The Outsiders

Mariya Muzychuk – 章晓雯 (Zhāng Xiǎowén)
2nd Chess Women Masters Tournament; 无锡 (Wúxī), April 10, 2012
French Defence C11

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 dxe4 5. Nxe4 Be7 6. Bxf6 gxf6 7. Nf3 f5 8. Nc3 a6 9. Qd2 b5 10. 0-0-0 b4 11. Na4 Bb7 12. Qe3 Qd5 13. Nc5 Bc6. The a2-Pawn is taboo: 13. ... Bxc5? 14. dxc5 Qxa2 15. Qd4 0-0 16. Ng5 Nd7 17. Bc4 (clearly not 17. Qxd7?? on account of 17. ... Rad8 and wins) 17. ... Qa1+ 18. Kd2 Qa4 19. Nxe6! fxe6 20. Bxe6+ Rf7 21. Rhe1 Nf8 22. Bxf7+ Kxf7 23. Qc4+ Kf6 24. Qh4+ Kg6 25. g4! with an irresistible attack. 14. b3 Bb5 15. a4 Bxf1 16. Rhxf1 Rg8. Out of the known track: 16. ... Nc6 17. Rfe1 Rg8 18. Nd3 (or 18. g3 Bd6 19. h3 a5 20. Nd3 0-0-0 21. Nde5 Rgf8 22. Nxc6 Qxc6 23. d5 exd5 24. Nd4 Qb6 25. Nxf5 Bc5 26. Qf3 Qf6 27. Kb1 c6 28. Re2 Rde8 29. Rde1 Re6 30. Qg4 Qg6 31. Qf4 Rfe8 32. Rxe6 Rxe6 33. Rxe6 Qxe6 34. Ne3 Bxe3 35. fxe3 Qxh3 36. g4 Qh1+ 37. Kb2 Qe4 38. Qxf7 Qxg4 39. Qxh7 ½ : ½ A. Muzychuk – Drozdovskij, 2nd Pfalz Open, Neustadt an der Weinstraße 2009) 18. ... Bd6 19. g3 Rg4 20. Nb2 Re4 21. Qd3 Bf8 ½ : ½ Bezgodov – Kiriakov, Russian Team Championship, Sochi 2007. 17. g3 Nc6 18. Rfe1 Rg4. This looks a bit committal. Black is hoping for 19. h3? Rxd4! with excellent chances for a dynamic advantage.

19. Rd2!! The most difficult move in the whole game. 19. ... Nxd4? Oblivious to the danger. At first sight, 19. ... Bd6 20. h3 Rg8 appears a lesser evil. 20. Nxe6! Now White, with a neat “petite combinaison”, wins first the Black e-Pawn and then the Black f-Pawn. 20. ... fxe6. Else 20. ... Qxe6 21. Nxd4 Qxe3 22. Rxe3 f4 23. Re4 Kf8 24. Nf5 Bf6 25. Rd7 and White totally dominates the board. 21. Rxd4 Rxd4 22. Nxd4 Bc5 23. Qxe6+ Qxe6 24. Nxe6 Bxf2 25. Nxc7+ Kd7 26. Re2 Kxc7 27. Rxf2 Rf8 28. Rf4. Black’s f-Pawn is doomed. 28. ... a5 29. g4 Kd6 30. Rxf5 Rxf5. Equivalent to resignation. 31. gxf5 Ke5 32. c3 bxc3 33. Kc2 Kxf5 34. Kxc3 h5 35. h4 Kg4 36. b4 axb4+ 37. Kxb4 Kxh4 38. a5 Kg3 39. a6 h4 40. a7 h3 41. a8=Q Kh2 42. Qf3 1 : 0.

Mariya Muzychuk
Photo: blog.sina.com.cn