Two Swords

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Boris Abramovich Gelfand
23rd European Individual Chess Championship; Vrnjačka Banja, March 9, 2023
Semi-Slav Defence D43

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 c6 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bxf6 Qxf6 7. e3 Nd7 8. Be2 g6 9. 0-0 Qe7 10. e4 dxc4 11. e5 Bg7 12. Nd2 (12. Bxc4 0-0 13. Qe2 b5 14. Bd3 Rb8 15. Rac1 c5 16. Nxb5 Bb7 17. Nd2 cxd4 18. f4 Nc5 19. Nd6 Nxd3 20. Qxd3 Bd5 21. N2c4 f5 22. Qxd4 g5 23. b3 Kh7 24. Rc3 Rbd8 25. Rd1 Rd7 26. Qf2 Rfd8 27. Rcd3 Bc6 28. Rd4 Rf8 29. R1d3 Rc7 30. h3 h5 31. Qe2 gxf4 32. Qxh5+ Bh6 33. Rxf4 Rg8 34. Rf2 Qf8 35. Kf1 Rg5 36. Qh4 Qg7 37. g3 Qg6 38. Ke2 Rg7 39. g4 fxg4 40. Rf6 Qh5 41. Qxh5 Rxh5 42. hxg4 Rxg4 43. Rf2 Rf4 44. Rxf4 Bxf4 45. Rd4 Bxe5 46. Nxe5 Rxe5+ 47. Kd3 Kg6 48. Nc4 Bb5 49. Kc3 Bxc4 50. bxc4 Kf6 51. Rd6 Ra5 52. Rd2 Rh5 53. Rb2 e5 54. c5 Rh4 55. Rd2 Ra4 56. c6 Ra6 57. Rd6+ Ke7 58. Rh6 Rxa2 59. Rh7+ Kd8 60. Rd7+ ½ : ½ Iturrizaga Bonelli – Jumabayev, 11th Aeroflot Open, Moscow 2012)
12. ... 0-0 (12. ... Nb6 13. a4 a5 14. Nxc4 Nxc4 15. Bxc4 0-0= Muradli – Sethuraman, 2nd El Llobregat Open Chess, Castelldefels 2021)
13. Nxc4 Rd8 14. f4 Nb6 15. Qd3 Nxc4 16. Qxc4 f5 17. Rad1 Bd7 18. g4 Kh7 19. Bf3 Be8 20. Qe2 Rd7 21. a3 Qh4 22. Qf2 Qxf2+ 23. Kxf2 Rad8 24. gxf5 exf5 25. d5 cxd5 26. Nxd5 Bf7

27. Nc7? Goryachkina, quite short of time, throws herself into the fray, apparently oblivious to the strength of Black’s two Bishops. Better was 27. Ne3 Bf8 28. Rxd7 Rxd7 29. Rc1 h5 with a more or less balanced game, even if the two Bishops makes Black’s position easier to handle.
27. ... Bc4 28. Rfe1 Bf8

29. b4?? White was so terrorised by the check on c5 that, in avoiding it, she overlooked a crucial tactical detail, falling irreversibly into catastrophe. Her best chance lay in 29. Rxd7+ Rxd7 30. Ne8 Bc5+ 31. Kg3 Rd2 32. Rc1 Bf2+ 33. Kh3 b5 34. b3 Be3! 35. bxc4 Bxf4 36. Rh1 Bxe5 37. c5 Rc2 38. c6 g5!⩱ — Black is the only who can win, but it should not be impossible for White to draw, either.
29. ... Be7! Simply threatening to capture the Knight.
30. Rxd7. The point is that if now 30. Ne8 there would follow 30. ... Bh4+ 31. Kg1 Rxd1 32. Rxd1 Rxe8 winning the Knight.
30. ... Rxd7 31. Ne8 Bh4+ 32. Kg1 Bxe1 33. Nf6+ Kg7 34. Nxd7 Bd2! In spite of material equality, the ending is hopeless for White.

35. Bxb7 Bxf4 36. Kg2 Bb5 37. Nb8 Bc1! White is not even given the illusion of a resistance in a Bishops of opposite colour ending.
38. Nc6 Bxa3 39. Nxa7 Bc4 40. Nc6 Bd5+ 41. Kg3 g5! 42. e6. If 42. h4 then 42. ... f4+ 43. Kh3 (43. Kg4 h5+! 44. Kxh5 f3 45. hxg5 f2 46. Ba6 Bxc6−+) 43. ... Be6+ 44. Kg2 Bb2 winning easily.
42. ... Bxb4! 43. e7? A way as another to give up with honour.
43. ... Be1+ 0 : 1. Mate follows after 44. Kh3 g4#.

Today Gelfand taught his opponent a valuable lesson about what a Bishop pair can do. Photo: European Chess Union.