Sleepwalking

Mariya Muzychuk – Judith Fuchs
12th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 28, 2014
Caro-Kann Defence B19

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 Nd7 8. h5 Bh7 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 Qc7 11. Bd2 e6 12. Ne4 Ngf6 13. 0-0-0 0-0-0 14. g3 Nxe4 15. Qxe4 Bd6 16. Kb1 c5 17. dxc5 Nxc5 18. Qe2. The alternative was 18. Qc4 Rd7 19. Bc3 e5 20. Rd5 f6 21. Rhd1 Rhd8 22. Nh4 as in the game Karjakin – Asrian, 6th European Individual Chess Championship, Warsaw 2005. 18. ... Rhe8. The older reference is 18. ... Qc6 19. Rh4 Qa6 20. c4 Be7 21. Rhh1 ½ : ½ Gildardo García – Kharitonov, Bayamo 1989, but most likely White could have played better. 19. Rh4 Kb8 20. Rc4 Qe7 21. Bb4 f6 22. Rcd4 Bc7? This is virtually the decisive mistake. Correct was 22. ... Qc7! (intending ... e6-e5) with a tenable position. 23. Qb5. Of course! Black’s Queenside disintegrates. 23. ... b6 24. Rxd8+ Rxd8 25. Nd4 Kb7 26. Qc6+ Kb8. On 26. ... Ka6? 27. Rd3! is even funnier. If, instead, 26. ... Kc8 then 27. Qa8+ Bb8 28. Rd3! (threatening Nd4-c6) 28. ... Rd6 29. Bxc5 bxc5 30. Nc6 Qb7 31. Qxb7+ Kxb7 32. Rxd6 Bxd6 33. Nd8+ Kc8 34. Nxe6 when White wins a second Pawn and the game.

27. Rd3 e5. After 27. ... Qd7 28. Bxc5 bxc5 29. Qxc5 Bb6 30. Qb4 White is a clear Pawn to the good and thus has a winning position. 28. Qxc5! Obviously 28. Bxc5 is also very good for White, but Mariya chooses the most elegant way. 28. ... Qxc5. Equally after 28. ... bxc5 29. Nc6+ Kb7 30. Nxe7 cxb4 31. Nf5 the ending is hopeless for Black. 29. Bxc5 exd4 30. Bxd4. White is a clear Pawn up. Idem to say that the ending – as it is – cannot be saved by Black. 30. ... Re8 31. Re3 Rd8 32. c3 Rd7 33. Kc2 Kb7 34. a4 a6 35. Re6 Bd8 36. g4 Rd5 37. Kd3 f5 38. Re5 Rxe5 39. Bxe5 fxg4 40. Bxg7 Bh4. 40. ... Bg5 41. Ke4 is no better. 41. Bxh6 Bxf2 42. Ke2 1 : 0.

Mariya Muzychuk vs. Judith Fuchs
Photo: John Saunders