Hard Ground

Evgeniy Yuryevich Najer – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
76th Russian Chess Championship Superfinal; Saint Petersburg, October 10, 2023
Spanish Game C67

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. 0-0 Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. dxe5 Nxb5 7. a4 d6 8. e6 Bxe6 9. axb5 Ne5 10. Nd4 (10. Ng5 Bc4 11. Re1 Be7 12. Na3 Bxg5 13. Nxc4 Bxc1 14. Nxe5 0-0 15. Rxc1 dxe5 16. Qxd8 Rfxd8 17. Rxe5 Kf8= Showalter – Pillsbury, Paris Exposition International Tournament, Paris 1900)
10. ... Be7 11. f4 Nc4 12. Nc3 (12. Qe2 Nb6 13. b3 0-0 14. Nxe6 fxe6 15. Qxe6+ Kh8 16. Bb2 Bf6 17. Bxf6 Rxf6 18. Qe4 d5 19. Qd4 Qf8 20. Nc3 c6 21. bxc6 bxc6 22. Na4 Nxa4 23. Rxa4 h6 24. Rxa7 Rxa7 25. Qxa7 Rxf4 26. Rxf4 Qxf4 27. Qa8+ Kh7 28. Qxc6 Qe3+ 29. Kf1 Qf4+ 30. Kg1 Qe3+ ½ : ½ Shuvalova – Goryachkina, 25th European Women’s Chess Club Cup, Struga 2021)
12. ... 0-0 13. f5 (13. Nxe6 fxe6 14. Qe2 Nb6 15. Qxe6+ Kh8 16. Be3 Bf6 17. Bf2 Qe8 18. Qxe8 Rfxe8 19. Ra2 Bxc3 20. bxc3 a5 21. bxa6 Rxa6 22. Rxa6 bxa6 23. Bxb6 cxb6 24. Rd1 Re6 25. c4 h6 26. Rb1 Re4 27. Rxb6 Rxf4 28. Rxa6 Rxc4 29. Rxd6 Rxc2 30. h3 Kh7 ½ : ½ Shuvalova – Badelka, 1st FIDE Women's Grand Swiss, Riga 2021)
13. ... Bd7 14. Nd5 Bf6 15. Ra4 Nb6 16. Nxf6+ Qxf6 17. Ra3

17. ... c5. Safer appears to be 17. ... Rfe8 18. Rg3 Re4 19. c3 h6 with approximately even chances.
18. bxc6 bxc6 19. Ne2. It was perhaps better here 19. Rg3 with the tactical pointe of 19. ... c5 20. c3! cxd4 21. Bg5 Qe5 22. cxd4 forcing Black to make concessions in order to avoid the worst.
19. ... c5 20. Rf2 Rfe8 21. Rg3 Bb5 (21. ... d5 22. Nf4 Qd4 23. Rd3 Qe5 24. Re3 Qd4=)
22. Nc3. Stronger seems 22. Nf4 leaving the c3 square free for the Bishop; for example: 22. ... Qe5 23. Bd2 d5 24. Ne6! fxe6 25. f6! with a crushing attack.
22. ... a6 23. Bg5 Qd4 24. Qc1 f6 25. Bd2 Ra7 26. h3 h5 27. b3 Rd7 28. Nxb5 axb5 29. Qd1

29. ... c4? In an attempt to take advantage of her opponent’s shortness of time, Goryachkina finally goes astray. 29. ... Re4! 30. Qxh5 Rde7! would have been perfectly good.
30. Qxh5 Rf7. Allows a pretty finish, but probably Goryachkina realised only now that 30. ... Rde7 31. Bc3 Re1+ 32. Kh2! Qxf2 is refuted by 33. Rxg7+! Kxg7 34. Qg5+ (idem to say 34. Qg6+) with mate in two moves.

31. Rxg7+! Kxg7 32. Bh6+ Kg8 33. Qg6+ Kh8 34. Qxf7 Re1+. If 34. ... Rg8 then 35. Qh5 with mate in a few moves.
35. Kh2 Qe5+ 36. Rf4 1 : 0.

Goryachkina pushed too hard and too far and lost the gamble. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili/Chess Federation of Russia.