All Things in Common

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Anna Olehivna Muzychuk
2nd FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss Tournament; Douglas, November 1, 2023
Spanish Game C78

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Bc5 6. d3 d6 7. h3 b5 8. Bb3 Na5 9. Nc3 h6 10. Ne2 0-0 11. Ng3 Re8. Also playable is 11. ... Nxb3 12. axb3 Nh7 (note that 12. ... Re8 could transpose into the game) 13. d4 exd4 14. Nxd4 Qh4 15. Qd3 Bxd4 16. Qxd4 Be6 17. Kh2 f5 18. f4 fxe4 19. f5 Bd7 20. Nxe4 Rae8 21. Rf4 Qe7 22. Qd5+ Qf7 23. Qxf7+ Rxf7 24. Ng3? (⌓ 24. Rxa6 Bxf5 25. Ng3 Bg6=) 24. ... Re1∓ Göring – Wemmers, 11th Chess Congress of the West-German Association, Cologne 1877.
12. Bd2

12. ... Nxb3. Black proceeds with her straightforward strategy. Good is also 12. ... Bb6 13. Qe2 c6 14. c4 Nb7 15. Bc2 Nc5 16. Be3 Ne6 17. b4 a5= Movsesian – M. Adams, 72nd Hastings International Chess Congress, Hastings 1997.
13. axb3 d5 14. Qe2 Bb7 15. Rfd1 Qd7 16. Nh2 dxe4 17. dxe4

17. ... Qc6. Black contented herself with a comfortable equality, when 17. ... Nxe4! 18. Nxe4 Qc6 19. Re1 f5 might have been considered as even more propitious to her aim.
18. Re1 Rad8 19. b4 Bd4 20. c3 Bb6 21. Rad1 a5 22. bxa5 Bxa5 23. Ng4 Nxg4 24. hxg4 Bc8 25. Nf5 Bxf5 26. exf5 f6 27. Be3 Bb6 28. Bxb6 cxb6 29. Rxd8 Rxd8 30. Rd1 Rxd1+ 31. Qxd1

31. ... Qe4 32. Qb3+ Qc4 33. Qd1. Of course the Pawn ending is drawn, but keeping the Queens on the board doesn’t promise anything either.
33. ... Kh7 34. f3 b4 35. cxb4 Qxb4 36. Qe2 Qc5+ 37. Kf1 Qc1+ 38. Kf2 Qc5+ 39. Kf1 Qc1+ 40. Kf2 Qc5+ 41. Kf1 Qc1+ ½ : ½.

Goryachkina and Muzychuk have many things in common, but one is very special: they are both Vice Women’s World Chess Champions (Goryachkina in 2020 and Muzychuk in 2017). Photo: Anna Shtourman/FIDE.