Rasgulla

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk

3rd Tata Steel India Women’s Rapid Tournament; time control: 25 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Kolkata, November 13, 2024

6k1/5p2/4n3/2p1P2K/1r6/1p6/1Q6/8 w - - 0 61

Position after 60. ... c6-c5

The diagram gives the position after Black’s sixtieth move. Imbalance reigns supreme — but only materially. Well, alright, a Queen is a Queen, but two united passed Pawns are too many! White is simply lost, so Goryachkina does the only thing she can think of. She gives check.
61. Qg2+ Kh7 62. Qb2 c4 63. Qb1+ Kh8? The Black King goes to its ruin. The right way was 63. ... Kg7! 64. Qg1+ Kf8 leaving White resourceless.

64. Kh6! Threatening mate on h7.
64. ... Nf8? After throwing away the win, Kosteniuk also throws away the draw. Black had to play 64. ... Kg8 65. Qh1 b2 (or 65. ... Rb8 66. Qg2+ Kf8 67. Qc6=) 66. Qa8+ Nf8 67. Qg2+ leaving White content with perpetual check.
65. e6! The tables are turned dramatically.
65. ... Rb6. Black goes straight into checkmate, but other moves are no better; for example: 65. ... Ng6 66. Qf5 or 65. ... c3 66. e7 winning easily in all cases.
66. Qb2+ 1–0. For mate follows in three moves.

The derby between the two Алекса́ндраs — one is transliterated as Aleksandra and the other one as Alexandra — did not disappoint expectations, with roller-coaster twists and turns, dramas and melodramas. Photo: Lennart Ootes.