Tower of Sand

Maxim Sergeevich Matlakov – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
76th Russian Chess Championship Superfinal; Saint Petersburg, October 8, 2023
Giuoco Piano C54

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. 0-0 h6 7. Re1 0-0 8. Nbd2 Bb6 9. h3 a5 10. Bb3 Be6 11. Ba4 Bd7 12. Nf1 Re8 13. Ng3 Ne7 14. Bc2 Ng6 15. d4 c5 16. d5 c4 17. a4 Qc8 18. Be3 Bxe3 19. Rxe3 Nf4 20. Nd2 Qc5 21. Ne2 Ng6 22. Ng3 Nf4 23. Ngf1

23. ... Reb8. Black might have also considered 23. ... Kh8 followed by ... Re8-g8, and ... g7-g5-g4, as the convenience of her Queenside campaign is far from provable.
24. Re1 b5 25. Ne3 bxa4 26. Ndxc4 Bb5 27. Na3 Ba6 28. Ra2 Rb6 29. Qd2 Rab8 30. Nd1

Black has an excellent position, and could well afford to claim the initiative with 30. ... g5! 31. Bxa4 (31. g3 Nxh3+ 32. Kg2 Qc8!↑) 31. ... g4! 32. hxg4 h5! — but instead Goryachkina stunned the audience with a Petrosian-like Exchange sacrifice:
30. ... Rb3!? 31. Kh2 Nd7 32. g3 Ng6 33. Nb1 Qb5 34. Bxb3 axb3 35. Ra1 Nc5 36. f3 a4 37. Nf2 Qd7 38. Qe3 (38. Na3 Rf8 39. c4 f5)

38. ... f5! 39. exf5 Qxf5? Goryachkina took the wrong decision as she had to calculate all consequences on the edge of seconds. Consistent and good was 39. ... Ne7! followed by the capture of either the f5 or the d5-Pawns, with excellent compensation.
40. Ne4 Nd3 41. Rxa4 Nxe1 42. Qxe1. White came out with a Pawn ahead and much the better game.
42. ... Bb7? 42. ... Bd3 43. Nbd2 Qd7 44. Qa1 is a little better, though not much (or, to be more precise, not enough).
43. Rb4 Qxf3 44. c4! But not 44. Nxd6?? on account of 44. ... Bxd5!! and Black turns the tables.
44. ... Qf8 45. Rb6 Ne7 46. Nbd2 Ba8 47. Rxd6 Nf5 48. Re6 Qb4 49. Rxe5 Qf8 50. Nc3 Nd6 51. Qe2 Qb6 52. Kg2 Bb7 53. Re7 Bc8 54. Qe3 Qd8 55. g4 Bd7 56. c5 Nf7 57. Nf3 h5 58. g5 Qc8 59. Nh4 Bxh3+ 60. Qxh3 Qxc5 61. Qe3 Qxe3 62. Rxe3 Nxg5 63. d6 Rd8 64. Nf5 g6 65. Ne7+ Kh7 66. Nb5 Nf7 67. Re6 g5 68. Nc6 Ra8 69. d7 Ra2 70. Re2 1 : 0.

So far, paradoxically enough, the only game Goryachkina lost is the game she played best. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili/Chess Federation of Russia.