Indian Nocturne

朱锦尔 (Zhū Jǐn’ěr) – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2022–23; 3rd stage; New Delhi, March 26, 2023
Spanish Game C67

The 3rd stage of FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2022–23 would be a psychodrama worth a Bollywood movie, if it weren’t a serious matter. In any case, it is a kind of “world record” that four players eligible to participate withdrew before the tournament began!

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. 0-0 Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. Nc3 Ke8 10. h3 h5 11. Bf4 Be7 12. Rad1 Nh4 13. Nd4 Nf5 14. Nce2 g5 15. Bh2 Rh6 16. Rfe1. If 16. Nxf5 then 16. ... Bxf5 17. Nd4 Bd7 18. f4 gxf4 19. Bxf4 Rg6 20. e6 Bxe6 21. Nxe6 fxe6 22. Bxc7 Rc8 23. Be5 Rd8 24. Rxd8+ Bxd8 25. Bd4 a6 26. Bc5 Be7 27. Bxe7 Kxe7 28. Rf4 Rg5 29. Kf2 Rb5 30. b3 Ra5 31. a4 Rc5 32. Rc4 Rf5+ 33. Ke3 Re5+ 34. Re4 Rg5 35. g4 hxg4 36. hxg4 Kf6 37. Rf4+ Ke7 38. Kf3 e5 39. Re4 Ke6 40. Re2 Rg7 41. Rg2 a5 42. Ke4 Rg5 43. Kf3 ½ : ½ A. O. Muzychuk – Goryachkina, 14th European Women’s Team Chess Championship, Terme Čatež 2021.
16. ... Bd8 17. Rd2 Nxd4 18. Nxd4 c5 19. Nb5 Be6 20. Nc3 Be7 21. Nb5 Bd8 22. f4 gxf4 23. Bxf4 Rg6 24. Kh2 a6 25. Nc3 Be7 26. Nd5 Bxd5 27. Rxd5 Rd8 28. c4 c6 29. Rxd8+ Bxd8 30. Bg3 Bc7 31. Rf1 Ke7 32. Rf5 Rh6 33. Rf6 Rg6 34. b3 b5 35. Rf5 Rh6 36. Rf6 Rg6 37. Rf5 Rh6 38. Bf4. White disdains the draw by repetition — but after Black’s reply, her claim is or rather should be objectively baseless.

38. ... Ke6! 39. Rxf7 Kxf7? A careless response, which precipitates Black into a totally lost Bishop ending. The correct move was 39. ... Bxe5! 40. Rf8 Bxf4+ 41. Rxf4 h4 with a drawish Rook endgame.
40. Bxh6 Bxe5+ 41. g3 Kg6 (41. ... h4 42. Bf4+−)

42. Bf4! The win for White is due to Black’s doubled Pawns, which in fact make the position an ending where White is one Pawn up.
42. ... Bg7. After 42. ... Kf5 43. Bxe5 Kxe5 44. g4 h4 45. Kg2 Ke4 46. Kf2 Kf4 47. a3 Black will very soon end up in zugzwang.
43. Kg2 Kf5 44. Kf3 Bf8 45. g4+ hxg4+ 46. hxg4+ Ke6 47. Ke4 Be7 48. Bh6 Bd6 49. Bg7 Be7 50. Kf4 Kf7 51. Be5 Kg6 52. Ke4 Kg5 53. Kf3 Kg6 54. Bf4 Kf6 55. Ke4 Ke6 56. Bd2 Bd6 57. Bc3 Bc7 58. g5 Bh2 59. g6 Bg1

60. Kf4?? An incredible error, which throws away the win; for example: 60. Be5! Ke7 61. Kf5 Bd4 62. g7 Kf7 63. g8=Q+! Kxg8 64. Ke6 raiding Black’s Queenside Pawns.
60. ... bxc4 61. bxc4 Bd4! 62. Be1. Or 62. Bxd4 cxd4 63. c5 Kf6 64. Ke4 Kxg6 65. Kxd4 Kf6 with a draw.
62. ... Kf6 63. g7 ½ : ½.

As they say, the show must go on. Photo: Ismael Nieto/FIDE.