Linear Algebra

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Dronavalli Harika
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2022–23; 3rd stage; New Delhi, April 3, 2023
Catalan Opening E00

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. g3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 a5 6. Bg2 0-0 7. Qc2 c5 8. cxd5 cxd4 9. Nxd4 Qb6 10. e3 exd5 11. 0-0 Nc6 12. Nxc6 bxc6 13. Rc1 Rb8 14. Nc3 (14. Qxc6 Qxc6 15. Bxc6 Bxd2 16. Nxd2 Rb2=)
14. ... h5 15. a3 Be7 16. Na4 Qc7 17. Qxc6 Qxc6 18. Rxc6 Bd7 19. Rc7 Bd8 20. Rxd7 Nxd7 21. Rd1 (21. Bxd5 Bf6=)
21. ... Nb6 22. Nxb6 Bxb6. 22. ... Rxb6 23. b4 axb4 24. Bxb4 Re8 25. Rxd5 Be7 is also playable, and should lead to equality.
23. Bxd5 Rfc8. It was all theory, so far, but now Harika deviates from 23. ... Rfd8 as played in a game Makarian – Hovhannisyan, European Hybrid Qualification Tournament, tornelo.com, May 25, 2021, tie-break game 1 (time control: 10 minutes plus 3 seconds per move).

24. Bc3 a4?! 25. Bf3 Rc5?! Black’s solution sounds unsound, but she is lucky enough to be able to somehow afford it.
26. Bb4 Rc2 27. Bc3

27. ... Rd8? This is nonsensical. The only consistent way of giving a sense to the last two moves was 27. ... Bc5 28. Be4 Rxc3 29. bxc3 Bxa3 30. Rd7 Bc5 31. Bd5 Rf8 32. h4 a3 33. Kg2 g6 34. e4 Kg7 with a much better version of the same endgame, thanks to the passed a-Pawn.
28. Ra1! Black is not given a second chance.
28. ... g6 29. Bc6 Rxc3 30. bxc3 Bc5 31. Bxa4 Ra8 32. Bb3 Rxa3 33. Rb1.

Here’s the difference: Black has had to give back the Exchange under much worse circumstances, remaining two Pawns down with a lost ending. Goryachkina’s technique does the rest:
33. ... Bd6 34. Bd5 Be5 (34. ... Rxc3? 35. Rb6+−)
35. Rb6 Kf8 36. c4 Ra7 37. Kg2 Ke7 38. c5 Bc7 39. Rb2 Ra5 40. Rc2 g5 41. Bf3 g4 42. Be4 Ke6 43. Rc4 Rb5 44. Bc6 Rb2 45. Rd4 Be5 46. Bd7+ Ke7 47. Rd5 f6 48. Bf5 Rb5 49. Rd7+ Ke8 50. c6 Rc5 51. Rh7 Kf8 52. Rxh5 Rxc6 53. Bxg4 Rc2 54. Bf5 Rb2 55. Rh8+ Kg7 56. Rh7+ Kg8 57. Rd7 Bc3 58. Kf1 Rb5 59. Bd3 Ra5 60. h4 1 : 0.

And here again Goryachkina showed her superb technique and preparation. Photo © Ismael Nieto/FIDE.