The Only Woman in the Room

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Alexander Vladimirovich Riazantsev
29th Russian Team Chess Championship; Sochi, May 1, 2022
Slav Defence D10

1. c4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. cxd5 cxd5 4. Bf4 Nc6 5. e3 Bf5 6. Nc3 e6 7. Bd3 Bxd3 8. Qxd3 Bd6 9. Nge2 (9. Bxd6 Qxd6 10. Nf3 Nf6 11. 0-0 0-0 12. Rac1 Rfc8 13. Ne2 Ne7 14. h3 h6 15. Rxc8+ Rxc8 16. Rc1 ½-½ Vasiukov – Beliavsky, 48th USSR Chess Championship, Vilnius 1980) 9. ... Nf6 10. 0–0 0–0 11. Rfc1 Rc8

12. Na4 (12. Bxd6 Qxd6 13. Nb5 Qe7 14. Nbc3 Qd6 15. Nb5 Qe7 16. Nbc3 Qd6 17. Nb5 Qe7 ½ : ½ Jianu – Nikolaidis, 48th Greek Team Chess Championship, Athens 2021) 12. ... Ne4 13. Bxd6 Nxd6 14. Nf4 Qe7 15. Qe2 Rc7 16. Nc5 b6 17. Na6 Rcc8 18. Nd3 Qb7 19. Nab4 Nxb4 20. Nxb4 Rxc1+ 21. Rxc1 Rc8 22. Rxc8+ Qxc8 23. Qc2 Qxc2 24. Nxc2 Kf8 25. Kf1 Nc4 26. b3 Nd6 27. Ke2 Ke7 28. Nb4 ½ : ½.

Once again, three-time Russian Women’s Chess Champion and world’s woman No. 2 Goryachkina crossed the gender barrier, in the footsteps of Judit Polgár and 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). Photo: Vladimir Leonidovich Barsky/Russian Chess Federation.

By a Hair’s Breadth

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Alexander Vladimirovich Riazantsev
FIDE Grand Prix 2017; 3rd stage; Geneva, July 7, 2017
Queen’s Gambit Declined D31

Notes by Grandmaster Alex Vladislavovich Yermolinsky, ChessBase.com, July 8, 2017.

1. c4 e6 2. Nc3 d5 3. d4 Be7 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bf4 c6 6. e3 Bd6 7. Bg3 Ne7 8. Bd3 Bf5 9. Nge2 0-0 10. a3 a5 11. Rc1 Bxd3 12. Qxd3 Na6 13. Na4 Nc8 14. Nc5 Qe7 15. Qc3 Ra7 16. 0-0 Nc7 17. Nf4 Bxf4 18. Bxf4 Ne6 19. Bb8 Ra8 20. Bg3 Nb6 21. a4 Rfe8 22. b3 Nxc5 23. dxc5 Nd7 24. Rfe1 Nf8 25. h3 f6 26. Re2 Qf7 27. Rb2 Ng6 28. b4 axb4 29. Rxb4 Ne5 30. Rcb1 Re7 31. e4 Rd8 32. Rd1 h6 33. Qb3 Red7 34. exd5 cxd5 35. Rb1 Nc4 36. Rxb7 Nd2 37. Qb6 Nxb1 38. c6 Nc3 39. cxd7 Rxd7 40. Rxd7 Qxd7 41. a5 d4 42. a6 d3

A good, consistent game from 侯 (Hóu) up to this point. 43. Qb3+? A bad mistake, throwing away the win. Keep in mind, this was played after the time control. With this move, she loses her a-Pawn and advantage. 43. a7 d2 44. a8=Q+ Kh7 45. Qbb8 d1=Q+ 46. Kh2 Q1d5 is just equal, but 43. Bf4! would crown her efforts: 43. ... Nb5 (43. ... Ne2+ 44. Kh2 Nxf4 45. a7 d2 46. a8=Q+ Kh7 47. Qb1+ f5 48. Qf3 etc.) 44. Qb7 Qf5 45. Be3 winning the Knight and the game. 43. ... Kh8 44. a7 Ne2+ 45. Kh2 Qxa7 46. Qxd3 ½ : ½.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) was quite unfortunate in missing a well-deserved victory. Photo: Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE).

Letting the Other Speak

Alexander Vladimirovich Riazantsev – Dmitry Sergeyevich Bocharov
69th Russian Chess Championship; Novosibirsk, October 16, 2016
Nimzo-Indian Defence E56

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 0-0 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 c5 7. cxd5 exd5 8. dxc5 Bxc5 9. 0-0 Nc6 10. h3 a6 11. b3 d4 12. exd4 Nxd4 13. Bb2 Ne6. Also after 13. ... Ba7 14. Nxd4 Qxd4 15. Qf3 White’s chances seem more promising, Olszewski – Ghaem Maghami, Schachbundesliga 2012/2013, Schwetzingen 2013. 14. Ne4 Be7. Bocharov appears to underestimate his opponent’s lead in development. Stockfish’s first line 14. ... Nxe4 15. Bxe4 Qxd1 16. Rfxd1, though far from equalizing, would seem more suitable in order to mitigate damages. 15. Qc2 Nd5 16. Nc3 Nf6 17. Rad1 Qa5 18. Rfe1 Rd8 19. Re5 b5

White has two powerful Bishops and a flashy advantage in development. No wonder he will succeed in capitalizing on it. 20. Nd5! Nxd5 21. Bxh7+ Kf8 22. Rexd5 Rxd5 23. Rxd5 Bb7 24. Rf5 Rc8. Black’s first threat in the game, but it came a bit too late. 25. Rxf7+! Not hard to see, but very spectacular. 25. ... Kxf7 26. Qg6+ Kf8 27. Qxe6 Bf6 28. Bg6 1 : 0. For if 28. ... Qc7 then 29. Ba3+ and mate in two moves.

Alexander Vladimirovich Riazantsev
Photo: Eteri Kublashvili

Lunar Caustic

Alexander Vladimirovich Riazantsev – Daniele Vocaturo
16th European Individual Championship; Jerusalem, February 25, 2015
Bogo-Indian Defence E 11

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4 Bb4+ 4. Nbd2 0-0 5. a3 Be7 6. e4 d5 7. e5 Nfd7 8. Bd3 c5 9. Qc2 g6 10. cxd5. Two days later the board one game in Jerusalem run as follows: 10. h4 cxd4 11. h5 Nc5 12. Bf1 a5 13. Nxd4 dxc4 14. N2f3 g5 15. Bxc4 g4 16. Ba2 Nbd7 17. Ng5 Bxg5 18. Bb1 f5 19. exf6 Nxf6 20. Bxg5 Qxd4 21. Be3 Qe4 22. Qxc5 Qxg2 23. Rf1 Qd5 24. f3 b6 25. Qxd5 Nxd5 26. Bh6 Rf6 27. Bg5 Rxf3 28. Rxf3 gxf3 ½ : ½ Navara – Najer, 16th European Individual Championship, Jerusalem 2015. 10. ... exd5

11. e6! The grand beginning of a very powerful attack. 11. ... fxe6 12. Bxg6! hxg6 13. Qxg6+ Kh8 14. Qh6+ Kg8 15. Qg6+ Kh8 16. Ne4! Qe8. If 16. ... dxe4 then 17. Qh5+! (but not 17. Bh6?? because of 17. ... Rg8! 18. Qh5 Nf6 and Black wins!) 17. ... Kg8 18. Bh6! Rf6 (or 18. ... Bf6 19. Qg6+ Kh8 20. Ng5 and wins) 19. Qg4+ Kf7 20. Ng5+ Kg8 (else 20. ... Ke8 21. Qh5+ and mate in two moves) 21. Nxe6+ finis. 17. Qh6+ Kg8 18. Nfg5 Bxg5 19. Qxg5+ Kh7 20. Qh6+ Kg8 21. Qg5+ Kh7 22. Qh6+ Kg8 23. a4! A “Rook lift” to g3. 23. ... Qe7 24. Ra3 Rf7 25. Nd6! A deflecting sacrifice. 25. ... Rg7. On 25. ... Qxd6 26. Rg3+ wins at once. 26. Rg3 Qf6 27. Rxg7+. Here the silent move 27. Qh5! would have been even stronger; for example: 27. ... cxd4 28. Kd1! Nc6 29. Ne8! winning easily for White. 27. ... Qxg7 28. Qxe6+ Kh7 29. Qh3+ Kg8 30. Qe6+ Kh7 31. 0-0 Nc6 32. Qh3+ Kg8 33. Qe6+ Kh7 34. Qh3+ Kg8 35. Bh6? After the straightforward 35. Re1! Black would have had no resource left (since 35. ... Nf8 is met by 36. Nxc8). 35. ... Qg6 36. Re1? Here 36. dxc5! is probably best; for example: 36. ... Nb6!? 37. Nxc8 Nxc8 38. f4 intending f4-f5 and Rf1-f3 with an easy win. Furthemore, 36. Nxc8 Rxc8 37. Qxd7 Rd8 39. Qh3 Nxd4 40. Re1 was another (simpler) way to achieve a clear advantage. 36. ... Nb6. Now matters are decidedly unclear. Slowly but surely Vocaturo will succeed in turning the tables. 37. Nxc8 Nxc8 38. Bc1 N8e7 39. dxc5 Rf8 40. b4 Nf5 41. Qb3 Qf7 42. b5 Ncd4 43. Qd3 Qc7 44. Be3 Re8 45. Rc1 Re4 46. c6 bxc6 47. bxc6 Nxe3 48. fxe3 Ne6 49. Qxd5 Rxe3 50. Rb1 Re5 51. Qc4 Qa5 52. Qg4+ Kf8 53. Rf1+ Ke7 54. Kh1 Kd6 55. h3 Qc5 56. Qf3 Qxc6 57. Rd1+ Rd5 58. Re1 Qxa4 59. Qg3+ Kd7 60. Qg8 Re5 61. Rc1 Qd4 62. Qf7+ Kd6 63. Qb7 Rd5 64. Re1 Nc7 65. Rc1 Rc5 66. Rb1 Kd7 67. Rf1 Rc6 68. Qb3 Qc4 69. Qf3 Kc8 70. Rb1 Rb6 71. Ra1 Kb8 72. Qe3 Qd5 73. Qa3 a6 74. Rc1 Kb7 75. Qe7 Rc6 76. Rb1+ Ka7 77. Qb4 Nb5 78. Re1 Kb6 79. Qf8 Kb7 80. Qe7+ Rc7 81. Qf6 Rh7 82. Re6 Rxh3+ 83. Kg1 Qc5+ 84. Kf1 Rh1+ 85. Ke2 Nd4+ 0 : 1. “At some point, I was completely lost. The opponent was more or less doing a masterpiece, but in time trouble I managed to survive. Eventually I won. I have to say I was really lucky...”, then Vocaturo said.

Daniele Vocaturo