Guru Meditation

Dinara Mergenovna Dordzhieva-Wagner – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2022–23; 4th stage; Nicosia, May 16, 2023
Catalan Opening E04

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 dxc4 5. Bg2 a6 6. 0-0 Nc6 7. Nc3 Rb8 8. e4 Be7 9. d5 exd5 10. exd5 Nb4 11. Ne5 Bf5 12. Nxc4. If 12. a3 then 12. ... Nd3 13. Nxc4 Nxc1 14. Rxc1 0-0 with more or less equality, Ruck – Tukmakov, 7th Croatian Team Chess Championship, Poreč 1998.
12. ... 0-0 13. a3 Nd3 14. Be3 Qd7 15. b4 Rfe8 16. h3 b5!? A novelty, in place of 16. ... h5 17. Ra2 Bd6 18. Bd4 Ne5 which also seems reasonable for Black, Pranav – Prraneeth, Vezérképző GM March 2022, Budapest 2022.
17. Na5 Bd6 (17. ... Nb2! 18. Qe2 Nc4)
18. Bd4 Nb2 19. Qb3 Na4 20. Nc6 Ra8 21. Nxa4 bxa4 22. Qb2

22. ... Bf8? This proves to be particularly unfortunate. Black could play 22. ... Nh5!? 23. g4 (or, more solidly, 23. Kh2 Be4) 23. ... Nf4! with interesting play scenarios.
23. Bxf6 gxf6 24. Kh2. Not 24. Qxf6? on account of 24. ... Bg7 25. Qg5 h6 winning the Exchange.
24. ... Bg7 25. Rad1 Bg6 26. Qa2 Qd6 27. Rfe1 Bh5 28. Rb1 Bg6 29. Rbd1 Bh5 30. Rc1 Bh6 31. f4? To wall the Bishop off, but a detail must have been overlooked.

31. ... Bg6? Here Black misses her best chance to give a sense to her Bishop pair by 31. ... Bxf4! 32. gxf4 Qxf4+ 33. Kh1 (33. Kg1 Re2!⇄) 33. ... Re2!⇄ with dynamic equality.
32. Qc4 Bf8 33. Bf3 Bf5 34. Nd4 Rxe1 35. Rxe1 Bd7 36. Nc6 Kg7 37. h4 Kg8 38. Kg2 Kg7 39. Qc2 Re8 40. Rxe8 Bxe8 41. Qxa4 Bxc6 42. dxc6 Qd2+ 43. Kh3 Qd3. At the price of a Pawn Black has improved her situation considerably.
44. Bg2. After 44. Qd1 Qxd1 (44. ... Qxa3?? 45. Bd5+−) 45. Bxd1 f5 the value of Black’s extra Pawn may be nullified by the opposite-coloured Bishops.
44. ... Bd6 45. Kh2 f5 46. Qa5 Kf6 47. a4 h6 48. b5 axb5 49. axb5 Bc5 50. Qe1 Kg6 51. Qe8 Bf2! The latent threat on the g3-Pawn should keep White bound up so that it won’t be possible for her to do any harm.
52. Qg8+ Kf6 53. Qh8+ Ke7 54. Qe5+ Kf8 55. Qh8+ Ke7 56. Qg7 h5 57. Qe5+ Kf8 58. Qh8+ Ke7 59. Qg7 Ke8 60. Qe5+ Kf8 61. Qh8+ Ke7 62. Qg7 Ke8 63. Qg5 Kf8 64. b6. Deflecting the Bishop, even if for only one instant.
64. ... Bxb6 65. Qxh5 Kg7? Her last mistake. After 65. ... Bf2! it is not clear how White can make progress.
66. Qg5+ Kh7 67. Qh5+ Kg7 68. Qg5+ Kh7 69. Qf6 Kg8 70. h5 Bc5 71. h6 Bd4 72. Qd8+ Kh7 73. Qxc7 Kxh6 74. Qxf7

74. ... Bg1+! Spes, ultima dea.
75. Kh3! On 75. Kxg1?? Qf1+! forces stalemate.
75. ... Bf2 76. Qg8 Qc2 77. Qg5+ Kh7 78. Qe7+ Kh6 79. c7 Qc3 80. Qg5+ Kh7 81. Qxf5+ 1 : 0.

The surprise of the day was the victory of Dordzhieva-Wagner over women’s world No. 2 Goryachkina. Photo: Mark Livshitz/FIDE.