Alam Ara

Humpy Koneru – Mariya Muzychuk
Women’s World Chess Championship; Krasnaya Polyana, March 27, 2015
Queen’s Gambit Declined D45

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6 7. Bd2 0-0 8. h3 e5 9. g4!? Humpy feels she must take risks. More usual is 9. cxd5 as in the game Raicević – Kalezić, Herceg Novi 2001. 9. ... e4 10. Nh4 g6 11. 0-0-0 Re8 12. Ng2 h6 13. Be2 dxc4 14. f3. White aims to open up the Kingside. 14. ... Qe7 15. Bxc4 Nb6 16. Bb3 Be6 17. Bxe6 Qxe6 18. f4 Nfd5. Black undouhtedly has the upper hand, so Humpy has to make something up. 19. f5. Sharp play. 19. ... Qe7 20. Rdf1 a5 21. Kb1 Nc4 22. Bc1 a4. Intending ... b7-b5-b4. 23. h4 b5 24. g5 h5 25. Ne2 Bc7 26. a3 Qd7 27. Rf2

27. ... Nd6? “Suddenly such happiness. Now Black is busted”, Grandmaster Alexey Dreev said. Here 27. ... c5! 28. dxc5 Rac8 offered good chances of counter-attack. 28. fxg6 fxg6 29. Ngf4 Kg7 30. Rhf1 Nc4 31. Nxd5 cxd5 32. Rf7+ Qxf7 33. Rxf7+ Kxf7 34. Nc3 Ke6 35. Nxb5 Bd6 36. Nc3 Rec8 37. Ka2 Nb6 38. Qf2 Rf8 39. Qe2 Ra5 40. Bd2 Nc4 41. Nxe4 Rb5 42. Bc3 Rfb8 43. Nxd6 Nxd6 44. Qc2 Ne4 45. Bb4 Kf5 46. Qc6 Kg4 47. Qxg6 Kxh4 48. Qf5 Ng3 49. Qf4+ Kh3 50. g6 R5b7 51. Qe5 h4 52. g7 Kh2 53. Qg5 Rg8 54. Qxh4+ Kg2 55. Bf8 Rgxg7 56. Bxg7 Rxg7 57. Qd8 Ne4 58. Qxd5 Kf3 59. Qe5 Rg4 60. Qf5+ Kg3 61. d5 Rh4 62. d6 1 : 0.

Humpy Koneru vs. Mariya Muzychuk
Photo: Vladimir Barsky