Mad, Sad, Glad

Finally, in a dramatic tie-breaker, Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina won the Women’s Chess World Cup, beating Nurgyul Salimova — the revelation of the tournament — but not without seriously risking a sensational débâcle the day before yesterday, yesterday, and today. It should go without saying that Salimova just missed too many chances, but her greatest mistake was perhaps playing her second tie-break game in her opponent’s hands, i.e., a technical Karpovian vacuum in which Goryachkina most feels at home. Slowly, inexorably, Goryachkina built her web, but then let her opponent off the hook. It is an unimportant detail anyway. A draw appeared imminent, but no. Salimova finally fell apart under the burden of her nerves. Yet since where there is virtue but no happiness: “Throughout the final I did not feel well in health, and thus now there are no special emotions. I’m just glad the tournament is over”, Goryachkina said.

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Nurgyul Salimova

2nd Women’s Chess World Cup; Final tie-break game 2; time control: 25 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Baku, August 21, 2023

Catalan Opening E05

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 0-0 6. 0-0 dxc4 7. Qc2 b5 8. a4 Bb7 9. axb5 a6 10. Nc3 axb5 11. Rxa8 Bxa8 12. Nxb5 c5. A questionable line of play, as Black is going to struggle long and hard to show too much of nothing for the Pawn minus. A topical theoretical line is 12. ... Bd5 13. Bf4 c5 14. dxc5 Qa5 15. Nc3 Qxc5 16. Be3 Qa5 17. Bd2 Ba8 18. Nd1 Qc5 19. Ne3 Rc8 20. Rc1 Bd5 21. Nxd5 Nxd5 22. Ne5 Nb6 23. Qe4 Bf6 24. Bc3 N8d7 25. Bd4 Qd6 26. Nxd7 Bxd4 27. Nxb6 Qxb6 28. e3 Bxb2 29. Rxc4 Qa6 30. Rxc8+ Qxc8 31. Qb7 Qxb7 32. Bxb7 g6 33. Kg2 Kg7 34. Ba8 Ba1 35. Bb7 Bb2 36. Ba8 Ba1 37. Bb7 Bb2 ½ : ½ Nepomniachtchi – Radjabov, Candidates Tournament 2022, Madrid 2022.
13. dxc5 Na6 14. Qxc4 Bd5 15. Qc2 Be4 16. Qd1 Bxc5 17. Qxd8 Rxd8 18. Nc3 Bc6 19. Rd1 Rxd1+ 20. Nxd1 Ba4 21. Nc3 Bc2 22. Ne1 Bb3 23. Nd3 Bb6 24. Kf1 Kf8 25. h3 Ke7 26. Ke1 Nd7 27. Bd2 Bc4 28. Na4 Bd4 29. Nb4 Nxb4 30. Bxb4+ Kd8 31. Bc3 e5 32. Bxd4 exd4 33. b4 Kc7 34. Kd2 Kd6 35. Nb2 Bb5 36. Be4 Nf6 37. Bd3 Bd7 38. h4 Nd5 39. Bc4 Nxb4 40. Bxf7 h6 41. Nc4+ Ke7 42. Ne5 Bf5 43. Bc4 Kd6 44. Nf3 Kc5 45. Bd3 Be6 46. Ne1 Nd5 47. Ng2 g5 48. hxg5 hxg5 49. Ne1 Nf6 50. Nf3 g4 51. Ng5 Bd5 52. Bf5 Kd6

53. Nh7? An inaccuracy which allows Black to escape the worst. 53. Kd3 Ke5 54. Bg6 leaves Black a Pawn down in a poor endgame.
53. ... Be4! 54. Nxf6 Bxf5 55. Nh5 Ke5 56. Nf4 Be4 57. Nd3+ Kd6 58. Kc2 Bd5 59. Kb2 Bc4 60. Ka3 Kd5 61. Kb4 Ba6 62. Kb3 Bc4+ 63. Kc2 Ke4 64. Kd2 Bb5 65. Nc5+ Kd5 66. Nb3 Bc4 67. Na1 Ke4 68. Nc2 Ba6. 68. ... Bxe2! would have forced a draw almost immediately.
69. Ne1 Bb5 70. f3+ gxf3 71. exf3+ Kd5

Now here is a tablebase draw, for what it’s worth.
72. Nd3 Bc4 73. Nf2 Ke5 74. Nd3+ Kd5 75. Ne1 Ke5 76. Nc2 Bd5 77. Ne1 Kf5 78. Ke2 Bc4+ 79. Kf2 Ke5 80. Ng2 Bb5 81. Nf4 Bc4 82. Nh3 Bb5 83. Ng5 Bc4 84. Ne4 Bd3 85. Nd2 Bb5 86. Kg2 Kd5 87. g4 Bd3 88. Kg3 Bb5 89. Kf4

89. ... Be2? Curiously enough, the difference between a draw and a loss lies all within one square: the text move loses, while 89. ... Bd3! saves the day.
90. Kf5. Or — as a dual — 90. g5 Bd3 91. Ne4 Bb1 92. Kf5+− and game over.
90. ... Bd3+ 91. Kf6 Bc2 92. g5 Bd3 93. g6 Kc6 94. g7 Bh7 95. Kf7 Kd5 96. f4 d3 97. Ke7! But not 97. g8=Q? Bxg8+ 98. Kxg8 Kd4 with only a draw.
97. ... Kd4 98. f5! Ke3 99. Nc4+ Kd4 100. Nb2 d2 101. f6 Kc3 102. Nd1+ Kc2 103. Nf2 d1=Q 104. Nxd1 Kxd1 105. f7 1 : 0.

And there was a podium for three places. Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova/chess.com.