From Behind the Curtain

Baira Sergeevna Kovanova – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
74th Russian Women’s Chess Championship; Barnaul, Monday, August 20, 2024
French Defence C10

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. h3 Bd6 6. Nc3 Nge7 7. Nb5 0-0 8. Be2 Ng6 9. Nxd6 Qxd6 10. 0-0 Bf5 11. c3 Rfe8 12. Re1 h6 13. Be3 a6 14. Bf1 Re7 15. Nd2 Rae8 16. Qf3 Nh4 17. Qh5 g5 18. Nf3 Ng6 19. h4 f6 20. Bd2 Kg7 21. Rxe7+ Ncxe7 22. g3 Qd7 23. Nh2 Nc8 24. Re1 Rxe1 25. Bxe1 Qe6 26. hxg5 hxg5 27. Qe2 Qxe2 28. Bxe2 Bb1 29. a3 Nd6 30. Ng4 c6 31. f3 Nc4 32. Bxc4 dxc4 33. Kf2 Ne7 34. Bd2 Nd5 35. Bc1 Kf7 36. Ne3 Nb6

The press release of the Chess Federation of Russia then summed up the main themes of the game: “In the Exchange French, Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina, who played Black with Baira Sergeevna Kovanova, confidently solved all opening problems. After numerous exchanges, it seemed that a draw was inevitable, especially since opposite coloured Bishops remained on the board. However, on 37th move, White made a positional error, weakening the light squares, after which Goryachkina seized the initiative. Kovanova’s attempt to gain counterplay by activating her King was unsuccessful: Black broke through the centre and achieved a decisive material advantage”.
37. f4? Besides all said above, this move also has the dramatic feature of turning the White dark-squared Bishop into an irreparably bad Bishop. Much better was therefore 37. g4, preparing f3-f4 by Kf2-g3 and, if needed, Ne3-g2.
37. ... gxf4 38. gxf4 Ke6 39. Kf3 Bd3 40. Kg4 f5+ 41. Kf3 Nd7 42. Nd1 b5 43. Nf2 Bf1 44. Bd2 Nf6 45. Bc1 Kd6 46. Nd1 Kc7 47. Be3 Bh3 48. Nf2 Bg4+ 49. Kg3 Kd6 50. Kh4 Kd5 51. Bc1 Be2

52. Kg5? Maybe White wasn’t happy with the way things were going, but only this — enabling Black to advantageously force the exchange of Knights — is the losing move! 52. Kg3! Ne4+ 53. Kg2 was still a hard way for Black to turn her advantages into something concretely fulfillable.
52. ... Ne4+ 53. Nxe4 Kxe4 54. Kf6 Bg4 55. Ke6 Kd3 56. d5 cxd5 57. Kxd5 Kc2 58. Be3 Kxb2 59. Bd4 Kxa3 60. Bb6 Ka4 61. Kd4 a5 62. Ke3 b4 63. Kd2 Ka3 64. Kc1 Ka2 65. cxb4 axb4 66. Bc5 Kb3 67. Bd6 c3 0–1.

Goryachkina is chasing her fourth Championship title after a three-year interlude in the other half of the sky. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili/Chess Federation of Russia.

The Sun Also Shines at Night

Baira Sergeevna Kovanova – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
17th European Women’s Chess Club Cup; Eilat, October 17, 2012
English Opening A37

Notes by Grandmaster Kevin Spraggett.

1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. 0-0 d6 6. Nc3 Nh6 7. b3 0-0 8. Bb2 Bd7 9. d3 Rb8 10. Qd2 Nf5 11. e3 a6 12. Ne2 e5 13. d4 cxd4 14. exd4 e4 15. Ne1 Re8 16. Nc2 b5 17. Bc3 bxc4 18. bxc4 Bh6 19. Ne3 a5 20. Nf4 Nh4! 21. Bh1 [Ed. Note: 21. gxh4?? Bxf4 Δ Qd8xh4−+] 21. Bh1 Bxf4! 22. gxf4 Qf6 23. Nd5 Qf5 [Ed. Note: Δ Qf5-g4+] 24. Qe3 Nb4 25. Bxb4 axb4.
The following example is from yesterday’s round at the European Team Cup in Israel. The players are the Russian woman grandmater B. Kovanova (with the White pieces) and the current women’s world champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) from China.
This example illustrates how some players look more deeply into the position than others and as a result are not only able to avoid subtle traps but also able to set them! Here the Russian grandmaster thinks that she has trapped the world champion, only to later realize that she is infact the one who has been trapped...

Black stands somewhat better as White’s King position is exposed and compromised. However, Black’s position is not a bed of roses either... White should probably dig in with 26. Qg3!?, which would lead to a complex and difficult game for both sides.
HOWEVER, Kovanova became obsessed with a tactic based on the Knight fork on f6 (a family fork, infact), and she convinced herself after some analysis that she could get away with taking Black’s Pawn on e4, thereby breaking Black’s attacking chances on the Kingside:
26. Bxe4?!

To be fair to White, this move almost works but for a very subtle point that will become apparent only after Black’s 29th move.

PLAY CONTINUED:

26. ... Rxe4! 27. Qxe4!

The whole point of White’s play! Now 逸凡 (Yìfán) must avoid 27. ... Qxe4? 28. Nf6+! Kg7 29. Nxe4 Bh3 30. Rfd1 Bg4 31. Nxd6 with advantage for white.
27. ... Qh3!

The threat of ... Nh4-f3+ means that White will have to give up her Queen to avoid the mate on h2. HOWEVER, Kovanova had already taken this into account before she played her 26th move.

PLAY CONTINUED:

28. Nf6+! Kg7 29. Nxd7

Kovanova thought that she had everything undercontrol. She had forseen 29. ... Nf3+? 30. Qxf3 Qxf3 31. Nxb8 Qb7? (Black should take the perpetual) 32. Rac1 Qxb8 33. c5 and White has the advantage once more.
In White’s mind she was going to make a draw against the world champion. Bitter surprise awaited her:

29. ... Re8!!

This move is a cruncher that 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) must have forseen much earlier!
White can not take the Rook as 30. ... Nf3+ will mate [Ed. Note: Quite curiously, Spraggett didn’t notice 30. ... Qg2#]. Relatively best would be moving away with the Queen (30. Qb7) but then Black would have a decisive material and positional advantage after 30. ... Nf3+ 31. Qxf3 Qxf3 32. Nb6 Qxf4 33. Nd5 Qg4+ 34. Kh1 Qxd4 etc.
Probably flustered, White made things worse and resigned the next move:
30. Ne5?! dxe5 0 : 1.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) in the spotlight. Photo: Anastasia Karlovich.