A Breath Away

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Meruert Askarovna Kamalidenova
3rd Women’s Chess World Cup; Round 2; match game 2; Batumi, July 10, 2025
8/1p6/2k1p2R/4K3/5Pr1/8/1P6/8 b - - 0 52

Position after 52. Rh7xh6

Goryachkina, after losing her first game yesterday, had today to win at all costs, but she got nothing but a dead drawn Rook endgame after a loop of 52 moves forth and back from immobilism to immobility. However, luck was on her side as Kamalidenova broke under the burden of her emotions:
52. ... Kd7? As always, passivity does not pay. Black ought to play 52. ... Kc5! 53. Rxe6 b5 with a tablebase draw.
53. Rh7+! Obviously not 53. Rxe6? Rxf4! with a draw.
53. ... Kc6 54. Re7!

54. ... Rg2. If 54. ... b5 then 55. b4!+− (and not 55. Rxe6+? Kc5 transposing to the note after Black’s 52th move).
55. Rxe6+ Kc7 56. b4 Rb2 57. Re7+ Kc6 58. f5 Rxb4 59. f6. The Pawn cannot be stopped by reasonably fair means.
59. ... Rb1. 59. ... Rb5+! 60. Ke4! Rb1 61. f7+− is a technical win for White, while in case of 60. Ke6? (instead of 60. Ke4!) Grandmaster Sergei Yuryevich Shipov analysed a remarkable drawing variation: 60. ... Rb2!! 61. f7 b5 62. Rc7+ Kxc7 63. f8=Q Rc2!! with a fortress (instead, 60. ... Rb1?? and 63. ... Rc1 would lose the Rook by the Queen check at f4).
60. f7 Re1+ 61. Kf6 Rf1+ 62. Kg7 Rg1+ 63. Kf8 b5 64. Re5 Ra1 65. Kg7 Ra7 66. Kg6 1–0.

Goryachkina was one breath away from ruin. Photo: Anna Shtourman/FIDE.