Little Something

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Anna Olehivna Muzychuk
Women’s Candidates Tournament 2024; Toronto, April 5, 2024
Slav Defence D14

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. cxd5 cxd5 4. Bf4 Nc6 5. e3 Nf6 6. Nc3 Bf5 7. Nf3 e6 8. Ne5 Nxe5 9. dxe5 Nd7 10. e4 dxe4 11. Bb5 a6. 11. ... Bc5 is perhaps sounder; for example: 12. Rc1 a6 13. Bxd7+ Qxd7 14. Qxd7+ Kxd7 15. Na4 Ba7 16. Ke2 Rhc8 17. Be3 b5 18. Rhd1+ Ke8 19. Rxc8+ Rxc8 20. Bxa7 bxa4 21. Ke3 a3 22. Bd4 axb2 23. Bxb2 Rc5 24. Rc1 Ra5 25. a3 Rb5 26. Bd4 Kd7 27. h4 h6 28. Kf4 Rb3 29. Rc3 Rxc3 30. Bxc3 h5 ½–½ Mamedyarov – 余泱漪 (Yú Yāngyī), 1st Tech Mahindra Global Chess League, Triveni Continental Kings – Chingari Gulf Titans, Dubai 2023 (time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move).
12. Bxd7+ Qxd7 13. Qxd7+ Kxd7 14. Na4

14. ... Rb8. Online databases contemplate 14. ... Bb4+ 15. Ke2 Ke7 16. Nb6 Rab8 17. Rac1 Rhd8 18. Rc7+ Ke8 19. Rhc1 Ba5 20. Be3 f6?? (an incomprehensible blunder) 21. Rxg7 fxe5 22. Rcc7 1–0 Možný – Černý, 52nd Open Tatry, Tatranské Zruby 2006.
15. Rd1+. In his annotations for Championat, Grandmaster Dmitry Vadimovich Kryakvin notes that “Either Aleksandra Yuryevna forgot a little something or maybe she and her coach had a different idea. When your commentator adopted this variation back in 2016, the main idea was to continue with 15. Nb6+ Kc7 16. Be3 Bb4+ 17. Ke2 Rbd8 18. Rhc1+ Kb8 19. Rc4 Ba5 20. b4 Bxb6 21. Bxb6 Rd5 22. a4 and it’s not so easy for Black to defend with Bishops of opposite colours”.
15. ... Ke8 16. Be3 Bg4 17. Rc1 Bb4+ 18. Bd2 Be7 19. h3 Bh5 20. 0-0 Be2 21. Rfe1 Bd3. Kryakvin evaluates the return of the Pawn by 21. ... Bb5 22. Rxe4 Bc6 as fine for Black.
22. Be3 b5 23. Nb6 f5 24. Rc6 Kf7 25. Rec1

25. ... Rb7? Pressed by the clock, Muzychuk loses the thread of her defence. 25. ... Bd8 came here into consideration; for example: 26. Nc8 b4 27. Nd6+ Kg6 28. Rc8 Rxc8 29. Rxc8 Rf8!= 30. Bc5 Be7 31. Rc7 Bd8 offering a draw by repetition.
26. Nc8!? 26. Rc7! at once might be stronger.
26. ... Rd7? 26. ... Bb4 is a more stubborn defence, but 27. a3 Bf8 28. h4! b4 29. a4 also leaves White with the upper hand, despite her being a Pawn down.

27. Rc7! Rhd8 (27. ... Rxc7 28. Rxc7 Re8 29. Nd6++−)
28. Nxe7 Bc4. This drops a piece, but retaking with either King or Rook would lose the Exchange (28. ... Kxe7 29. Bg5+ or 28. ... Rxe7 29. Rxe7+ Kxe7 30. Bg5+).
29. Rxd7 Rxd7 30. Nc8 Bxa2 31. Nd6+ Kg6 32. Ra1 1–0.

“I liked how I played”, Goryachkina then summed up. “It was a complicated position, but for Black, it was more difficult to play and my opponent did not manage to defend successfully”. Photo: Michał Walusza/FIDE.