Up and Down Stairs

Haik M. Martirosyan – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
20th European Individual Chess Championship; Skopje, March 27, 2019
Réti Opening A07

A particularly difficult opponent awaited Goryachkina today. World Youth Chess Champion Under-16 in 2016, Armenian Chess Champion in 2018, last month Martirosyan just shared first place with Kaido Külaots in the 17th Aeroflot Open, finishing second on tie-break. 1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 c6 3. Bg2 Bg4 4. d3 Nf6 5. Nbd2 Nbd7 6. h3 Bh5 7. 0-0 e5 8. e4 dxe4 9. dxe4 Be7 10. Qe1 0-0 11. Nc4 Qc7 12. Nh4 Rfe8 13. a4 Bf8 14. Bd2 Nc5 15. Bc3. Of course, there is another way, quite similar: 15. Ba5 b6 16. Bc3 Nfd7 17. f4 f6 18. fxe5 fxe5 19. Ne3 Ne6 20. Nef5 Rad8 21. Kh1 Nf6 22. Nh6+ gxh6 23. Rxf6 Nd4 24. Rf2 Bg6 25. Qe3 Qg7 26. Raf1 Be7 27. Nxg6 Qxg6 28. Be1 Rf8 29. b4 Rxf2 30. Rxf2 Rf8 31. c3 Rxf2 32. Bxf2 Ne6 33. h4 Nc7 34. Qd3 Qd6 35. Qc4+ Qe6 36. Qxe6+ Nxe6 37. Be3 Bf8 38. Bh3 Kf7 39. Bf1 Nc7 40. Bc4+ Kf6 41. Kg2 Ne8 42. Bg8 Kg7 43. Be6 Nf6 44. Kf3 Kg6 45. Bf5+ Kg7 46. Ke2 h5 47. Kd3 Kf7 48. a5 1 : 0 Nakamura – Pelletier, 6th Kortschnoi Zürich Chess Challenge (45+10), Zürich 2017. 15. ... Nfd7 16. f4!? Black gained the upper hand in Javakhadze – Sevian, 10th Philadelphia Open, Philadelphia 2016, after 16. Bf3? Bxf3 17. Nxf3 b5!⩱ — understandably, White changes direction and move. 16. ... exf4 17. gxf4 f6 18. b4. 18. e5 Nb6 doesn’t seem to lead anywhere. 18. ... Bf7 19. Nd2 Na6. 19. ... Ne6 20. e5 c5⩱ seems to offer more prospects for an advantage. Black’s move is not wrong in itself, but, as it will become clear very soon, it aims at the wrong target. 20. Rb1 Qb6+ 21. Kh1

21. ... Bxb4?? A grave miscalculation, which in fact costs Goryachkina the game immediately. Black ought to play 21. ... c5! 22. a5! Qd8 23. b5 Nb4 24. Qg3! Nxc2 25. e5 with White’s initiative compensating for the Pawn, but probably not more. 22. Bxb4 Nxb4 23. Qg3! Black cannot defend both wings. 23. ... Nf8 24. Nf5 Ng6 25. Nd6 Re7 26. e5 Ba2 27. Rb2 fxe5 28. fxe5 Bd5 29. c3 Bxg2+ 30. Qxg2 Qe3 31. cxb4 Qxe5 32. N2c4 Qe6 33. Rff2 Qe1+ 34. Kh2 Rd8 35. b5 Qe6 36. Rbe2 Qd7 37. bxc6 bxc6 38. Rxe7 Qxe7 39. Qxc6 Qe6 40. Qc7 Rf8 41. Qxa7 Rxf2+ 42. Qxf2 1 : 0.

Something Special

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Rauf Mamedov
20th European Individual Chess Championship; Skopje, March 26, 2019
King’s Indian Defence E81

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3 0-0 6. Be3 c5 7. Nge2 Nc6 8. d5 Na5. The alternative is 8. ... Ne5, against which Goryachkina scored a crushing victory not so long ago: 9. Ng3 h5 10. Be2 h4 11. Nf1 e6 12. Bg5 h3 13. Ne3 hxg2 14. Rg1 Qa5 15. Qd2 exd5 16. Bxf6 Bxf6 17. Nexd5 Bh4+ 18. Kd1 Qd8 19. f4 Ng4 20. Rxg2 Nf2+ 21. Kc2 Bh3 22. Rgg1 Re8 23. Bf3 Qc8 24. Rg3 Bxg3 25. hxg3 Ng4 26. Rh1 Nh6 27. Nf6+ Kf8 28. Qxd6+ Re7 29. Ncd5 Ng8 30. Nxg8 1 : 0 Goryachkina – Blohberger, 16th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival, Catalan Bay 2018. 9. b3 a6 10. Rc1 Bd7 11. Ng3 Rb8 12. Bd3! This is probably an improvement on 12. a3 b5 13. cxb5 axb5 14. b4 cxb4 15. axb4 Nc4 which seems to be fine for Black, Keymer – Nikolov, 26th ZMDI Open, Dresden 2017. 12. ... b5 13. 0-0 bxc4 14. bxc4 Qc7 15. Bd2 e6. Worth considering was 15. ... Rb2 16. Rc2 (or 16. Rb1 Rb4!?∞) 16. ... Rfb8 with a reasonable game. 16. Qe1 Rfe8. 16. ... Rb2 was still possible, after which White can continue with both 17. Rb1 and 17. Rf2 with an edge in either case. 17. Nce2 Nb7 18. Bc3 h5 19. Qd2. Here 19. dxe6 Bxe6 (19. ... fxe6? 20. e5!+−) 20. f4 was a tempting, perhaps stronger, option. 19. ... e5 20. Rb1 h4 21. Nh1 Nh5 22. Rb3 Kh7 23. Rfb1 Bh6 24. Qb2 Bc8 25. Rb6. White succeeded in getting a big advantage by simple means, and now she has somehow to turn it into a win — a thing still far from easy. 25. ... Be3+ 26. Kf1 Qe7 27. Bd2 Qg5. 27. ... Bxd2 28. Qxd2 Ra8 looks a more stubborn defence, but after 29. Nf2 (among others) White continues to be in the driver’s seat. 28. Bxe3 Qxe3 29. Nf2 h3

30. Qc1. Now the engines suggest 30. g4! (followed, in case of 30. ... Nf6, by 31. Ng1) — which could indeed be White’s best winning attempt. However, it’s hard to think that Goryachkina’s move may be wrong. 30. ... hxg2+ 31. Kxg2 Qxc1 32. Rxc1 Ra8 33. Bc2 Na5? With the approaching of the time control, Mamedov becomes anxious and helps his opponent decisively in fulfilling her wishes. The move in the text, indeed, loses a vital Pawn, leaving White with a powerful passed central Pawn and (nearly) a technical win. Therefore a better advice would be 33. ... Kg7 34. Nd3± — White stands obviously better, but no forced win is demonstrable. 34. Rxd6 Nxc4 35. Rc6 Ne3+ 36. Kg1 Bd7 37. Rxc5 Nxc2 38. R5xc2 Kg7 39. Nd3 Bb5 40. Nc5 Rec8 41. Ng3! 1 : 0.

Far From Over

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Alexander Alexandrovich Moiseenko
20th European Individual Chess Championship; Skopje, March 24, 2019
Nimzo-Indian Defence E36

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 d5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 c5!? 7. dxc5 d4. Moiseenko chose the sharp variation introduced by his country fellow Grandmaster Oleg Mikhailovich Romanishin in which Black sacrifices one or two Pawns for a powerful initiative. 8. Qg3 Nc6 9. Nf3. 12th World Chess Champion Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov paid dearly for taking the second Pawn: 9. Qxg7 Rg8 10. Qh6 e5 11. b4 Rg6 12. Qd2 Ne4 13. Qb2 Qf6 14. e3 a5 15. b5 Ne7 16. Bd3? Nxc5 17. Bxg6 Qxg6 18. Kf1 Be6−+ Karpov – Édouard, 5th Karpov Trophy, Cap d’Agde 2016. 9. ... e5 10. b4 e4. A very interesting though controversial other line is 10. ... 0-0 11. Nxe5 Ne4 12. Nxc6 bxc6 13. Qd3 Bf5 14. Bb2 Qg5∞ Dreev – Sakaev, 60th Russian Chess Championship, Moscow 2007. 11. Nd2. White could also continue 11. b5 exf3 (11. ... Na5 12. Nd2 appears to be more unpleasant for Black) 12. bxc6 with a very slight edge. 11. ... Be6! A powerful novelty instead of 11. ... 0-0 12. e3⩲ Ivanišević – Naiditsch, 20th Vidmar Memorial, Bled 2016. 12. e3!? Goryachkina boldly challenges her opponent to show his cards. But, objectively speaking, the best continuation seems to be 12. Qxg7 Rg8 13. Qh6 Qe7! (intending Queenside castling), with Black’s development advantage well compensating for the two sacrificed Pawns. 12. ... Nh5! 13. Qd6 Qh4! 14. g3 Qf6 15. Nxe4 Qf3 16. Ng5 Qxh1 17. Nxe6 fxe6 18. Qxe6+ Kf8. What an unbalance! White has two Bishops and three Pawns against Rook and two Knights, and, more importantly still, an arrow in reserve.

19. b5! Re8!? Black decides to return a Knight in order to coordinate his position without running risks. 20. Qd6+?? It is hard to understand such unbelievably bad judgment! It was natural and consequent 20. Qf5+! Nf6 21. bxc6 Qxc6 (maybe 21. ... bxc6!?∞) 22. g4!? h6!?∞ with a game unclear enough to make its outcome more unclear. 20. ... Ne7 21. exd4 Kf7 22. Be3 Nf6 23. 0-0-0. White’s position quickly deteriorates now, but there were no good moves; if 23. Qf4 there might follow 23. ... g5! with devastating force. 23. ... Nf5 24. Qf4 Nxe3 25. fxe3 Qxh2 26. Bd3. Allowing Her Majesty to enter the Queenside stage, but 26. Rd2 Qg1 27. Rf2 Rhf8 would have lead to the same outcome. 26. ... Qa2 27. g4 h6 28. Rf1 Rhf8 29. g5 hxg5 30. Qxg5 Kg8 31. Rg1 Re7 32. Qg3 Rff7 33. c6 bxc6 34. bxc6 Qxa3+ 35. Kd2 Qb4+ 36. Ke2 Nh5 0 : 1.

Arrivals & Departures

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Romain Édouard
20th European Individual Chess Championship; Skopje, March 21, 2019
Queen’s Pawn Game A40

1. d4 e6 2. c4 Bb4+ 3. Bd2 a5 4. e4 d5 5. a3 Bxd2+ 6. Nxd2 dxe4 7. Nxe4 Nf6 8. Nc3 0-0 9. Be2 Na6 10. Nf3 c5 11. 0-0 Qb6

12. Na4 Qc7 13. Nxc5 Nxc5 14. dxc5 Qxc5 15. Qd4 Qxd4 16. Nxd4 a4 17. f4 Bd7 18. Bf3 Rac8 19. Rac1 Rc7 ½ : ½. Bravo to Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina for the authority with which she yielded a draw in Round 4 of the 20th European Individual Chess Championship to French Grandmaster Romain Édouard, who recently authored the book “My Magic Years with Topalov” (Thinkers Publishing, Landegem, 2019).

Two-time Russian Women’s Chess Champion Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina on her way back from the 7th World Women’s Team Chess Championship in Kazakhstan, where she finished undefeated with 8 out of 9. Photo © RIA Novosti/Valery Melnikov.

Just One Time

Boris Abramovich Gelfand – Alessio Valsecchi
20th European Individual Chess Championship; Skopje, March 19, 2019
English Opening A18

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. e4 d5 4. e5 d4 5. exf6 dxc3 6. bxc3 Qxf6 7. d4 c5 8. Nf3 h6 9. Bd3 cxd4 10. cxd4 Bb4+ 11. Kf1!? Nd7!? Vintage theory reads thus: 11. ... Nc6 12. Bb2 Bc5 13. Bc2 0-0 14. Qd3 Rd8 15. Rd1 with the initiative, Seirawan – Kortschnoi, 42th Hoogovens International Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 1980. 12. Rb1 Be7 13. c5 e5 14. Bb2 Qe6? This is the first serious error by Valsecchi. 14. ... 0-0! seemed perfectly playable. 15. Nxe5 Nxe5

16. d5! This powerful zwischenzug, obviously unforeseen by Valsecchi — who was probably expecting 16. dxe5? 0-0! — decisively crushes Black’s position. 16. ... Qf6 17. Qe2 Bf5 18. Bb5+ Kf8 19. Bxe5 Qg6 20. Re1. Maybe it’s only a matter of taste, but 20. Rb3! Bxc5 21. Rg3 Bg4! 22. Qb2! f6 23. Bd3 seems even stronger. 20. ... a6. If 20. ... Bxc5 then 21. h4! maintaining the bind on Black. 21. Bg3! axb5. 21. ... Re8 is no better, on account of 22. d6! axb5 23. Kg1! followed by d6xe7+ and Bg3-d6 with overwhelming advantage. 22. Qxe7+ Kg8 23. h4 Rxa2. 23. ... Kh7 should likewise have been met by Kf1-g1-h2. 24. h5? This move incredibly loses a crucial tempo, which could have costed Gelfand a well deserved win. White ought to play 24. Kg1! at once, to be followed by Kg1-h2. 24. ... Qg5! 25. d6!? If 25. Qe8+ then 25. ... Kh7 26. Qxf7 Rha8 (intending to exchange two pairs of Rooks) 27. Kg1 Ra1 28. Kh2 Rf8!! 29. Qe7 Qxh5+ 30. Qh4 Qxh4+ 31. Bxh4 Rxe1 32. Rxe1 Rc8 33. Be7 b4 with equality. 25. ... Qd2? Valsecchi misses his salvation: after 25. ... Qxe7! 26. dxe7 Kh7! there’s nothing left for White except to content himself with a draw. 26. Kg1! But now it’s all right again! 26. ... Kh7 27. Kh2 Rc8. Black self-mates in short order, but other moves weren’t better. 28. Qxf7 Rxc5 29. Re8 Qd5 30. Qf8 1 : 0.

It’s Not Luck

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Mikhail Robertovich Kobalia
20th European Individual Chess Championship; Skopje, March 19, 2019
Semi-Slav Defence D45

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 a6 6. b3 Bb4 7. Bd2 Nbd7 8. Bd3 0-0 9. 0-0 Qe7 10. Bc2! After the routine 10. Qc2 it might follow: 10. ... e5 11. dxe5 Nxe5 12. Nxe5 Qxe5 13. Nxd5 Nxd5 14. cxd5 Bxd2 15. Qxd2 Qxd5 16. Qc2 Qh5 17. f4 f5 18. Rae1 Be6 19. e4 fxe4 20. Bxe4 Bd5 21. f5 Bxe4 22. Rxe4 Rae8 23. Qc4+ Qf7 24. Rxe8 Rxe8 25. Qg4 Qf6 26. Qc4+ Qf7 27. Qg4 Qf6 28. Qc4+ Qf7 ½ : ½ Goryachkina – Korchmar, 54th World Junior Chess Championship, Khanty-Mansiysk 2015. 10. ... b6!? If 10. ... e5 then 11. Nxd5! cxd5 12. Bxb4 Qxb4 13. dxe5 Ng4 14. Qd4 Nh6 15. cxd5 Qxd4 16. exd4 with a small advantage for White in the endgame. In the première game of 10. Bc2, play instead continued with 10. ... Rd8 11. a3!? Bxa3!? 12. Rxa3! Qxa3 13. c5! (Black’s Queen is almost trapped!) 13. ... b6!? 14. b4!? (Aronian – Carlsen, 5th Altibox Norway Chess, Stavanger 2017), and now Black’s best would have probably been 14. ... Qb2 15. cxb6 Nxb6 16. Ne5 Ne4 17. Nxe4 dxe4 18. Bxe4⩲ (Alex Vladislavovich Yermolinsky’s analysis). 11. Re1 dxc4 12. bxc4 Bb7 13. e4 e5 14. Ne2 Bxd2 15. Qxd2 Rfe8 16. Ng3 g6

17. Qg5! With the obvious threat of Ng3-f5. White clearly got the upper hand. 17. ... Kh8 18. Nxe5 Nxe5 19. dxe5 Qxe5 20. Qxe5 Rxe5 21. f4 Rc5 22. e5 Nd5 23. Bb3? White is seeking complications, but simply 23. cxd5 Rxc2 24. Rec1! Rxc1+ 25. Rxc1 c5 (or 25. ... cxd5 26. Rc7 winning back the Pawn with powerful advantage) 26. d6 seems to give her a much better ending. 23. ... Nxf4 24. Ne4 Rxe5 25. Nd6 Rxe1+ 26. Rxe1 Rb8 27. c5?? This inversion of moves — due to miscalculation — has serious, immediate consequences. White first ought to play 27. Re7 and after 27. ... Ba8 then 28. c5! walling up Black’s Bishop, even though at cost of two Pawns. There might still follow: 28. ... bxc5 29. Nxf7+ Kg7 30. Nd6+ Kh6 31. g3 (if 31. h4 then 31. ... c4! 32. Nxc4 Nd5 33. Ra7 g5! with a drawish outcome) 31. ... Nd5 32. Ra7 Nb6! 33. Rxa6 c4! 34. Nxc4 Nxc4 35. Bxc4 c5 with a draw soon coming. 27. ... Nd3 28. Re7 Nxc5. And the tables are turned! Strangely, Goryachkina must have overlooked this move when she played 27. c5. 29. g4!? Maybe a little better is 29. Bxf7, though even then it would follow 29. ... Kg7! 30. Bc4+ Kf6 31. Rxh7 a5 with a clearly better endgame for Black. 29. ... Nxb3 30. axb3 Ba8 31. g5 Kg8 32. Rxf7 Rd8 33. Rf6 Rf8 34. Re6 c5 35. Ne8 Kf7 36. Nc7 Rc8 37. Rf6+ Ke7 38. Nxa8 Rxa8 39. Rxb6 c4 40. b4. 40.bxc4 a5 loses as well. 40. ... Rc8 41. Rxa6 c3 42. Ra1 Kd6 43. Kf2 Kd5 44. b5 c2 0 : 1.

Pictured above is two-time Russian Women’s Chess Champion Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina, who, at the recent World Women’s Team Chess Championship, was the undisputed superstar of the Russian women’s team, winning 6 games in a row and finishing unbeaten with 8 out of 9. Photo: eicc2019.mk.