The Long Afternoon

Bibisara Erkhanovna Assaubayeva – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2024–25; 3rd stage; Monte Carlo, February 20, 2025
5k2/1bq1b3/1pp5/4Pp1p/2Pp1PpP/3P2K1/8/Q2BN3 w - - 3 75

Position after 74. ... Bc5-e7

With regard to the diagram, Black has a Pawn ahead and a manifest advantage. So it’s understandable that White rushes to take back her Pawn, so as to balance material. And yet...
75. Qxd4? And yet this is White’s losing mistake as it dramatically eases the entrance of Black’s light-squared Bishop into the scene. White’s best chance lay in 75. Qa7! Ke8 (75. ... c5? 76. Ba4!) 76. c5! sacrificing a second Pawn for light-square horizons and initiative.
75. ... c5! 76. Qc3?! Not good, but 76. Qe3 Qd8 is only another Zugzwang nightmare.
76. ... Qd8!? Or 76. ... Qc6! 77. e6 Kg8 winning by Zugzwang.
77. Ng2 Kg8 78. Bc2 Bxg2 79. Kxg2

79. ... Qa8+! 79. ... Bxh4? 80. Qa1! would give White concrete drawing chances.
80. Kg1 Qf3 81. Qd2 Qg3+ 82. Kf1 Qxh4 83. Qg2 g3 84. Bd1. If 84. Qf3 then 84. ... Qh3+ 85. Qg2 Qg4! and Black should win.
85. ... Qxf4+ 85. Qf3 Qxf3+! Naturally! The ending is easily won for Black in spite of Bishops of opposite colours.
86. Bxf3 h4 87. Kg2 Kg7 88. Bd5 Kg6 89. Kf3 Kg5 90. Bc6 Bd8 91. Bd7 Bc7 92. e6 Bd6 93. Bc6 Kf6 94. Bd5 h3 0–1.

Kulfi

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina (pictured centre) won the third stage of FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2022–23 in New Delhi, India, with the score of 6 points out of 10, same as Bibisara Erkhanovna Assaubayeva (left) and 朱锦尔 (Zhū Jǐn’ěr) (right), but three-time Russian Women’s Chess Champion was declared the winner due to superior tie-break. Assaubayeva was second and 朱锦尔 (Zhū Jǐn’ěr) third. The fourth and last stage of Women’s Grand Prix will be held from May 15–28, 2023 in Nicosia, Cyprus. Photo: Ismael Nieto/FIDE.

Geometrically speaking

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Bibisara Erkhanovna Assaubayeva
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2022–23; 3rd stage; New Delhi, March 29, 2023
Catalan Opening E04

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4 5. Nf3 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 a5 7. a3 Be7 8. Qa4+ Nbd7 (8. ... Bd7 9. Qxc4 Bc6 10. Nc3 0-0 11. Qd3 b6 12. 0-0 Bb7 13. Ne5 Bxg2 14. Kxg2 Nfd7 15. Qf3 Ra6 16. Rfd1 Qe8 17. Bf4 Bd6 18. Nxd7 Qxd7 19. Rac1 a4 20. e4 Bxf4 21. Qxf4 Ra5 22. d5 Na6 23. dxe6 Qxe6 24. Rd5 Rc5 25. Rxc5 Nxc5 26. Qxc7 Rc8 27. Rd1 f6 28. Rd8+ Rxd8 29. Qxd8+ Kf7 30. Qd5 Ke7 31. Qd4 h5 32. Nxa4 Nxe4 33. Nxb6 h4 34. Nd5+ Kf8 35. Nf4 h3+ 36. Nxh3 Qc6 37. f3 1 : 0 Goryachkina – Pähtz, 14th European Women’s Team Chess Championship, Terme Čatež 2021)
9. Qxc4 0-0 10. Qc2

10. ... c6?! This leads to a somewhat clumsy Queenside’s arrangement. 10. ... c5! was much more to the point.
11. 0-0 Ra6 12. Nc3 b5 13. Bg5 Bb7 14. Ne5 Nxe5 15. dxe5 Nd7 16. Bxe7 Qxe7

17. Nxb5! cxb5? Probably Assaubayeva didn’t like the look of her Queenside Pawns after 15. ... Nxe5 16. Nd4 Rc8 17. a4⩲/± — and probably rightly so — but allowing Goryachkina to secure a “zero risk” material advantage is a mission really impossible.
18. Bxb7 Rb6 19. Be4 g6 20. Qc7 Qd8 21. Qxd8 Rxd8 22. Rfd1 Rbb8 23. Bc6 Nxe5 24. Rxd8+ Rxd8 25. Bxb5. White eventually came out a Pawn ahead, which will be enough for her to make a win.
25. ... Rd5 26. a4 Rd4. Prevents b2-b4.
27. Rc1 Kg7 28. Rc7 g5 29. Ra7 Rb4 30. Rxa5 Rxb2 31. f3. Now Goryachkina provides a superb display of virtuoso technique.

31. ... h5 32. Ra7 h4 33. Kg2 hxg3 34. hxg3 Kf8 35. Kf2 Rb4 36. Rc7 f6 37. Ke3 Nf7 38. Rd7 g4 39. f4 e5 40. fxe5 Nxe5 41. Ra7 f5 42. Bd3 f4+ 43. gxf4 g3 44. Ra8+ Kg7 45. Rc8 Nxd3 46. exd3 g2 47. Rc1 Kf6 48. Rg1 Rb2 49. a5 Kf5 50. a6 Ra2 51. a7 Rxa7 52. Rxg2 Re7+ 53. Kf3 Re1 54. Rg5+ Kf6 55. Kf2 Re8 56. Ra5 Re7 57. Kf3 Re1 58. d4 Rf1+ 59. Ke4 Re1+ 60. Kd5 Rf1 61. Ra6+ Kf5 62. Ra8 Kf6 63. Kd6 Kf7 64. Ke5 Re1+ 65. Kf5 Rd1 66. Ra7+ Ke8 67. Ke5 Re1+ 68. Kf6 Re4 69. f5 Rxd4 70. Ra8+ 1 : 0.

Faithful to herself, Goryachkina showed at her best in a technical endgame. Photo: Ismael Nieto/FIDE.

Whatever It Takes

Bibisara Erkhanovna Assaubayeva – 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2022–23; 1st stage; Astana, September 26, 2022
Queen’s Gambit Declined D35

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 c6 6. e3 Bf5 7. Qf3 Bg6 8. Bxf6 Qxf6 9. Qxf6 gxf6 10. Nf3 Nd7 11. Nh4 Be7 12. Ne2 f5 13. g3 Bxh4 14. gxh4 Nf6 15. Rg1. Or, alternatively, 15. Nf4 Nh5 16. Kd2 Nxf4 17. exf4 Ke7 18. Be2 h5 19. Rae1 Kd6 20. Bd3 Rae8 21. Re3 Rxe3 22. fxe3⩲ Goryachkina – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), Vladivostok 2020, Women’s World Chess Championship match game 10. “I hadn’t prepared this opening, but she had. I faced this opening last year, and I played the same way I did in that game”, 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) said afterwards. She alludes to 15. Nf4 Nh5 16. Bd3 Nxf4 17. exf4 Kd7 18. Kd2 Rae8 19. b4 Kd6 20. Rhe1 Rxe1 21. Rxe1 Rg8 22. Rg1 Re8 23. Re1 Rxe1 24. Kxe1 b6 25. Kd2 h6 26. Kc3 f6 27. a3 Ke6 28. Ba6 Be8 29. Bd3 Bd7 30. Bc2 Kd6 31. Bd3 c5 32. bxc5+ bxc5 33. Bc2 Bb5 34. Bxf5 Be2 35. Bg6 Bf3 36. h5 a5 37. h4 Kc6 ½ : ½ 徐铭辉 (Xú Mínghuī) – 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí), 2021 Chinese Chess Team Tournament, 聊城 (Liáochéng) 2021.
15. ... Ke7 16. Bh3 Rhg8. 16. ... Rae8 gave raise to a model strategic game: 17. Nf4 Kd6 18. Kd2 Re7 19. a4 a5 20. Ra3 Rhe8 21. Rb3 Kc7 22. Rc1 Kd6 23. Bg2 Nh5 24. Nxd5! cxd5 25. Rb6+ Kd7 26. Bf1 Kd8 27. Bb5 Re4 28. Rxb7 Nf6 29. b4+− f4 30. bxa5 fxe3+ 31. fxe3 Rxh4 32. Bxe8 Rxh2+ 33. Kc3 Ne4+ 34. Kb3 Nd2+ 35. Kb4 Nc4 36. Bb5 Rb2+ 37. Kc5 Nxa5 38. Rd7+ Kc8 39. Kxd5+ Kb8 40. Rd8+ Kb7 41. Kd6 Kb6 42. Ra8 1 : 0 Kramnik – Aleksandrov, 43rd Chess Olympiad, Batumi 2018.
17. Nf4 Nh5 18. Nxh5 Bxh5 19. Rg3 Kf6 20. Kd2 Rg6 21. Rag1 Rh6

22. Rg8 Rxg8 23. Rxg8 Bf3 24. Bf1 Rxh4 25. h3 Re4 26. Ra8 a6 27. Ra7 Re7 28. Kc3?! White undertakes an adventurous King march towards b6, aiming at the Queenside Pawns. Objectively, it might be safer for White to play 28. a4 h5 29. a5 h4 30. Ra8 Kg7 31. Ra7 Kf6= with a likely draw.
28. ... h5 29. Kb4 h4 30. a4. If 30. Kc5 then 30. ... f4! 31. Kb6 fxe3 32. fxe3 Rxe3 33. Rxb7 Re1 34. Bxa6 Bg4!⩱ with the upper hand for Black.

30. ... f4! “Indeed, I wanted to play ... f5-f4 early in the game... But the exact time was after I had played the Bishop to h1 because then I can play ... f4-f3, a strong manoeuvre”, 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) then argued. “I had to be careful because I would lose if I didn’t play exactly”.
31. a5 Bh1!? After 31. ... c5+! 32. Kxc5 (32. dxc5 fxe3 33. fxe3 Re4+−+) 32. ... Rc7+ 33. Kb6 Rc2 34. Rxb7 Rxf2 35. Bxa6 Rxb2+ 36. Kc6 Rxb7 37. Bxb7 fxe3 38. a6 e2 39. a7 e1=Q 40. a8=Q Qe6+ 41. Kc5 Qe7+ 42. Kb5 Kg7 43. Bxd5 Qg5 Black is winning according to the engines, but of course it was not an easy line to calculate from a human standpoint.
32. Kc5 f3 33. Ra8 Kg7

34. Bd3? The losing move. White ought to play 34. Ra7! Bg2 35. Bxa6 Rxe3! 36. Rxb7 Re2! 37. Bd3 Rxf2 38. a6 Bf1 39. a7 Bxd3 40. a8=Q Rc2+ 41. Kd6 f2 42. Rb8 Bh7 43. Qa1 Bd3 44. Qa8 Bh7 with a draw.
34. ... Bg2 35. Bf5 Rxe3! 36. fxe3 f2 37. Bd3 Bxh3 38. Re8 Bf5! 39. e4 (39. Bf1 h3−+)
39. ... dxe4 0 : 1.

“I wanted the game to be competitive, but I didn’t know if she’d accept the unbalanced aspects of the game”, 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) said eventually. “But it would not be a draw”. Photo: Anna Shtourman/FIDE.

Idli sambar

Rameshbabu Vaishali – Bibisara Erkhanovna Assaubayeva

4th Online Women’s Speed Chess Championship Main Event; Round of 16 match game 2; time control: 5 minutes plus 1 second per move; chess.com, June 13, 2022

Queen’s Pawn Game D01

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bf4 Bg7 5. Nb5 Na6 6. e3 0-0 7. h3 Ne4 8. Nd2 Nxd2 9. Qxd2 c5. More usual is 9. ... c6, e.g. 10. Nc3 Nb8 11. 0-0-0 Nd7 12. e4 dxe4 13. Nxe4 Nf6 14. Nxf6+ Bxf6 15. Bc4 b5 16. Bb3 a5 17. a3 Be6 18. Bxe6 fxe6 19. Kb1 Qd5 with a volatile, dynamic, and complex balance, Shimanov – Dubov, April 5 Titled Tuesday Early, chess.com, April 5, 2022 (time control: 3 minutes plus 1 second per move). 10. Be2 Bd7 11. a4 Qb6 12. 0-0 c4?! Strategically speaking, a committal decision. 13. b3 cxb3 14. cxb3 Rfc8 15. a5 Qd8 16. b4 Qe8 17. Nc3 e6 18. b5 Nc7 19. Rab1 Qe7

20. b6. Perhaps a bit too hasty. White could quietly play 20. Rfc1 and if 20. ... Ne8 then 21. e4! with the much better game. 20. ... axb6 21. Rxb6. And not 21. axb6? by reason of 21. ... Ne8 heading for d6. 21. ... Bc6 (21. ... Rxa5 22. Rxb7 Bc6 23. Rb6 Ne8 24. Rfb1⩲) 22. Na2

22. ... Ra7? The right move was 22. ... Qa3! so as to reply to 23. Bxc7 with 23. ... Qxa5! somehow holding on (24. Qxa5 Rxa5 25. Rxc6 Rxa2=). 25. 23. Rc1. 23. Nb4! at once seems to be much stronger. 23. ... Rca8? Black was still in time for 23. ... Qa3, though now, after 24. Bxc7 Rxc7 25. a6 White retains the better chances. 24. Nb4! Finally! 24. ... Ne8 (24. ... Rxa5 25. Rbxc6!+−)

25. a6! Qd8 26. Rbxc6! bxc6 27. Nxc6 Qd7 28. Nxa7 Rxa7 29. Bb8 Ra8 30. a7 Bf8 31. Qa5 Bd6 32. Bb5 Qe7 33. Rc8! 1 : 0.