Баклава (Baklava)

Mariya Muzychuk – Anastasia Mikhailovna Bodnaruk
15th European Individual Women’s Chess Championship; Plovdiv, July 11, 2014
Sicilian Defence B52

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ Bd7 4. Bxd7+ Qxd7 5. 0-0 Nc6 6. c3 Nf6 7. d4 Nxe4 8. d5 Ne5 9. Re1 Nf6 10. Nxe5 dxe5 11. c4 g6 12. Rxe5 Bg7 13. Nc3 0-0 14. Re2. For 14. Bg5 h6 15. Bh4 see Andreikin – Sjugirov, II World’s Youth Stars, Kirishi 2004, while for 14. Re1 Ne8 15. Bg5 see Sedina – Neuman, 22nd Mitropa Cup, Pula 2003. 14. ... Qg4. Somewhat strange but not necessarily bad.

15. Qb3. 15. Rxe7 Qxc4 leads nowhere. 15. ... Rfe8 16. h3 Qd7 17. Bf4. Intending Nc3-b5. 17. ... e6!? Black prefers the weakness of an isolated Pawn on e6 rather than to commit herself on the Queenside. For instance, if 17. ... a6? then 18. Na4 and White’s advantage is already overwhelming. 18. dxe6 Rxe6 19. Rxe6 fxe6. It doesn’t make sense to sacrifice a Pawn by 19. ... Qxe6 since after 20. Qxb7 Re8 21. Qb5 Black has no compensation at all. 20. Rd1 Qf7 21. Qb5 b6 22. Qc6 Rf8 23. Be3 h6? The beginning of an ambitious, but wrong plan of counter-attack. Comparatively best was 23. ... Qe8(!) so as to considerably reduce White’s advantage. 24. Rd6 g5? The hysterical sacrifice of a Pawn cannot help Black’s cause. On the other hand, after 24. ... Re8 25. a4 g5 26. a5 White should shatter her opponent’s position on the Queenside before Black can really become dangerous on the Kingside. 25. Rxe6 g4 26. Nd5 gxh3 27. Nxf6+ Bxf6 28. gxh3. Simpler was 28. Bxh6! Bd4 29. Bxf8 Qxf2+ (on 29. ... h2+ 30. Kh1 Qxf2 31. Rg6+ Bg7 32. Rxg7+ Kxf8 33. Qf3+ White forces an elementary King and Pawn endgame) 30. Kh2 hxg2 31. Qxg2+ Qxg2+ 32. Kxg2 Kxf8 33. b3 when White has a won endgame. 28. ... Bg5. More tenacious is 28. ... Qg6+, though after 29. Qg2 Kf7 30. Qxg6+ Kxg6 31. b3 h5 32. Rd6 White remains a clear Pawn ahead and, with proper play, she should win. 29. Qe4 Kh8 30. h4 Bf6 31. Bxh6 Bd4 32. Be3 Bg7 33. Rg6 Rg8. Or 33. ... Bxb2 34. Qg2! substantially transposing into the game. The rest is easy. 34. Qg4 Qxg6 35. Qxg6 Bxb2 36. Qxg8+ Kxg8 37. Kg2 Kf7 38. Kf3 a6 39. a4 Ke6 40. Ke4 Kd6 41. h5 Kc6 42. h6 Kd6 43. Bf4+ Ke6 44. h7 Bd4 45. Bc7 Kf7 46. Be5 1 : 0.

Mariya Muzychuk (here against Salome Melia)
Photo © Boyan Botev