Maya the Bee

Mariya Muzychuk – Boris Franzevich Gulko
4th Snowdrops vs. Oldhands; Mariánské Lázně, December 6, 2011
Sicilian Defence B64

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 Be7 8. 0-0-0 0-0 9. f4 h6 10. h4!? A sharp Bishop sacrifice, suiting Mariya’s most imaginative style. 10. ... Nxd4 11. Qxd4 hxg5. Boris Franzevich accepts the challenge and takes the Bishop. 12. hxg5 Ng4! 13. Be2 e5 14. Qg1 exf4 15. Bxg4 Bxg4. More convincing than 15. ... Bxg5 16. Bxc8 Rxc8 17. Rd3 Re8? (comparatively best was 17. ... Bh6!?) 18. Kb1 Rc5 19. g3! fxg3 20. Rxg3 Re6 21. Rh5 Bf6 22. Nd5 b6 23. Rgh3 g6 24. Qg5!! 1 : 0 Dvoirys – Feher, Budapest 1991. 16. Qh2 f5

17. g6!? The alternative was 17. Qh7+ Kf7 (Anand – Kasparov, PCA / Intel Rapid Chess Grand Prix 1995, Paris 1995) when White could try 18. exf5!?, although after 18. ... Bxg5 19. Ne4 f3+ 20. Kb1 fxg2 21. Qg6+ Kg8 22. Nxg5 Bxf5 23. Qh5 gxh1=Q 24. Rxh1 Qxg5 25. Qxg5 Rac8 Black should be able to hold his own. 17. ... Bh4 18. Rd4 Bh5? A blind spot in Boris Franzevich’s opening theory. Not 18. ... f3 19. gxf3 Bxf3 20. Qxh4 Qxh4 21. Rxh4 Bxe4 22. Rd2 Rfe8 23. Nb5! and White stands better. Correct was 18. ... fxe4 19. Rxe4 Bh5 20. Qxh4 Qxh4 21. Rxh4 Bxg6 22. Re6 when White wins back her Pawn with a very slight edge. 19. Qxh4 Qxh4 20. Rxh4 Bxg6 21. Rxd6. White has come out of the opening clearly on top. 21. ... Bh7 22. exf5 Rxf5 23. Nd5 Re5? The decisive mistake. The immediate 23. ... Rg5 would have been the lesser evil, although after 24. Nxf4 Rc8 25. c3 White retains both her extra Pawn and her positional edge. 24. Rd7 Rg5. Too late. However, if 24. ... Re2 there follows 25. Rg4 with deadly effects. Now it’s very easy. 25. Ne7+ Kh8 26. Rd1. With the threat of 27. Rxh7+ Kxh7 28. Rh1+ and mate next move. 26. ... g6 27. Rdh1 Rh5 28. Nxg6+ Bxg6 29. Rxh5+ Bxh5 30. Rxh5+ Kg7 31. Rf5 1 : 0.

Mariya Muzychuk vs. Boris Franzevich Gulko
Photo: Martin Chrz