Հարիսա (Harissa)

Mariya Muzychuk – Rafael Artemovich Vaganian
4th Snowdrops vs. Oldhands; Mariánské Lázně, December 8, 2011
French Defence C14

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Nfd7 6. Bxe7 Qxe7 7. f4 a6 8. Nf3 c5 9. Qd2 Nc6 10. dxc5 Nxc5 11. 0-0-0 b5 12. Bd3 b4 13. Ne2 0-0. The alternative was 13. ... a5 14. f5 Nxd3+ 15. Qxd3 Ba6 16. Qe3 Bxe2 17. Qxe2 0-0 18. Kb1 a4 19. Nd4 Nxd4 20. Rxd4 exf5 21. Rxd5 a3 22. b3 Rad8 23. Rhd1 Rxd5 24. Rxd5 Rd8 25. Qd3 Rxd5 26. Qxd5 h5 27. Kc1 Qh4 28. Kd1 Qf2 29. e6 fxe6 30. Qxe6+ Kh7 31. Qd5 h4 ½ : ½ Chandler – Seirawan, 2nd GMA World Cup, 1st stage, Reykjavík 1991. 14. h4!? Just a bit of improvisation, instead of 14. g4 a5 (as in Lang – Vojinović-Rapport, 39th Women’s Chess Olympiad, Khanty-Mansiysk 2010).

14. ... b3!! A sharp “refutation”. 15. axb3. Grandmaster Natalia Andreevna Pogonina recommends 15. cxb3 Nxd3+ 16. Qxd3 Nb4 17. Qb1 a5 when “White will put Knights on c3 and d4, defending stubbornly”. 15. ... Nb4 16. Ned4 Ncxd3+ 17. cxd3 a5 18. Nc2? Pogonina suggests to create a (great) White King’s escape with 18. Qe3 a4 19. Kd2 axb3 20. Ke2, but after 20. ... Ra2 21. Rd2 Ba6 Black retains a significant edge. 18. ... d4? Vaganian gives back his extra Pawn in order to render his position more active, but 18. ... Rb8! (intending ... Bc8-a6 followed by ... Rf8-c8) would have been very unpleasant for White (19. Kb1 Ba6). 19. Nfxd4 Bb7 20. Qe3? “Here White had a chance to stabilize the position by 20. Kb1 as Black needs time to play ... a5-a4, and White will create counterplay with f4-f5”, Pogonina said. 20. ... Bd5 21. Rd2. A sad necessity. If 21. Kb1 there follows 21. ... a4! with a crushing attack. 21. ... a4 22. bxa4. A painful decision, but 22. Nxb4 (Pogonina’s suggestion) is refuted by the “zwischenzug” 22. ... axb3! 23. Kd1 Ra1+ and Black must win. 22. ... Rxa4? Precipitate. Vaganian could have won by 22. ... Nxc2 23. Nxc2 (both 23. Kxc2 and 23. Rxc2 are met by 23. ... Rxa4-+) 23. ... Rfc8 and White cannot parry all Black’s threats. 23. Kd1 Ra2. Pogonina suggests 23. ... Rc8 24. Ke2 Bxg2 25. Rg1 Bb7 when Black has ample compensation for the Pawn. 24. Ke2 Rxb2 25. Nxb4 Qxb4 26. Nf3. “White has a solid position, so Black doesn’t have any real winning chances”, Pogonina said. 26. ... Ra8 27. Rhd1 Rxd2+ 28. Rxd2 Ra4 29. g3 h6 30. Ne1 Qb1 31. Kf2 g6 32. Rc2 Kg7 33. Qc1 Qb4 34. Qd2 Qb6+ 35. Qe3 Qb1 36. Qc1 Qb6+ 37. Qe3 ½ : ½.

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk & Rafael Artemovich Vaganian analysing their game. Photo: Martin Chrz.