Hidden Rhythms

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Stavroula Tsolakidou
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2024–25; 2nd stage; Shimkent, November 2, 2024
Sicilian Defence B30

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 e6 4. 0-0 Nge7 5. Re1 Nd4 6. Nxd4 cxd4 7. c3 a6 8. Bf1 Nc6 9. b4 Bd6 10. Bb2 dxc3 11. dxc3 Qc7 12. h3 0-0 13. Nd2 b6

14. Nc4!? Probably an improvement on Cheparinov – Caruana, 45th Chess Olympiad, Budapest 2024, which continued 14. a3 Bb7 15. c4 Bh2+ 16. Kh1 Be5 17. Qb3 Bxb2 18. Qxb2 a5 19. Kg1 axb4 20. axb4 Ne5 21. Qd4 h6 22. Rec1 Nc6 23. Qc3 Rxa1 24. Rxa1 Rc8 25. Qb2 d6 with more or less equality.
14. ... Bh2+ 15. Kh1 Bf4. Likewise 15. ... b5 16. Ne3 Be5 17. a4⩲ leaves White with a slight, but lasting, edge.
16. Bc1 Rb8 17. a4 b5 18. Bxf4 Qxf4 19. Qd2 Qxd2 20. Nxd2 d6 21. Red1 Rd8 22. Nb1. The Knight is heading to a3 where it attacks the b-Pawn. Black has not yet succeeded in getting in her comfort zone due to the relative weaknesses on b5 and d6.
22. ... Kf8 23. axb5 axb5 24. Na3 Na7 25. Nc4! bxc4 26. Rxa7

26. ... Bb7? Probably the losing move. Black would have had little or nothing to worry about after 26. ... Rb7! 27. Ra5 Rbd7 followed by the advance of her d-Pawn.
27. Rd4! d5. Consistent but useless as it does not prevent White from winning a decisive Pawn.
28. Bxc4! Bc6. If 28. ... dxc4 then 29. Rxb7! Rxb7 30. Rxd8+ Ke7 31. Rc8 winning another Pawn.
29. exd5 exd5 30. Ba6. Goryachkina conducts the ending with refined and irreproachable technique.
30. ... Rd6 31. Rc7 Rf6 32. f3 Rb6 33. Bd3 g6 34. Kg1 Rb7 35. Rc8+ Ke7 36. Kf2 h5 37. h4 Kd7 38. Rh8 Kd6 39. Kg3 Ke5 40. Rc8 Kd6 41. Be4 Rb5 42. Rd8+ Ke5

43. f4+! Winning material by force.
43. ... Rxf4 (43. ... Ke6 44. c4+−)
44. Bxd5! 1–0. Black resigns as she loses either an Exchange (44. ... Bxd5 45. Rxf4) or a piece (44. ... Rxd4 45. cxd4+ Kf6 46. Bxc6).

A crystal-clear strategy may make what is difficult look easy. Photo: Konstantin Chalabov/FIDE.