The Hedge Knight

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk – Natalia Oleksandrivna Zhukova
73rd Ukrainian Women’s Chess Championship; Kiev, June 24, 2013
French Defence C16

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 Ne7 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 b6 7. Nf3 Ba6 8. Bxa6 Nxa6 9. Qd3 Nb8 10. c4 dxc4 11. Qxc4 Nbc6! 12. Bd2 Qd7 13. 0-0 Rd8 14. c3 Na5 15. Qa6 0-0. More consistent was 15. ... Qc6 when after 16. Rab1 Qc4 17. Qxc4 Nxc4 18. a4 Nd5 White must already fight for equality. 16. Ng5 Nb3 17. Rad1 b5 18. a4 bxa4 19. Qd3 Ng6 20. h4 h6 21. h5 hxg5 22. hxg6 a3?! Black unnecessarily gives back her Pawn. Ukrainian International Master Anton Sitnikov suggests 22. ... g4 23. Bg5 Rb8 24. gxf7+ Rxf7 25. Qe2 Qc6 26. Qxg4 Qc4 27. Qh3 a3 28. d5 Re8 29. d6 a2 30. d7 Rxd7 31. Rxd7 Qxf1+ 32. Kxf1 a1=Q+ 33. Ke2 Qb2+ 34. Kf3 Rf8+ 35. Bf6 Qxc3+ 36. Kf4 Rxf6+ 37. exf6 Qxf6+ 38. Ke3 Qc3+ when Black gives perpetual check – a very long variation! 23. Bxg5 Rb8 24. Qa6?! First, 24. gxf7+ Rxf7 and then 25. Qa6 was possibly better. 24. ... fxg6 25. Qxa3 a5 26. Rd3 c5 27. Rfd1 c4?! Sitnikov gives another very, very long variation: 27. ... cxd4 28. Be7 Rfc8 29. Bd6 Rb6 30. cxd4 Qb5 31. d5 Rc1 32. Rxc1 Qxd3 33. Rc8+ Kh7 34. Kh2 Qe4! 35. dxe6 Qh4+ 37. Rb8 Rc6 39. Kf1 Nf4 40. Kg1 Qg5 41. g3 Qxe5 42. gxf4 Qxb8 43. e7 Qc8 44. Qxa5 Qg4+ 45. Kf1 Qh3+ 46. Kg1 Re6 with manifest advantage to Black, but this line is not forced. 28. Rg3 Rb7 29. Be3 Qf7. If 29. ... Rf5 might follow 30. Rxg6 Rxe5 31. Re1 Kh7 32. Rg4 Rg5 33. Re4± (Sitnikiov’s analysis). 30. Qd6 Rc8? The crisis. Black should have played 30. ... Re8 at once, since after 31. d5 exd5 32. Rxd5 Re6 33. Qd8+ Re8 34. Rd6! Rxd8 35. Rxd8+ Qf8 36. Rxf8+ Kxf8 37. Rxg6 Rb5 38. f4 a4 39. Ra6 Ra5 40. Rxa5 Nxa5 41. Bc5+ Kf7 the passed a-Pawn and the agile Knight would have given Black some compensation for the minus Pawn – idem to say good drawing chances.

Now comes the decisive breakthrough: 31. d5! Re8 32. dxe6 Rxe6 33. Qd8+ Re8 34. Qh4 Rd7 35. Rd6! Mariya finishes off the game very neatly. 35. ... Rxe5. Not 35. ... Rxd6 36. exd6 Qe6 37. Rh3 Kf7 38. Qh7 with an irresistible attack. 36. Rdxg6 Qf5 37. Qxc4+ Red5 38. Qxb3 Qh5 39. R6g5 Qd1+ 40. Qxd1 Rxd1+ 41. Kh2 1 : 0.

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk won his second title in a row! Photo: ukrchess.com.