A Way with a Will

Boris Abramovich Gelfand – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
4th FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament; Samarkand, September 13, 2025
Queen’s Gambit Declined D53

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e3 h6 6. Bxf6 Bxf6 7. cxd5 exd5 8. Qb3 c6 9. Nf3 Nd7 10. Bd3 0-0 11. 0-0 Re8 12. Rad1. The strategic alternative is 12. h3 Nf8 13. Qc2 Be7 14. Rab1 Bd6 15. Rfe1 Be6 16. b4 Rc8 17. Qa4 Qd7 18. Qd1 Bb8 19. Nd2 Re7 20. Nf1 Bf5 21. Bxf5 Qxf5 22. Qg4 Qxg4 23. hxg4 Nd7 24. f3 Nb6 25. Kf2 Nc4 26. a4 a5 27. bxa5 Bc7 28. a6 bxa6 29. Rb3 Ba5 30. Reb1 Kh7 31. Ne2 Rce8 32.Rb7 Bc7 33. R7b3 Bd6 34. Nc1 a5 35. Rb7 c5 36. Rxe7 Rxe7 37. Rb5 cxd4 38. exd4 Bb4 39. Nb3 Be1+ 40. Kg1 Ne3 41. g3 Nd1 42. Nxa5 Bf2+ 43. Kh1 Re1 44. Kg2 Re2 45. Kh1 Be1 46. Nc6 Nf2+ 47. Kg1 Nh3+ 48. Kh1 Nf2+ 49. Kg1 Nh3+ 50. Kh1 Nf2+ 51. Kg1 ½–½ Botvinnik – Levenfish, 3rd International Tournament, Moscow 1936.
12. ... Nf8 13. h3 Ne6 14. Bb1 Nc7 15. Rfe1 Rb8 16. e4 dxe4 17. Nxe4 Bf5 18. Nxf6+ Qxf6 19. Rxe8+ Nxe8 20. Ne5 Be6 21. Qd3 Rd8 22. Re1 Qf4 23. Qh7+ Kf8

24. Bg6 Qd2 25. Nf3 Qf4 26. Ne5 Qd2 27. Nf3 Qf4 28. Re3. In hindsight, it would have been wise to take a draw by repetition (28. Ne5).
28. ... Qf6 29. Bc2 g5 30. Qd3 Nd6

31. Ne5? Gelfand still seeks a combinative-tactical solution, but his calculations will prove erroneous. Instead, he ought to play 31. Qa3! Kg7 32. Qxa7 Nb5 33. Qxb7 Nxd4 34. Nxd4 Rxd4 35. Rf3 Qe5 36. Bb3 Rd7 37. Qxc6 Rc7 38. Re3 Bxb3 39. Rxe5 Rxc6 40. axb3 Rc1+ 41. Kh2 Rc2 with a draw coming soon.
31. ... Nb5! 32. Rf3 Qg7 33. Bb3 Nxd4 34. Bxe6 Qxe5 35. Re3 Qc5 36. Bd7 Rxd7 37. Qh7 Ne6! Sic et simpliciter. White could well resign here.
38. Rxe6 Rd1+ 39. Kh2 fxe6 40. Qxh6+ Ke7 41. Qg7+ Kd8 0–1.

Goryachkina scored her third win at the open FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament over Belarusian-Israeli Grandmaster and former World Championship challenger Gelfand. Photo: Vladimir Leonidovich Barsky.