Still Another Day

Pavel Andreevich Ponkratov – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
76th Russian Chess Championship Superfinal; Saint Petersburg, October 11, 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 Nbd4 8. Nxd4 d6 9. Nxc6 bxc6 10. Re1 Be6 11. Qf3 Qd7 12. Bf4 Be7 13. Nd2 0-0 14. Qg3 Kh8 15. exd6 cxd6 16. Rad1 Rad8 17. Ne4 d5 18. Be3 Bg4 19. f3 Bf5 20. Qf2 Qb7 21. Ng3

21. ... Bh4 22. Bxa7 Bxc2 23. Ra1 Rfe8 24. Rxe8+ Rxe8 25. Bd4 Bg6 26. a5 Bxg3 27. hxg3 Qa6 28. Bc3 f6 29. g4 h6

30. Qb6 Bd3 31. Bd4 Bb5 32. b4 Kg8 33. Kh2 Bc4 34. Qc7 Bd3 35. Rc1 Bc4 36. Ra1 Bd3 37. Qd7 Re2 38. Rc1 Bb5 39. Qd8+ Kh7 40. Qc7 Kg8 41. Qb8+ Kf7 42. Rc3 Re8 43. Qc7+ Re7 44. Qb6 Re6

45. Bf2 (45. f4!)
45. ... Qa8 46. Bc5 Qc8 47. Qa7+ Kg8 48. Ra3 Ba6 49. Bd4 Re8 50. Re3 Rxe3 51. Bxe3 Bb5 52. Bd4 Qe8 53. Qc5 Qe1 54. Bf2 Qe5+ 55. Bg3 Qb2 56. Bf2 Qe5+ 57. Kh1 Qa1+ 58. Bg1 Qe1 59. Qd6 Kh7 60. Qf4 ½ : ½.

In the aftermath of her yesterday’s fiasco, today Goryachkina was at least able to achieve a laborious draw from an uneasy situation. Photo: Anastasiya Vasina/Chess Federation of Russia.