Beaten Tracks

Batkhuyagiin Möngöntuul – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2024–25; 2nd stage; Shimkent, November 6, 2024
Sicilian Defence B33

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. c3 Bg7 12. Bd3 Be6 13. 0-0 0-0 14. Nc2 Bxd5 15. exd5 Ne7 16. Re1 f4 17. a4 bxa4 18. Rxa4 a5 19. Na3 f5 20. Nc4 e4 21. Bf1 Ng6

22. Qa1? White just can’t afford to hunt down such a Pawn. Theoretically speaking, 22. Qh5 ½–½ J. M. López Martínez – E. Moser, 12th Open Internacional de Ajedrez “Ciutat de Balaguer”, Balaguer 2007 is what is stored in the online databases, but further analysis might contradict any implied conclusion, because after 22. ... f3 24. g3 Ne5 24. Ne3 Qf6 Black seems to stand better. 22. f3!∞ is the engines’ recommendation, and probably a good one.
22. ... Nh4! 23. Rxa5 Rc8

24. Qa4? Her Majesty abandons the sinking ship. White had to defend with 24. Kh1, although after 24. ... f3 (24. ... Nxg2!? 25. Bxg2 Rxc4 26. f3! seems less convincing) 25. Ra4 fxg2+ 26. Bxg2 Kh8 Black keeps the upper hand.
24. ... Rxc4! Deflecting the Bishop.
25. Bxc4 Qg5−+ 26. g3. After 26. Kf1 Qxg2+ 27. Ke2 f3+ 28. Kd1 Qxf2 29. Qc2 Qxc2+ 30. Kxc2 Ng2−+ Black’s Pawn roller must win.
26. ... fxg3 27. hxg3 f4! 28. Rxe4 fxg3 29. f4

29. ... Qg4! (Δ ... Qg4-h3)
30. Qc2 g2! 31. Be2 Qh3 32. Qd1 Qh1+ 33. Kf2 g1=Q+ 34. Qxg1 Qxe4 0–1.

Goryachkina proved much better prepared than her adversary. Photo: Konstantin Chalabov/FIDE.

The Tea Road

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Batkhuyagiin Möngöntuul
14th Russian Women’s Team Chess Championship; Sochi, May 6, 2007
Spanish Game C67

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. 0-0 Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. Nc3 Bd7 10. h3 Ne7 11. Rd1 Ke8. This is quite natural. A recent game went instead 11. ... Ng6 12. Bg5+ Be7 13. Rd2 Ke8 14. Rad1 Be6 15. Bxe7 Kxe7 16. Kh2 h5 17. Ne4 Bd5 18. Neg5 Rad8 19. Rd4 Bxf3 20. Nxf3 Rxd4 21. Rxd4 Re8 22. Re4 Kf8 23. Re3 Rd8 24. g4 hxg4 25. hxg4 Ke7 26. Re1 Rd5 27. Kg3 c5 28. a4 b6 29. Re3 Rd1 30. c4 Nf8 31. a5 Rc1 32. axb6 cxb6 33. Nh4 g6 34. f4 Rxc4 35. f5 Rc2 36. e6 Rxb2 37. g5 Nxe6 38. fxe6 c4 39. exf7+ Kxf7 40. Rf3+ Ke8 41. Nxg6 Rb3 42. Ne5 b5 43. g6 Rxf3+ 44. Kxf3 Kf8 45. Ke4 Kg7 46. Kd5 a5 47. Nxc4 ½ : ½ Karjakin – 章钟 (Zhāng Zhōng), 3rd Aeroflot Open, Moscow 2004 12. Bf4 h6 13. Rd2 Ng6 14. e6 Bxe6 15. Bxc7 Rc8 16. Bg3 Bb4 17. a3 Bxc3 18. bxc3 Rd8 19. Re2 Kd7 20. Nd4 Rhe8 21. Rd1 Ke7? His Majesty takes the wrong path; correct was 21. ... Kc8 and if 22. Rde1 then again 22. ... Kd7 offering to repeat moves. 22. Rd3 c5? One mistake after another. After 22. ... Kf8 23. Rxe6! fxe6 24. Nxe6+ Rxe6 25. Rxd8+ Ke7 26. Rc8± White comes out a healthy Pawn up, but the game goes on.

23. Bd6+! A pretty pseudo-sacrifice which wins two Pawns and the game. 23. ... Kd7. Neither 23. ... Kxd6 24. Nxe6+ nor 24. ... Rxd6 25. Nf5+ are feasible. 24. Nxe6 fxe6 25. Bxc5+ Kc6 26. Rxd8 Rxd8 27. Bxa7 e5 28. Re4 h5 29. Rc4+ Kb5 30. Rb4+ Ka6 31. Bc5 1 : 0.