Re8 23. Ng3 Re6 24. Rxe6 fxe6 25. Qg4 Kh8 26. Nh5 Rg8 27. Qg6 Ne7 28. Qxe6 Nbd5 29. Qg4 g6 30. Ng3 Nf5 31. Bxd5 Nxg3+ 32. fxg3 cxd5 33. Bxh6 Bxg3 34. Qf3 Kh7 35. Qf7+ Kxh6 36. Qxg8 Qh1+ 37. Ke2 Qxg2+ 38. Kd3 Qf3+ 39. Kc2 Qe4+ 40. Rd3 Qe2+ 41. Rd2 Qe4+ 42. Rd3 Qe2+ ½ : ½ Krykun – Goryachkina, 19th European Individual Chess Championship, Batumi 2018.
13. Rd1 Rb8 14. e4 c5 15. Nh4!? Goryachkina comes up with an interesting innovation. That being said, also 15. dxc5 Nxc5 16. Nd5 Nxd5 17. Bxd5 gave White an edge in Kuljašević – S. Kuipers, 21st Hoogeveen Open, Hoogeveen 2017.
15. ... g6 16. dxc5 Nxc5 17. Bg5

17. ... Nxb3. A move hard to resist, but 17. ... Bb7 18. Nd5 Bxd5 19. Bxd5 Ne6 would probably have been Black’s safest course.
18. Qxb3 Be6 19. Nd5 Bxd5 20. Rxd5 Qe6 21. Bxf6 Qxf6 22. Nf3 Rfc8 23. Rxb5 Rxb5 24. Qxb5 Rc2 25. Qb3 Re2? And here is Black’s point, which is as consistent as it is inapposite.

26. Re1? However, cautious as usual, Goryachkina contents herself with the symbolic advantage of a meaningless extra Pawn. Much stronger was 26. Rc1! (threatening to invade on c6) 26. ... Bf8 (26. ... Rxe4?? 27. Rc6+−) 27. Qb5 (or, following the engines, 27. Qb7! threatening to trap the Rook with Kg1-f1) 27. ... Rxe4 28. Qxa5 with a much better endgame than she actually obtained.
26. ... Rxe1+ 27. Nxe1 Bc5 28. Nf3 Bd4!

29. Nxd4. By this exchange White gives up her dreams of glory, but it seems a fact that sooner or later such a move was likely to come.
29. ... exd4. In spite of White’s extra Pawn, the Queen ending is certainly not lost for Black. Such was the disappointment that it took another thirty and more moves for Goryachkina to acknowledge the inevitable draw:
30. Qd5 Qb6. Or 30. ... d3 31. e5 Qg5 32. Qxd3 Qc1+ 33. Kh2 Qxa3 with more or less the same ending as in the text.
31. b3 Qc7 32. Qxd4 Qc1+ 33. Kh2 Qxa3 34. Qc4 Qb2 35. Kg3 Kg7 36. Kf3 Qd2 37. g3 h5 38. h4 Qd1+ 39. Ke3 Qe1+ 40. Qe2 Qc3+ 41. Qd3 Qe1+ 42. Kf3 Qb4 43. Qc2 Qe1 44. Kf4 Qb4 45. Ke3 Qb6+ 46. Ke2 Qd4 47. Qd3 Qb4 48. Qc2 Qd4 49. f4 Qg1 50. Qc3+ Kg8 51. e5 Qg2+ 52. Kd1 Qf1+ 53. Kc2 Qg2+ 54. Kb1 Qf2 55. Ka1 Qg2 56. Qe3 Kg7 57. Kb1 Kh7 58. Kc1 Kg7 59. Qc3 Kg8 60. Qd3 Qg1+ 61. Kc2 Qf2+ 62. Kc1 Qe1+ 63. Kb2 Qf2+ 64. Kc1 ½ : ½.