In a Bind

Tornike Sanikidze – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
23rd European Individual Chess Championship; Vrnjačka Banja, March 8, 2023
Queen’s Gambit Declined D52

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 c6 5. Bg5 Nbd7 6. e3 Qa5 7. Nd2 dxc4 8. Bxf6 Nxf6 9. Nxc4 Qc7 10. Rc1 Bd6!? 11. f4!? 11. Nxd6+ Qxd6 12. Bc4 0-0 13. 0-0 e5 14. d5 Qb4 is nothing special for White, Kölle – Rogić, 7th Württemberg Chess Championship, Berlin 2022.
11. ... Be7! 12. Be2 0-0 13. 0-0 Rd8 14. Bf3. Latest theory gives 14. Qc2 Bd7 15. Ne4 Nxe4 16. Qxe4 c5 17. f5 Qc6 18. Qxc6 Bxc6 19. fxe6 fxe6 20. Bg4 Bd5 21. e4 Bxc4 22. Rxc4 cxd4 23. Bxe6+ Kh8 24. Rc7 Bf6 25. Rxb7 d3 26. Rd1 Bg5 27. Kf2 Rd6 28. Bd5 Rf8+ 29. Kg3 Bf4+ 30. Kh3 Rh6+ 31. Kg4 Rxh2 32. Bf7 Be5 33. Kf5 Bxb2 34. Rxd3 (34. Rxb2 Rxf7+ 35. Ke6 Kg8 36. Rb8+ Rf8 37. Rxf8+ Kxf8 38. Rxd3 Ke8=) 34. ... Rxg2 35. e5 g6+ 36. Ke6 Re2 37. Rd5 a6 38. a4 Kg7 39. Rc5?? (White ought to have played 39. Be8+ Kh6 40. Bf7 Rf2 41. Rdd7 Re2 42. Rd5 offering to repeat moves) 39. ... Bxe5 40. Be8+ Kh6 41. Kd7 Rxe8 0 : 1 Gukesh – Karthikeyan, 1st MPL Indian Chess Tour, 1st leg, chess24.com, April 3, 2022 (time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move).
14. ... Bd7 15. Ne5 Rac8 16. Qe2 c5 17. d5 exd5 18. Nxd5 Nxd5 19. Bxd5 Be8

20. Rcd1. 20. e4 Bf6= seems a little safer.
20. ... b5 21. b3 Bd6 22. Nf3? This allows Black to unleash her full dynamic potential. White’s best seems to be 22. Qf3 with chances for unclarity.

22. ... c4! 23. Be4 Bc5 24. Ne5? The White Knight keeps wandering restlessly and without peace, but also after 24. Kh1 c3 Black would have got very much the better game.
24. ... f6 25. Ng4 Bf7 26. Bb1 Qe7 27. Bf5 Rb8 28. bxc4 bxc4. Black stands much better because of her passed Pawn, the Bishop pair and two well-placed Rooks.
29. Qc2. White could save the Pawn by 29. Rde1, but not the game after 29. ... c3 30. Qc2 Kh8! (30. ... h5 is also good enough).
29. ... h5 30. Nf2 Qxe3 31. Kh1 Qxf4 32. Ne4 Rxd1 33. Qxd1 Qe5 34. Qd7 c3 35. h3 c2

36. Nxc5 Qxc5. There was an elegant win by 36. ... Qf4!, but Goryachkina’s move isn’t bad either.
37. Rc1 Qe3 38. Rxc2 Qe1+ 39. Kh2 Qe5+ 40. g3 g6 41. Rc7 Qe2+ 42. Kg1 Qe1+ 43. Kh2 Qf2+ 44. Kh1 Qxa2 45. Bc2 Re8 46. Kg1 a5 47. Kf2 a4 48. Rc3. If 48. Qxa4 then 48. ... Qe6! winning the Queen due to the mate threat.
48. ... Qa1 49. Rc8 Qe1+ 50. Kg2 Qe2+ 51. Kg1 Rxc8 52. Qxc8+ Kg7 0 : 1.

Relying on her solid positional foundations, Goryachkina obtained a convincing victory. Photo: European Chess Union.