罂粟 (Papaver somniferum)

Anna Olehivna Muzychuk – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2013–2014; 1st stage; Geneva, May 8, 2013
Sicilian Defence B52

Notes by Grandmaster Adrian Bohdanovych Mikhalchishin.

Very important game of 1 and 2 seeded players in the tournament. Anna told that she did not win against 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) for a long time — last victory was in Krasnoturyinsk in 2007! So, the game was very principial and Anna decided not to play main lines, but to chose side line, which promised White good results recently. Even World Champion Anand lost twice here. 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+. World Champion plays this line regularly, she played just once sharper move. 3. ... Bd7 (3. ... Nd7) 4. Bxd7+ Qxd7 5. c4 Nf6 6. Nc3 g6 7. d4 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Bg7 9. f3 0-0 10. Be3 Nc6 11. 0-0 a6. “!?” Kasparov, G. Logical plan is to try to control Black squares: 11. ... Qd8. 12. a4 e6 13. Nxc6! Very logical novelty, in the past were tested: 13. Rc1 Ne5 14. Qe2 Rfc8! 15. b3 d5! 16. cxd5 [16. f4 Neg4 17. e5 Nxe3 18. exf6 (18. Qxe3 Ng4 19. Qe2 dxc4! 20. Rfd1 cxb3 21. Nxb3 Qe7 22. Qxg4 Qa3) 18. ... Nxf1 19. fxg7 dxc4 20. Rd1 cxb3] 16. ... exd5 17. f4! Rxc3!? 18. Rxc3 Nxe4 19. Rc2 Ng4! (19. ... Nc6 20. Nxc6 bxc6 21. Qd3) 20. Rfc1 h5! (20. ... Nxe3 21. Qxe3 Re8 22. Qd3 Qd8 23. Nf3) 21. Rc7 Qd6!? with big complications, Sadvakasov – Kasparov, Astana 2001 and 13. Nde2 Qc7 14. Rb1 Nd7 15. Qd2 Nc5 16. b3 Rac8 17. Rfd1 Na5 18. Qa2 Ncxb3 19. Rxb3 Nxb3 20. Qxb3 Qxc4 21. Qxc4 Rxc4 22. Rd3! with slight advantage, Zagrebelny – Shipov, 11th Russian Team Chess Championship, Sochi 2004. 13. ... bxc6. Clearly worse would be 13. ... Qxc6 14. Rc1 Qxc4? 15. Nd5 Qa2 16. Ra1 Qxb2 17. Bd4 Nxd5 18. Bxb2 Bxb2 19. exd5. 14. a5. It is necessary to keep d6 Pawn weak: 14. c5 d5 15. e5 Ne8 16. f4 Rb8 with very serious counterplay. Muzychuk considered here 14. b4 but decided that very unpleasant is 14. ... Ng4. 14. ... Qc7. Safer it would be to go to other side 14. ... Qe7. 15. Bb6. Sharper and probably equally good was 15. Na4 d5 16. Bb6 Qf4 17. g3 Qg5 18. f4 Qh6; Anna told that she did not like to allow opponent to build strong structure: 15. Qd2 c5. 15. ... Qb8. Still it was not late to go other way: 15. ... Qe7. 16. Na4. Very unclear developments would follow after Rook transfer 16. Ra3 Nd7 17. Rb3 Nxb6 18. Qd3 Qd8 19. Rxb6 Qg5. 16. ... Nd7 17. Be3. Anna told that she must return back with her Bishop as it was threatened c6-c5 to be cutted. 17. ... c5 18. Qd2 Qc7. Black has problem with d6 Pawn and it could be solved in a little unusual way: 18. ... Rc8 19. Rfd1 Rc6. 19. Rfd1 Ne5 20. Nb6 Rad8 21. Ra3. Typical Rook transfer to increase attacking power. 21. ... Nc6. Agressive approach could lead to many weaknesses: 21. ... f5 22. Bg5 Rde8 23. exf5 (23. Qxd6? Qxd6 24. Rxd6 Nf7) 23. ... Rxf5 24. Bh4 Bf8 25. Bg3. 22. Rd3 Rfe8

23. Bg5. It was a positional trap here: 23. Rxd6 Bd4 24. Rxd8 Rxd8 25. Bxd4 Rxd4 26. Qe1 Qd6 and with Pawn down Black creates huge pressure on the open file. 23. ... Rb8. White keeps serious advantage after 23. ... f6 24. Bf4 Nd4 25. b4. 24. Rxd6 Nd4. Another way did not work either: 24. ... Bd4+ 25. Rxd4 Nxd4 26. Bf6 Qd6 27. Qh6 Qf8 28. Qxf8+ Rxf8 29. b4 Rfe8 30. Bxd4 cxd4 31. Rxd4 White would have for sacrificed Exchange total control over most important files. 25. Rd7 Qc6 26. Ra7 Rxb6. After the game 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) told that she has not seen any other way as activity does not help: 26. ... f5 27. b4 fxe4 28. bxc5 Qxc5 29. Rxg7+. 27. axb6 Qxb6 28. Rd7 Qb3 29. Kh1. It was possible sharper way of realization of material advantage: 29. Qd3 Qxb2 30. Rb1 Qa2 31. Rbb7. 29. ... Qxc4 30. Qf4 Rf8. Slightly better was 30. ... e5 31. Qc1 Qb5 32. Ra7 Rb8 33. Qa1. 31. Rb7 Qa4 32. Re1 Nc2? Bad move, but World Champion said that she has not seen anything to continue serious resistance. 33. Rc1 Nb4 34. Qd2 Nc6 35. Qd7 h6 36. Be7 Ra8 37. Bxc5 Kh7 38. Bg1 1 : 0.

Something is rotten in Geneva... Photo: Anastasiya Valeryevna Karlovich.