Gifted Hands

Mariya Muzychuk – Hokuma Zeynalova
11th European Youth Chess Championship Girls Under 10; Kallithéa, September 8, 2001
Bird’s Opening A03

1. b3 d5 2. Bb2 c6 3. e3 Nf6 4. f4 Bg4 5. Be2 Bxe2 6. Qxe2 Nbd7 7. Nf3 e6 8. 0-0 Be7 9. d3 0-0 10. Nbd2. If 10. Ne5 might follow 10. ... Nxe5 11. fxe5 Nd7 12. Nd2 f6 13. Qg4 f5 14. Qe2 Qc7 15. Nf3 Rae8 16. Kh1 Qa5 17. a3 Qb6 18. Rab1 Bc5 19. Rfe1 a5 20. Ng5 h6 21. Nh3 Be7 22. Nf4 Bg5 23. Ng6 Rf7 24. b4 axb4 25. axb4 Nf8 26. Bd4 Qc7 27. Nf4 Nd7 28. Ng6 Kh7 29. Qh5 Nf8 30. Nf4 Bxf4 31. exf4 Ng6 32. Qf3 Rb8 33. Ra1 Rd8 34. Qf2 ½ : ½ Williams – Harikrishna, 89th British Chess Championship, Torquay 2002. 10. ... Rc8 11. Ne5 Nxe5 12. Bxe5 Nd7 13. Bb2 Bf6 14. Bxf6 Qxf6 15. Nf3 c5 16. c4 dxc4 17. dxc4 Rfd8 18. Rad1 Nb8 19. Ne5 Qe7 20. Rxd8+ Rxd8 21. Rd1 Nd7?? Just one error in calculation – indeed a huge blunder that throws away Black’s game. After 21. ... f6 22. Rxd8+ Qxd8 23. Nd3 b6 the chances are fairly even.

22. Qd3. The gifted Mariya Muzychuk – who was only 9 years old at the time – doesn’t miss her chance! 22. ... Kf8 23. Nxd7+ Ke8. Maybe Hokuma Zeynalova was still hoping to win back the Knight, but... 24. Qxh7! Surprise! 24. ... f6. Or more prosaically 24. ... Rxd7 25. Qg8+ Qf8 26. Qxf8+ Kxf8 27. Rxd7. 25. Qg8+. It is now mate next move. 1 : 0.

Young Ukrainian stars: Yuriy Kuzubov, Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin, Kateryna Lagno, Anna and Mariya Muzychuk, at a club tournament in 2001. Photo: Alexsander Martynkov.