Repeating the Past

Ulviyya Fataliyeva – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
2nd FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss Tournament; Douglas, October 28, 2023
Spanish Game C67

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. 0-0 Nxe4 5. Re1 Nd6 6. Nxe5 Be7 7. Bf1 Nxe5 8. Rxe5 0-0 9. d4 Bf6 10. Re1 Re8 11. Nc3 Rxe1 12. Qxe1 Bxd4 13. Bf4 Ne8 14. Nd5 d6 15. Bg5 f6 16. Bh4 g5 17. Qe4 Bxb2

18. Re1. Much more convincing than 18. Rb1 Be5 19. f4 gxh4 20. fxe5 dxe5 21. Bc4 Be6 22. Rxb7 Kh8 23. Bd3 Bg8 24. Nxc7 Nd6 25. Qxh4 Nxb7 26. Nxa8 Nc5 27. Bf5 e4 28. h3 Qd4+ 29. Kh1 Qa1+ 0 : 1 Caruana – So, 6th Grand Chess Tour, 2nd stage, Paris Rapid, Paris 2021 (time control: 25 minutes plus 10 seconds per move).
18. ... Be5 19. f4 gxh4 20. fxe5 dxe5 21. Bd3 Kf8. 21. ... Bf5 entails a drawing variation: 22. Qxf5 Qxd5 23. Qxh7+ Kf8 24. Qh6+ Ke7 25. Qh7+ Kf8 26. Qh6+ Ke7 27. Qh7+ Kf8 ½ : ½ Gukesh – Lékó, 1st FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament, Santon 2019.
22. Ne3 Qe7 23. Qxh4

23. ... f5!? Deviating from 23. ... Be6 24. Bxh7 Rd8 25. Rf1 Rd4 26. Be4 Qa3 27. Rxf6+ Nxf6 28. Qxf6+ Bf7 29. Qh8+ Bg8 30. Qf6+ Bf7 31. Qh8+ ½ : ½ Gutenev – Aleksandrov, 13th Panchenko Memorial, Chelyabinsk 2021.
24. Qf2 Nd6 25. Nd5 Qg7 26. Qh4. 26. Qc5 b6 27. Qxc7 Qxc7 28. Nxc7 Rb8 29. Rxe5 Kf7 may be a simpler way to keep things balanced.
26. ... Be6

27. Nxc7?? In panic, Fataliyeva overlooked her saving grace: 27. Rxe5! Bxd5 (27. ... Qxe5? 28. Qe7+ Kg8 29. Nf6++−) 28. Rxd5 Qa1+ 29. Kf2 Re8 30. g3 Qe1+ 31. Kg2 Re2+! 32. Bxe2 Qxe2+ with a draw by perpetual check.
27. ... Qxc7. Goryachkina thanks and takes it. The rest is a matter of technique.
28. Qh6+ Ke7 29. Rxe5 Qb6+ 30. Kf1 Nf7 31. Qg7 Qd6 32. Re2 Qf4+ 33. Ke1 Rd8 34. Qxh7 Kf6 35. g3 Qb4+ 36. Kf1 Rh8 37. Rxe6+ Kxe6 38. Qxf5+ Ke7 39. h4 Rh6 40. Kg2 Qd4 41. Qa5 Rd6 42. Qc7+ Rd7 43. Qc8 Qd5+ 44. Kg1 Ne5 45. Be2 Qd4+ 46. Kf1 Qe3 47. Qg8 Rd6 48. Qg7+ Nf7 49. Qg4 Rf6+ 50. Ke1 Rb6 0 : 1.

“Nearly everything is now subjected to computer analysis”, Goryachkina said in her interview to Business Online. “And inevitably computers have permeated our style. One pro is that, thanks to them, we can study on your own. And one con is that preparation has now grown hugely. If our predecessors could afford to walk and relax before games, we are instead compelled to spend all our time repeating variations”. Photo: Anna Shtourman/FIDE.