Women's Candidates: A great day for Goryachkina

by Antonio Pereira
6/7/2019 – For a second time at the 2019 Women's Candidates, all four games of a round finished decisively. The results of round six all favoured sole leader Aleksandra Goryachkina, who was losing against her closest chaser, Nana Dzagnidze, but ended up getting the full point after the Georgian faltered by playing too passively. Both Muzychuk sisters won and left the cellar, as did Kateryna Lagno, who now shares second place with Dzagnidze. | Photo: Eteri Kublashvili

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As good as it gets

Aleksandra Goryachkina could not have dreamed of a better set of results in round six. Not only did she take down former leader Nana Dzagnidze, but also those close behind her in the standings lost against the tail-enders — Anna and Mariya Muzychuk both arrived in round six on 1½ points and defeated Valentina Gunina (2 points) and Alexandra Kosteniuk (2½), respectively. Going into the second rest day, Goryachkina is one and a half points ahead of Dzagnidze and Lagno.

Results of Round 6
NameRtg.Nt.Pts.Pts.NameRtgNt.
GM

1
GM
2513
½

2
GM
2539
1

3
GM
2563
1

4
GM
2506
1

5
GM
2546
0


Ø 2532
3.5/6
2510
0-1
4
GM

1
GM
2546
½

2
GM
2506
1

3
GM
2554
1

4
GM
2539
½

5
GM
2513
1

6
GM
2510
1

Ø 2528
5/6
2522
GM
GM
2513

1
GM
2510
½

2
GM
2563
½

3
GM
2539
1

4
GM
2546
½


6
GM
2554
0

Ø 2539
2.5/6
2513
0-1
GM
GM
2554

1
GM
2506
½

2
GM
2546
½


4
GM
2563
1

5
GM
2539
½

6
GM
2513
1

Ø 2532
3.5/6
2554
GM

1
GM
2539
½

2
GM
2513
½

3
GM
2510
0

4
GM
2554
0

5
GM
2506
½

6
GM
2546
1

Ø 2528
2.5/6
2563
1-0
GM

1
GM
2522
½

2
GM
2554
½

3
GM
2506
0

4
GM
2513
½

5
GM
2510
1

6
GM
2563
0

Ø 2528
2.5/6
2546
GM

1
GM
2563
½

2
GM
2510
0

3
GM
2513
0

4
GM
2522
½

5
GM
2554
½

6
GM
2506
1

Ø 2528
2.5/6
2539
1-0
2
GM
GM
2506

1
GM
2554
½


3
GM
2546
1

4
GM
2510
0

5
GM
2563
½

6
GM
2539
0

Ø 2539
2/6
2506

Before the second rest day, 20-year-old Goryachkina has gathered four wins and two draws, which translates into a gain of 20.2 points in the live ratings list. Currently, she is the fourth highest rated woman player in the world — and closing on Humpy Koneru. Aleksandra stands thirty-five points behind Ju Wenjun, though, who will face the winner of this tournament in the next World Championship match.

Women's Candidates Tournament 2019

It is getting harder and harder to catch up with the leader | Photo: Anastasiya Karlovich

Dzagnidze 0:1 Goryachkina: A roller-coaster game

The players explored a line that had been seen in a 1977 Yasser Seirawan game (Yasser had the black pieces and lost after 49 moves). Nana both had a better pawn structure and was in control of the open b-file. The experienced Georgian grandmaster continued to put pressure on her opponent, but did not correctly calculate a forcing line on move 48: 

 
Dzagnidze vs. Goryachkina
Position after 47...f4

Dzagnidze protected her g4-pawn with 48.h3, when she could have got a passer on the c-file after 48.♕xc6 — surely she was afraid of 48...♛xg4+, but her king easily escapes to the queenside via f1, if needed. The computers showed a 0.00 evaluation, until Nana faltered again five moves later, by opting for a passive move:

 
Position after 52...Kg7

After 53.♗b3 Black does not have a good way to save her knight and probably would have needed to look for a perpetual with 53...♛h8+ or 53...♛a6. This is not what Nana opted for, though, as she played 53.♗d1, to which Goryachkina responded with 53...a6, threatening to infiltrate with her queen.

Later on, White captured Black's c-pawn, getting three connected passers, but anyway could not stop Black's queen and knight tandem — with a passer on the g-file to boot. Dzagnidze resigned on move 70, with the following position on the board:

 
Position after 70...Kg7

Aleksandra Goryachkina, Nana Dzagnidze

The youngster in the field, Aleksandra Goryachkina, is leading | Photo: Eteri Kublashvili

Tan Zhongyi 0:1 Lagno: White wastes her chance

This game followed an identical storyline — White got an advantage, could not make anything out of it, gave it up and ended up faltering, giving Black the win. Out of a Queen's Gambit Accepted, Tan Zhongyi gave up a couple of pawns in exchange of a strong initiative on the kingside. Nearing the time control, though, Lagno out-calculated her opponent and got the upper hand:

 
Tan Zhongyi vs. Lagno
Position after 36.Nxg4

The smoke had cleared and White's initiative achieved nothing; the queens are off the board and Black has a rook and three pawns for White's two minor pieces. Lagno started putting pressure on her opponent and ended up playing a flashy — albeit objectively incorrect — rook sacrifice:

 
Position after 67.Ng2

You can try your own variations on the diagram above

Kateryna went for 67...xa2, with the idea of trapping White's light-squared bishop and promoting her b-pawn. The computer shows that after 68.xa2 c2 69.xf4 b2 (the players followed this path) White has 70.♗xd6 cxd6 71.♘e3 and the knight captures Black's d-pawn in time to create a path for her own d-pawn to promote as quick as Black's b-passer. Tan Zhongyi did not find this complex resource, though, and after 70.c1+ allowed Lagno to successfully execute her plan. Resignation came two moves later.

Kateryna Lagno

Kateryna Lagno is sharing second place now | Photo: Eteri Kublashvili


Game analysis by Kateryna Lagno and Elisabeth Paehtz


A. Muzychuk 1:0 Gunina: A double-edged Caro-Kann

Valentina Gunina is having a hard time in Kazan. True to her style, she played a line of the Caro-Kann that allows Black to look for chances in a double-edged position. Her opponent played positionally sound chess, however, so that when Black tried to untangle her pieces White only improved her position. When the players reached the time control, Anna was clearly winning:

 
A. Muzychuk vs. Gunina
Position after 40...Rf8

The game continued 41.e6 xf4 42.e7 and Gunina did not take long to resign. This was Anna's first win of the tournament, while Gunina lost for a third time in Kazan. Perhaps taking some pressure off her shoulders will help the Russian bounce back in the coming rounds.

Anna Muzychuk

Anna Muzychuk still has time to bounce back | Photo: Eteri Kublashvili


Game analysis by Anna Muzychuk and Elisabeth Paehtz


M. Muzychuk 1:0 Kosteniuk: Sacrificing an exchange

Out of an English Opening, the players went into a strategical battle with a closed pawn structure. On move 35, Mariya decided to go for a line which gave up an exchange for two — very strong — passed pawns on the queenside:

 
M. Muzychuk vs. Kosteniuk
Position after 34...Rxd4

After 35.xa6 White's best chance is to go for 35...xc4 36.xc4 b5 and Black can gain another pawn for the exchange with 37.xc7 xc4 38.dxc4

From this point on, Kosteniuk could not find enough defensive resources to stop White's advance on the queenside. Resignation came on move 49, with the a and b-pawns unopposed on the sixth rank.

Mariya Muzychuk

The younger Muzychuk, Mariya | Photo: Eteri Kublashvili

Standings after Round 6

Rk.NameRtg.Nt.Pts.n
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
TBPerf.
1
GM

1
GM
2546
½

2
GM
2506
1

3
GM
2554
1

4
GM
2539
½

5
GM
2513
1

6
GM
2510
1

Ø 2528
5/6
2522
5.0
6
2.00
2801
2
GM
GM
2554

1
GM
2506
½

2
GM
2546
½


4
GM
2563
1

5
GM
2539
½

6
GM
2513
1

Ø 2532
3.5/6
2554
3.5
6
0.00
2589
3
GM

1
GM
2513
½

2
GM
2539
1

3
GM
2563
1

4
GM
2506
1

5
GM
2546
0


Ø 2532
3.5/6
2510
3.5
6
0.00
2589
4
GM

1
GM
2522
½

2
GM
2554
½

3
GM
2506
0

4
GM
2513
½

5
GM
2510
1

6
GM
2563
0

Ø 2528
2.5/6
2546
2.5
6
2.00
2471
5
GM

1
GM
2563
½

2
GM
2510
0

3
GM
2513
0

4
GM
2522
½

5
GM
2554
½

6
GM
2506
1

Ø 2528
2.5/6
2539
2.5
6
1.00
2471
6
GM
GM
2513

1
GM
2510
½

2
GM
2563
½

3
GM
2539
1

4
GM
2546
½


6
GM
2554
0

Ø 2539
2.5/6
2513
2.5
6
0.50
2482
7
GM

1
GM
2539
½

2
GM
2513
½

3
GM
2510
0

4
GM
2554
0

5
GM
2506
½

6
GM
2546
1

Ø 2528
2.5/6
2563
2.5
6
0.00
2471
8
GM
GM
2506

1
GM
2554
½


3
GM
2546
1

4
GM
2510
0

5
GM
2563
½

6
GM
2539
0

Ø 2539
2/6
2506
2.0
6
0.50
2414
TBs: Koya, Wins with black, Wins

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Commentary provided by GM Evgeny Miroshnichenko and IM Elisabeth Paehtz


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MoveNResultEloPlayers
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 d6 5.c3 Bd7 6.0-0 g6 7.d4 Bg7 8.Bg5 f6 9.Be3 Nh6 10.dxe5 dxe5 11.c4 C76: Ruy Lopez: Deferred Steinitz: 5 c3 Bd7 6 d4 g6 11.Bc5 Bf8 12.Bxf8 Kxf8 13.Qd2 Nf7 14.Rd1 Be8 15.Qxd8 Ncxd8 16.Bxe8 Kxe8 17.Nbd2 Nd6 18.Ne1 a5 ½-½ (29) Harikrishna,P (2744)-Mamedyarov,S (2799) Riadh 2017 11...Nf7 12.Nc3 Ne7N Predecessor: 12...0-0 13.b4 f5 14.b5 Na5 15.Bc5 Re8 16.bxa6 Bxa4 17.Qxa4 Rxa6 18.Rfd1 Qc8 0-1 (44) Zhigalko,A (2543)-Alekseenko,K (2639) Czech Republic 2018 13.Qb3 White is better. Bxa4 14.Qxa4+ Qd7 15.Qb4 b6 16.Rfd1 Qc6 17.Nd5 Nxd5 18.exd5 18.cxd5 looks sharper. Qd7 19.Rac1 Bf8 20.Qc4 Bd6 21.Ne1 18...Qd7 19.c5 bxc5 20.Bxc5 Nd6 21.Bxd6 cxd6 22.Rac1 0-0 23.Rc6 Rfb8 24.Qa3 Bf8 25.h3 Qb7 26.b3 Qb5 27.Qc1 a5 28.Nh2 f5 29.Qg5 29.Rc4= 29...Qb7 29...Rb7 30.Rdc1= Strongly threatening Rc7. Qe7 31.Qd2 e4 32.Rc7 Qe5 33.Re1 Rb5 34.Rd1 a4 35.bxa4 Rxa4 36.Rc8 Rb2 37.Qh6 37.Qg5 Ra7 38.a3 37...Qg7-+ 38.Qf4 Raxa2 39.Rf1 Rc2 39...Qe7 Hoping for ...e3! 40.Rc3 Qb7 40.Re8 40.Qxd6 Rxc8 41.Qe6+ Qf7 42.Qxc8 40...Qf7 41.Rb8 Rab2 Weaker is 41...Qxd5
42.Ng4!±      
42.Rxb2 Rxb2 43.Rd1 Qa7 ...Bh6! is the strong threat. 44.Nf1
44...Bh6!       45.Qh4 45.Qxh6 Qxf2+ 45...Kg7 45...Rc2 And now ...Kg7 would win. 46.Re1 Kg7 46.Ra1 Qxa1 Better is 46...Qf7 47.Qg3 Qf6 47.Qe7+= The position is equal. Kg8 48.Qe6+ Kf8 49.Qc8+! Ke7 50.Qc7+! Ke8 51.Qc8+! Ke7 52.Qc7+! Kf6 53.Qxd6+ Kg5 54.Qe7+ Kh5 55.g3! Bg5 56.Qxh7+ Bh6 57.Qe7 Bg5 58.Qh7+ Bh6 59.Qe7 Bg5 60.Qh7+ Accuracy: White = 48%, Black = 55%.
½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Gunina,V2506Lagno,K2554½–½2019C75FWCT 20191.1
Kosteniuk,A2546Goryachkina,A2522½–½2019C60FWCT 20191.2
Dzagnidze,N2510Tan,Z2513½–½2019C42FWCT 20191.3
Muzychuk,M2563Muzychuk,A2539½–½2019A29FWCT 20191.4
Lagno,K2554Kosteniuk,A2546½–½2019C77FWCT 20192.1
Goryachkina,A2522Gunina,V25061–02019E15FWCT 20192.2
Tan,Z2513Muzychuk,M2563½–½2019D45FWCT 20192.3
Muzychuk,A2539Dzagnidze,N25100–12019B31FWCT 20192.4
Gunina,V2506Kosteniuk,A25461–02019C45FWCT 20193.1
Goryachkina,A2522Lagno,K25541–02019D85FWCT 20193.2
Tan,Z2513Muzychuk,A25391–02019D70FWCT 20193.3
Dzagnidze,N2510Muzychuk,M25631–02019D47FWCT 20193.4
Dzagnidze,N2510Gunina,V25061–02019C01FWCT 20194.1
Kosteniuk,A2546Tan,Z2513½–½2019C43FWCT 20194.2
Muzychuk,A2539Goryachkina,A2522½–½2019C54FWCT 20194.3
Muzychuk,M2563Lagno,K25540–12019C55FWCT 20194.4
Gunina,V2506Muzychuk,M2563½–½2019B40FWCT 20195.1
Kosteniuk,A2546Dzagnidze,N25101–02019B22FWCT 20195.2
Goryachkina,A2522Tan,Z25131–02019E04FWCT 20195.3
Lagno,K2554Muzychuk,A2539½–½2019C77FWCT 20195.4
Muzychuk,A2539Gunina,V25061–02019B13FWCT 20196.1
Muzychuk,M2563Kosteniuk,A25461–02019A22FWCT 20196.2
Dzagnidze,N2510Goryachkina,A25220–12019A06FWCT 20196.3
Tan,Z2513Lagno,K25540–12019D20FWCT 20196.4
Kosteniuk,A2546Muzychuk,A2539½–½2019C81FWCT 20197.1
Goryachkina,A2522Muzychuk,M2563½–½2019A04FWCT 20197.2
Lagno,K2554Dzagnidze,N2510½–½2019B30FWCT 20197.3
Gunina,V2506Tan,Z25131–02019C42FWCT 20197.4
Goryachkina,A2522Kosteniuk,A25461–02019D39FWCT 20198.1
Tan,Z2513Dzagnidze,N25101–02019D58FWCT 20198.2
Muzychuk,A2539Muzychuk,M2563½–½2019B19FWCT 20198.3
Lagno,K2554Gunina,V2506½–½2019C60FWCT 20198.4
Kosteniuk,A2546Lagno,K2554½–½2019B06FWCT 20199.1
Gunina,V2506Goryachkina,A25220–12019B10FWCT 20199.2
Dzagnidze,N2510Muzychuk,A25390–12019A35FWCT 20199.3
Muzychuk,M2563Tan,Z25131–02019C77FWCT 20199.4
Kosteniuk,A2546Gunina,V25061–02019C65FWCT 201910.1
Lagno,K2554Goryachkina,A2522½–½2019B19FWCT 201910.2
Muzychuk,A2539Tan,Z2513½–½2019C50FWCT 201910.3
Muzychuk,M2563Dzagnidze,N2510½–½2019B31FWCT 201910.4
Gunina,V2506Dzagnidze,N25101–02019A05FWCT 201911.1
Tan,Z2513Kosteniuk,A25461–02019E21FWCT 201911.2
Goryachkina,A2522Muzychuk,A2539½–½2019D70FWCT 201911.3
Lagno,K2554Muzychuk,M2563½–½2019B33FWCT 201911.4
Muzychuk,M2563Gunina,V25060–12019B12FWCT 201912.1
Dzagnidze,N2510Kosteniuk,A25461–02019A16FWCT 201912.2
Tan,Z2513Goryachkina,A2522½–½2019B12FWCT 201912.3
Muzychuk,A2539Lagno,K25541–02019C63FWCT 201912.4
Gunina,V2506Muzychuk,A25390–12019C58FWCT 201913.1
Kosteniuk,A2546Muzychuk,M25631–02019B29FWCT 201913.2
Goryachkina,A2522Dzagnidze,N2510½–½2019A62FWCT 201913.3
Lagno,K2554Tan,Z2513½–½2019C67FWCT 201913.4
Muzychuk,A2539Kosteniuk,A2546½–½2019C47FWCT 201914.1
Muzychuk,M2563Goryachkina,A25221–02019B12FWCT 201914.2
Dzagnidze,N2510Lagno,K2554½–½2019A05FWCT 201914.3
Tan,Z2513Gunina,V25061–02019C54FWCT 201914.4

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Antonio is a freelance writer and a philologist. He is mainly interested in the links between chess and culture, primarily literature. In chess games, he skews towards endgames and positional play.

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