The Cobweb

Ivan Mikhailovich Rozum – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
76th Russian Chess Championship Superfinal; Saint Petersburg, October 3, 2023
Neo-Grünfeld Defence D78

1. c4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. 0-0 Nf6 6. b3 Ne4 7. d4 0-0 8. Bb2 Bf5 9. Nh4 Be6 10. Qc2 Nd6 11. Nd2 a5 12. e4 dxe4 13. Nxe4 Nxe4 14. Bxe4 Bh3 15. Rfd1 Nd7 16. Qe2 a4 17. Bf3 axb3 18. axb3 Qb6 19. Qc2 Rxa1 20. Bxa1 Ra8 21. Bg2 Bxg2 22. Kxg2

22. ... Ra3 23. Rb1 c5 24. Qe4 cxd4 25. Qxe7 Qc6+ 26. Kg1 Ra8 27. Qe1

27. ... Bf6 28. Rd1 Nc5 29. Bxd4 Bxd4 30. Rxd4 Nxb3 31. Rd1 Qxc4 32. Qe7 Qc6 33. Qg5 Nd4 34. Qe3 Ne6 35. Nf3 Qc2 36. Rc1 Qb2 37. Kg2 Rd8 38. h4 Qb5 39. Ng5 Qd5+ 40. Kg1 Nxg5 41. hxg5 Qe6 42. Qf4 Rc8 43. Rb1 Qd5 44. Qg4 Rc4 45. Qe2 Re4 46. Qc2 Re8 47. Qc7 Qxg5 48. Qxb7 Qf5 49. Rc1 h5 50. Qc6 Rb8 51. Qc2 Qg4 52. Qc7 Re8 53. Qc6 Rd8 54. Kg2 Qg5 55. Rc4 Qe5 56. Re4 Qa1 57. Rf4 Qa7 58. Qe4 Qd7 59. Qf3 Re8 60. Kh2 Re5 61. Kg2 Rd5 62. Kh2 Rd4 63. Qa8+ Kh7 64. Rxd4 Qxd4. Three pawns against two on the same side is usually a draw in Queen endgames, but one thing is theory, another practice. Goryachkina puts the squeeze on his opponent, mercilessly and endlessly, until he broke down after six hours of play.
65. Kg1 Kg7 66. Qf3 Qa1+ 67. Kg2 Qe5 68. Kg1 Qe1+ 69. Kg2 Qe6 70. Kg1 Qc4 71. Kg2 Kf8 72. Qa8+ Ke7 73. Qb7+ Kd6 74. Qb8+ Kd5 75. Qb7+ Kd4 76. Qb2+ Ke4 77. Qb1+ Ke5 78. Qa1+ Ke6 79. Kg1 Kf5 80. Qd1 Kg5 81. Qd8+ f6 82. Qd7 h4 83. gxh4+ Qxh4 84. Qd5+ Kh6 85. Qd8 Qg4+ 86. Kf1 Qc4+ 87. Kg1 Kg5 88. Qe7 Qg4+ 89. Kf1 Qd1+ 90. Kg2 Qd4 91. Qb7 Qg4+ 92. Kf1 Qc4+ 93. Kg2 Kf5 94. Qf3+ Ke6 95. Qh3+ f5 96. Qh8 Qe4+ 97. Kg1 Qe1+ 98. Kg2 Qe4+ 99. Kg1 f4

100. Qf8? At last White collapses, succumbing to his opponent’s momentum. The tablebase says that only five moves, namely, 100. Qc8+, 100. Qh3+, 100. Qh4, 100. Qh6, and 100. Kh2 would have allowed White to draw.
10. ... f3! The only move to win.
101. Qc8+ Kf6 102. Qd8+ Kf5 103. Qc8+ Kg5 104. Qd8+ Kg4 105. Qc8+ Qf5 106. Qc7 Kh4 107. Qh7+ Qh5 108. Qc7 Qg5+ 109. Kf1 Qg2+ 110. Ke1 Qg1+ 111. Kd2 Qxf2+ 112. Kd3 Qe2+ 113. Kd4 g5 0 : 1.

It was like being inexorably caught in the mazy cobweb of a black widow. Photo: Vladimir Leonidovich Barsky/Chess Federation of Russia.