Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Vantika Agrawal
3rd Tata Steel India Women’s Rapid Tournament; time control: 25 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Kolkata, November 14, 2024
French Defence C07
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. exd5 Qxd5 5. Ngf3 cxd4 6. Bc4 Qd6 7. 0-0 Nf6 8. Nb3 Nc6 9. Nbxd4 Nxd4 10. Nxd4 Be7 11. c3 0-0 12. Qf3 e5 13. Nf5 Bxf5 14. Qxf5 Qc7 15. Bb3 a5 16. Bg5 g6 17. Qf3 Kg7 18. Rfe1 a4 19. Bc2 Ra6 20. Rad1 h6 21. Bh4 Re8 22. Bd3 Re6 23. Bb5 e4!? The Pawn will have a short life on a4, even though its fall should not prejudice the possibility for Black to draw. 23. ... Ra8 24. Qe2 a3 seems to be a simpler way to equality.
24. Qe2 Ra8 25. Qc4 Qxc4 26. Bxc4 Rb6 27. Re2 Rc8 28. b3 axb3 29. axb3 Rd6 30. Rde1 b5 31. Bxb5 Rxc3 32. Bc4 Rd7 33. Bxf6+ Bxf6 34. Rxe4. The e-Pawn has fallen, but Black’s initiative, helped by the presence of Bishops of opposite colour, sufficiently compensates for its loss.
34. ... Rc2 35. g3 Rdd2 36. R1e2 Rxe2 37. Bxe2 Bc3 38. Bc4 Bf6 39. Rf4 Rd2 40. Kg2 Rd4 41. Rf3 h5 42. h3 Re4 43. Kf1 Rd4 44. Re3 Bd8 45. Ke2 Rd6 46. f4 h4 47. g4 Rf6 48. Re4 Bc7 49. Kf3
24. Qe2 Ra8 25. Qc4 Qxc4 26. Bxc4 Rb6 27. Re2 Rc8 28. b3 axb3 29. axb3 Rd6 30. Rde1 b5 31. Bxb5 Rxc3 32. Bc4 Rd7 33. Bxf6+ Bxf6 34. Rxe4. The e-Pawn has fallen, but Black’s initiative, helped by the presence of Bishops of opposite colour, sufficiently compensates for its loss.
34. ... Rc2 35. g3 Rdd2 36. R1e2 Rxe2 37. Bxe2 Bc3 38. Bc4 Bf6 39. Rf4 Rd2 40. Kg2 Rd4 41. Rf3 h5 42. h3 Re4 43. Kf1 Rd4 44. Re3 Bd8 45. Ke2 Rd6 46. f4 h4 47. g4 Rf6 48. Re4 Bc7 49. Kf3
49. ... Bd6? Here the Bishop hinders the Rook from settling itself in. 49. ... Kf8 50. g5 Rd6 should hold without too much difficulty.
50. g5 Rf5 51. Kg4 Kf8
50. g5 Rf5 51. Kg4 Kf8
52. Rd4? White had to take his chance now. 52. b4! was here the best (with the point that 52. ... Bxb4? loses to 53. Bxf7!), followed by the further advance of the Pawn to b5 and the taking of the h4-Pawn.
52. ... Ke7? Agrawal, too, misses her bus. After 52. ... Bc5 53. Rd7 Bf2 54. Bd3 Rc5 White seems to be at a standstill.
53. Bd3 Rc5 54. Kxh4 Rc3 55. Bc4 Bc5 56. Rd3 Rc2. If 56. ... Rxd3 57. Bxd3 f5 then 58. gxf6+ Kxf6 59. Kg4 Kg7 60. h4 with a hopeless ending for Black, in spite of the Bishops of opposite colour.
57. Kg4 Rg2+ 58. Kf3 Rf2+ 59. Kg3 Rb2 60. Rd5 Bd6 61. h4 Rc2 62. Rb5 Rc3+ 63. Kg4 f5+ 1–0. For after 64. gxf6+ Kxf6 65. Rb6 Ke7 66. Rb7+ Kf8 67. Rf7+ Ke8 68. Rf6 Black’s last Pawn falls, leaving Agrawal three Pawns down.
53. Bd3 Rc5 54. Kxh4 Rc3 55. Bc4 Bc5 56. Rd3 Rc2. If 56. ... Rxd3 57. Bxd3 f5 then 58. gxf6+ Kxf6 59. Kg4 Kg7 60. h4 with a hopeless ending for Black, in spite of the Bishops of opposite colour.
57. Kg4 Rg2+ 58. Kf3 Rf2+ 59. Kg3 Rb2 60. Rd5 Bd6 61. h4 Rc2 62. Rb5 Rc3+ 63. Kg4 f5+ 1–0. For after 64. gxf6+ Kxf6 65. Rb6 Ke7 66. Rb7+ Kf8 67. Rf7+ Ke8 68. Rf6 Black’s last Pawn falls, leaving Agrawal three Pawns down.
One cannot but marvel at the technique and patience of Goryachkina in getting the most from the little she had to work with. Photo: Kartik Krishnan. |
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