Relatively Speaking

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno

3rd Tata Steel India Women’s Rapid Tournament; time control: 25 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Kolkata, November 14, 2024

Catalan Opening E06

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. g3 Be7 5. Bg2 0-0 6. Nc3 Nbd7 7. b3 dxc4 8. bxc4 c5 9. e3 cxd4 10. exd4

10. ... Nb6?! 10. ... e5! seems Black’s best, so as to reply to 11. dxe5 with 11. ... Qa5! 12. exf6 Bxf6 regaining the piece with equality.
11. Qb3 Qc7? 11. ... e5 was still in order, which might have been followed up by 12. dxe5 Be6 with some complications yet.
12. Ne5 Nfd7 13. Nb5 Qd8 14. 0-0 a6 15. Nxd7 Bxd7 16. Nc3 Bf6?! (16. ... e5 17. dxe5 Rc8 18. Bxb7 Rxc4 19. Nd5±)
17. Be3 Rb8 18. Rab1 Na8 19. Bf4 Rc8 20. Rfd1 b5 21. c5 Bc6

22. d5! Bxc3 23. dxc6 Qf6 24. Rd7 b4. 24. ... Be5 25. Be3 was not too appealing either. But definitely better than what follows after the text.
25. Bd6 Rfe8 26. Rd1 Qf5 27. Qa4 a5 28. c7 e5 29. Bd5 Kh8 30. Rxf7 Qh5 31. Rd7 Bd4 32. Rf1 e4 33. Bf7 Qf3 34. Qc6 Qe2 35. Bxe8 e3!? With a last-ditch stroke of desperation, Lagno played her last card!

36. Bh5! exf2+ 37. Kg2 1–0.

Goryachkina at her best: crystal-clear strategy and elegant simplicity. Photo: Lennart Ootes.