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Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno

2nd Cup of the REGION Group of Companies Rapid; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Moscow, December 2, 2023

Bogo-Indian Defence E10

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 a5 6. Bg2 0-0 7. Qc2 c5 8. cxd5 cxd4 9. Nxd4 Qb6 10. Nf3 exd5 11. 0-0 Nc6 12. Nc3 d4 13. Na4 Qb5 14. Qd3 Qxd3. After 14. ... Qxa4? 15. b3 White recovers the piece with interest.
15. exd3 Bf5 16. Bxb4 axb4?! A dubious novelty. The usual 16. ... Nxb4 is good for Black; for example: 17. a3 Nxd3 18. Nxd4 Bd7 19. b3 Bxa4 20. bxa4 Rad8 21. Nf5 g6 22. Ne3 Nc5 23. Rab1 Nxa4 24. Rxb7 Nc3 25. Ra7 a4 26. Bc6 Kg7 27. Kg2 Rc8 28. Ra6 Rfd8 29. Bxa4 Ra8 30. Rxa8 Rxa8 ½ : ½ Svane – Sargsyan, 16th Teplice Open, Teplice 2023.
17. Nc5

17. ... Nd7?! (⌓ 17. ... b6 18. Nh4 Bg4 19. Nb3⩲)
18. Nxb7 Bxd3 19. Rfc1 Be4 20. Nd6 Bd5 21. Nf5. With the threat of Rc1xc6.
21. ... Rfe8 22. N3xd4 Bxg2 23. Kxg2 Nxd4 24. Nxd4 Re4

25. Nc6?! Probably best is 25. Rc4! as after 25. ... b3 26. a3 Ne5 27. Rb4 Nd3 28. f3 Nxb4 29. fxe4 Nd3 30. a4± White’s extra Pawn may well make a difference to outcome.
25. ... g6 26. b3 Ne5 27. f3 Re3 28. Nxe5. If, instead, 28. Nxb4 then 28. ... Re2+ 29. Kh1 Nxf3 30. Rc2 Rae8 31. Rac1 Nxh2 with a drawish ending in sight — though, from a practical point of view, easier to play with White (32. a4 Nf3 33. a5 Rxc2 34. Rxc2 Nd4 35. Rb2 Ra8 36. a6 Kf8=).
28. ... Rxe5 29. Rc2 Rea5 30. Kf2 h5 31. h4 Kg7 32. Rc4 Rxa2+ 33. Rxa2 Rxa2+ 34. Ke3 Rb2 35. Rxb4 f6 36. Rb7+ Kh6 37. Kf4 Rb1 38. b4

38. ... Rb3? The losing move, as White will show with impeccable technique. 38. ... g5+! is probably the only move to hold the balance; for example: 39. hxg5+ fxg5+ 40. Kf5 h4! 41. Rb6+ Kg7 42. gxh4 gxh4 43. Kg4 Rb3! securing a draw.
39. Rb6 Rb1 (39. ... Kg7 40. g4!+−)
40. b5 Rb4+ 41. Ke3 Rb3+ 42. Ke4 f5+ 43. Kf4 Rb4+ 44. Ke5 Rb3 45. f4 Rxg3 46. Rb8 Rb3 47. Kf6 Kh7 48. b6 Rb1 49. Rb7+ Kh6 50. Kf7 Kh7 51. Ke8+ Kg8 52. Kd7 g5 53. fxg5 f4 54. Ke6 Re1+ 55. Kf6 Re8 56. Rg7+ Kh8 57. Rf7 Rb8 58. b7 f3 59. Kg6 Kg8 60. Rc7 1 : 0.

Goryachkina and Lagno finished at the bottom of the rankings, but gained a precious experience in view of their next challenges. Photo: Vladimir Leonidovich Barsky/Chess Federation of Russia.