Eurasian Theatre

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié)
Women’s Candidates Tournament 2024; Toronto, April 15, 2024
Slav Defence D14

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 cxd5 5. Bf4 Nc6 6. e3 Bf5 7. Bb5 e6 8. Nf3 Nd7 9. 0-0 Rc8 10. Ne5 Ndxe5 11. Bxe5 a6 12. Bxc6+ Rxc6 13. Rc1 f6 14. Bg3 Be7 15. Na4 Rxc1 (15. ... Qd7 16. Qb3 0-0 17. Nb6 Qe8 18. f3 Bg6 19. a3 Kh8 20. Rc3 Bd8 21. Nc8 Rxc3 22. Qxc3 Ba5 23. Qxa5 Qxc8 24. Bc7 Be8 25. Rc1 Bc6 26. b4 Qd7 27. Bf4 Re8 28. Qc7 Qxc7 29. Bxc7 Rc8 30. Bd6 Bd7 31. Rxc8+ Bxc8 32. a4 Bd7 33. a5 Kg8 34. Kf2 Kf7 35. Ke2 Bb5+ 36. Kd2 h5 37. e4 Bc4 38. Ke3 Bb5 39. g3 Bc4 40. h4 Bb5 41. Kf4 Bd3 ½–½ Rakić Vulićević – Girya, 18th European Women’s Chess Club Cup, Rhodes 2013)
16. Qxc1 Kf7TN (16. ... 0-0 17. Qd2 Qd7 18. Nc5 Qb5 19. a4 Qc6 20. Rc1 b6 21. Nxa6 Qxa4 22. Nc7 Rc8 23. h3 Kf7 24. Qc3 Qb4 25. Qxb4 Bxb4 26. Rc6 Ba5 27. Bd6 b5 28. Ra6 Bxc7 29. Ra7 Bd3 ½–½ Kunicki – Gajewski, 33rd Polish Junior Team Chess Championship, Łączna 2002)
17. Qc3 h5 18. h3 h4 19. Bh2 Qd7 20. Nb6 Qb5 21. Qc7 Qxb2 22. Bd6 Re8 23. Rc1? Not 23. Nc8? because of 23. ... Rxc8! 24. Qxe7+ Kg6 with advantage to Black. But the text also overlooks a little tactics. There was nothing better than 23. Bxe7 Rxe7 24. Qd8 to which Black would have probably replied 24. ... Re8= offering a draw by repetition.

23. ... Kg6! 24. Bxe7 Rxe7! 25. Qc5 Kh6

26. a4? This creates further weaknesses. Both 26. Na4 and 26. a3 were deserving of consideration.
26. ... a5!∓ 27. Nc8 Rd7 28. Qc3 Qb4 29. Qc5 Kh7 30. Qa7 Qd2 31. Qc5 Bd3? (31. ... Qb4∓)
32. Nb6! Rd6 33. Qxd6 Qxc1+ 34. Kh2 Bf5 35. Nd7 Qc2 36. Nf8+. Goryachkina was too short of time to calculate the consequences of 36. Nxf6+! gxf6 37. Qe7+ which, according to the engines, should lead to a draw.
36. ... Kh6

37. f3?? A Zeitnot blunder. 37. Nxe6! Qxf2 38. Qxd5 would have held on.
37. ... Qf2! 38. Qf4+ (38. Qa3?? Bxh3!−+)
38. ... g5 39. Qc7 Qg3+! 40. Qxg3 hxg3+ 41. Kxg3 e5! White has recovered the Pawn, but her Knight is dominated.
42. e4 dxe4 43. fxe4 Bc8? 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) plays too much by inertia, giving her opponent an unexpected chance of recovery. 43. ... Bxe4 44. dxe5 f5! 45. Nd7 f4+ 46. Kf2 Kg6 must win for Black.
44. d5 Kg7 45. Ne6+ Kf7 46. Kf2 b6 47. g3 Bd7 48. h4 gxh4 49. gxh4 Bxa4 50. h5 Bb5 51. Ke3 a4 52. h6 Kg6 53. Kd2 Kxh6 54. d6 Kh5 55. Nf8 Kg5 56. d7 Bxd7 57. Nxd7 a3 58. Kc2 b5 59. Kb3 b4 60. Ka2 f5

61. Nxe5?? Drama accomplishes. 61. exf5! would have crowned White’s defence; for example: 61. ... e4 (or 61. ... Kxf5 62. Nc5 e4 63. Na6!=) 62. Nb8! e3 63. Nc6 e2 64. Nd4 with a draw.
61. ... Kf4! 62. Nd3+ Kxe4 63. Nxb4 f4 64. Na6 f3 65. Nc5+ Ke3 0-1.

To get from a drawish opening to a sharp middle game may turn out to be a mission impossible even for the chess elite. Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova/chess.com.