The Fortress of Solitude

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Divya Deshmukh
2nd Women’s Chess World Cup; round of 32 match game 1; Baku, August 5, 2023
English Opening A13

1. c4 e6 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 Nf6 4. Nf3 d4 5. 0-0 Nc6 6. d3 Bc5 7. Nbd2 a5 8. Nb3 Be7 9. e3 e5. The alternative is 9. ... dxe3 10. Bxe3 Ng4 11. Bc5 0-0 12. d4 a4 13. Bxe7 Qxe7 14. Nc5 a3 15. bxa3 Rd8 16. Nb3 Nf6 17. Re1 Qxa3 18. Qe2 h6 19. h4 Bd7 20. Ne5 Be8 21. Qe3 Qb4 22. Reb1 Nxe5 23. dxe5 Ng4 24. Qe1 Qxe1+ 25. Rxe1 h5 26. Bxb7 Ra4 with a Pawn up for White, but, as Carlsen then argued, “the position is probably still fine for me. I’m going to make a draw quite easily”, Nepomniachtchi – Carlsen, World Chess Championship 2021, Dubai 2021, match game 9.
10. exd4 exd4 11. Bg5!? A novelty with respect to 11. Re1⩲ Gabuzyan – Bellahcene, 9th Chess World Cup, Krasnaya Polyana 2021, match game 1.
11. ... 0-0 12. Re1 h6 13. Bd2 Re8 14. a4 Ra6 15. Ne5 Nb4 16. c5 Nd7? A disastrous error, which not only loses a Pawn, but also gives White a preponderance on the Queenside. 16. ... Re6 is the engine’s suggestion, after which White might continue 17. Bxb4 axb4 18. Qd2⩲ with a small advantage.

17. Nxa5! Bxc5 18. Nxb7 Bxb7 19. Nxd7! Goryachkina’s elegant linear technique is reminiscent of her mentor Karpov.
19. ... Rxe1+ 20. Bxe1 Qxd7 21. Bxb7 Re6 22. Be4 Na6

23. b4! Clearly not 23. Bf5?? because of 23. ... Rxe1+! 24. Qxe1 Qxf5 and the tables have turned.
23. ... Bf8. Now Black cannot take the Pawn with either Bishop or Knight without losing the Exchange (due to Be1xb4 followed by Be4-f5).
24. b5 Nc5

25. Bc6 Rxc6. Desperation, but otherwise White’s passers are unstoppable.
26. bxc6 Qxc6 27. a5 Qa6 28. Bb4 1 : 0.

With four former Women’s World Champions and the reigning Women’s World Champion still in the field, it is highly probable that Goryachkina will not have an easy life here. Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova/chess.com.