Ciao Bella

Almost inevitably, Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina’s uninspired play and her tribulations in the fourth and last stage of FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2022–23 in Nicosia, Cyprus, did not go unnoticed and were discussed by the high hierarchies of Russian chess. “Aleksandra Yuryevna is playing in an uncharacteristic way in this tournament. She indulges in unnecessary complications that she does not handle convincingly”, Vice President of the Chess Federation of Russia Sergey Borisovich Smagin told TASS on Thursday. “But, despite all difficulties, I have no doubt that Goryachkina will make it to the Candidates Tournament. In terms of sport, she is ready. She has already played with the main competitors, so I think it will be a little easier from now on”.
As often happens, this turned out to be an éclatant case of famous last words:

Bella Khotenashvili – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2022–23; 4th stage; Nicosia, May 25, 2023
Grünfeld Defence D78

1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. d4 Nf6 5. c4 c6 6. 0-0 0-0 7. a4 a5 8. cxd5 cxd5 9. Nc3 Nc6 10. Qb3 Bg4 11. Qxb7. When interviewed afterwards, Khotenashvili said that, probably, after 10. ... Bg4 11. Qxb7 Black’s arguments proved not to be sound, as White emerged from the ensuing complications with a solid extra Pawn. From then on, her only concern was to capitalise on her advantage, being careful not to blunder, which took her a lot of time and patience.
11. ... Nb4 12. Bf4 Nh5 13. Bc7 Qd7 14. Nb5 Ra6 15. Rfc1 Rfa8 16. Rc5 Qe8 17. Bxa5 Rxa5 18. Nc7 Qd7 19. Qxb4 Rxa4 20. Rxa4 Rxa4 21. Qb8+ Bf8 22. Rc1 Bxf3? According to International Master Michael Rahal, this is Goryachkina’s crucial mistake, based on a miscalculation. Instead she ought to have played 22. ... Rc4 in order to limit damage.
23. Bxf3 Qd6. Rahal guesses that only now Goryachkina realised that 23. ... Nf6? would fail to 24. Nxd5! Nxd5 25. Rc8 with a win by force.
24. Bxh5 gxh5 25. e3 Rb4 26. Qa8 Rc4 27. Rxc4 dxc4 28. Nb5 Qb4 29. Qc6 e6 30. h4 Qb3 31. Kg2 Qc2 32. Nc3 Qxb2 33. Ne4 Kg7 34. Qxc4 Qb7

35. f3. Here Khotenashvili missed the much stronger 35. d5! which would have left Black without a satisfactory reply. Nevertheless, she patiently proceeded to consolidate and turn her advantage into a win.
35. ... Qb2+ 36. Nf2 Qd2 37. Qd3 Qe1 38. e4 Bd6 39. f4 Bb4 40. Qb5 Qd2 41. Qe5+ Kg8 42. f5 exf5 43. exf5 h6 44. f6 Bf8 45. Qe4 Qb2 46. Qd3 Bb4 47. Kf3 Qc1 48. d5

48. ... Qa1 49. Ne4 Qh1+ 50. Kf4 Qc1+ 51. Ke5 Qa1+ 52. Kf5 Qa5 53. Qc4 Bf8 54. Kf4 Qa3 55. Qc6 Qa1 56. d6 Qf1+ 57. Ke5 Qa1+ 58. Qc3 Qa4 59. Qd3 Qd7 60. Qd5 Qe8+ 61. Kf4 Qd7 62. Kf3 Qg4+ 63. Kf2 Qd7 64. Ke3 Qa7+ 65. Qd4 Qd7 66. Qd5 Qa7+ 67. Kf3 Qa3+ 68. Ke2 Qb2+ 69. Ke3 Qa3+ 70. Qd3 Qa7+ 71. Kf3 Qd7 72. Kg2 Kh8 73. Qd5 Kg8 74. Qxh5 Qe6 75. Qf3 Qa2+ 76. Kh3 Qd5 77. Qf4 Kh7 78. Kh2 Kh8 79. Qg4 Qa2+ 80. Kh3 Qd5

81. h5 Kh7 82. d7 Kh8 83. Nf2 Qa5 84. Qd1 Qd8 85. Qd4 Kg8 86. Nd3 1 : 0.

It was an unexpected setback for Goryachkina, who now will have to strive hard to maintain her second spot in the overall Grand Prix standings. Photo: Mark Livshitz/FIDE.