WFM Alena Skvortsova (Montenegro) beat GM Bella Khotenashvili (Georgia) in round 2 of the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad Samarkand 2026 (Women), in 39 moves.
The game turned on 31...Qa7. Before it, Stockfish had the position as a small edge for White (+0.86); one move later, winning for White (+3.96). It was played with 0:57 left on the clock.
Stockfish wanted 31...Qc7 instead. Can you see why? And 32.Ng5, the engine's best reply, came straight back.
The ratings said otherwise: Skvortsova was 292 points lower. It began as the Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation, Tal Variation.
Replay it move by move, then take the key position on against the engine.
- White
- WFM Alena Skvortsova, 2143 · Montenegro
- Black
- GM Bella Khotenashvili, 2435 · Georgia
- Result
- 1–0 in 39 moves
- Opening
- Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation, Tal Variation · B12
- Event
- 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad Samarkand 2026, Women, Round 2 · Samarkand, Uzbekistan
- Key move: {0}
- 31...Qa7
- Engine’s choice
- 31...Qc7