Chairs and Beds

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno
76th Russian Chess Championship Superfinal; Saint Petersburg, October 4, 2023
Queen’s Gambit Declined D37

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Nbd7 5. Bf4 dxc4 6. e3 b5 7. Nxb5 Bb4+ 8. Nd2 Nd5 9. Bg3 N7b6 10. a3 Ba5 11. Rc1 0-0 12. Nc3 Bb7

13. Bxc4!? In fact, Goryachkina’s innovation does not bring any substantial provable benefits with respect to 13. Nxc4 Nxc4 14. Bxc4 Nxc3 15. bxc3 Bxg2 16. Rg1 Be4 17. Qh5 Bf5 18. Ke2 Bb6? (18. ... c5 was recommended by Gelfand in his book “Technical Decision Making in Chess”, Quality Chess, Glasgow, 2020, p. 209) 19. Be5 Bg6 20. Qg4! Qe8 21. h4! with a winning attack, Gelfand – Kramnik, Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour, 4th stage, Legends of Chess, Prelims Tournament, chess24.com, July 26, 2020 (time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds).
13. ... Nxc4 14. Nxc4 Bxc3+ 15. bxc3 Nb6 16. Nxb6 axb6 17. 0-0 Rxa3 18. Qg4 Qd7 19. c4 Ra4 20. Rfd1 Qe7 21. h3 h6

22. Bf4 Kh7 23. Qg3 Rc8 24. d5 Ba6 25. Rd4 exd5 26. cxd5 Rxd4 27. exd4 Qe4 28. Be5 f6 29. Rxc7 Rxc7 30. Bxc7 Qxd5 31. Bxb6 Bc8 32. Bc5 Bf5 33. Kh2 Be4 34. f3 Bg6 35. Qc7 Bf7 36. Qd6 ½ : ½.

Strong feminine solidarity prevailed between the only two queens allowed to sit on the thrones of kings. Photo: Vladimir Leonidovich Barsky/Chess Federation of Russia.