The Last Word

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Andrey Evgenyevich Esipenko
76th Russian Chess Championship Superfinal; Saint Petersburg, October 9, 2023
Catalan Opening E04

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Nf3 dxc4 5. Bg2 a6 6. 0-0 Nc6 7. Nc3 Rb8 8. e4 Be7 9. d5 exd5 10. exd5 Nb4 11. Ne5 Bf5 12. Nxc4 0-0 13. a3 Nd3 14. Be3 b5. Dernier cri. Playing Black, Goryachkina preferred 14. ... Qd7 which, however, did not bring her good luck: 15. b4 Rfe8 16. h3 b5 17. Na5 Bd6?! (17. ... Nb2! 18. Qe2 Nc4⇄) 18. Bd4 Nb2 19. Qb3 Na4 20. Nc6 with the better game for White, Dordzhieva-Wagner – Goryachkina, FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2022–23, 4th stage, Nicosia 2023.
15. Na5 c5 16. Nc6 Qd7

17. Nxb8. More consistent than 17. b3?! Rbe8 18. Bg5? (18. Ra2!?) 18. ... Nxd5 19. Nxe7+ Nxe7 20. Qf3 Ng6?! (20. ... h6 21. Bxe7 Rxe7∓) 21. Qd5 Qxd5 22. Nxd5 h6 23. Be3 Rd8⩱ Dordzhieva-Wagner – Shuvalova, FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2022–23, 4th stage, Nicosia 2023.
17. ... Rxb8 18. Ra2 Bd6 19. b3 Be5 20. Ne2 Rc8 21. Rd2. If 21. Nc1 then 21. ... c4 with good compensation.
21. ... Nb2 22. Qc1 Nd3 23. Qd1

23. ... c4! Black is not yet willing to concede a draw by repeating moves (23. ... Nb2).
24. bxc4 bxc4 25. Bd4 Bxd4 26. Nxd4 Be4 27. Bxe4 Nxe4

28. Rc2! Re8 (28. ... Qxd5?? 29. Qxd3!+−)
29. Nc6 Qxd5 30. Nb4 Qd4 31. Rxc4 Qxc4 32. Qxd3 Qxd3 ½ : ½.

Goryachkina’s opening theory survived the latest challenge. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili/Chess Federation of Russia.