The Long, Hot Summer

Oksana Gritsayeva – Mariya Muzychuk
73rd Ukrainian Women’s Chess Championship; Kiev, June 20, 2013
Sicilian Defence B22

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. c3 Nf6 4. e5 Nd5 5. d4 cxd4 6. cxd4 d6 7. Bc4 Nc6 8. 0-0 Be7 9. Qe2 0-0. Less convincing is 9. ... Qc7 10. Bxd5 exd5 11. Nc3 Be6 12. Nb5 Qd7 13. Bg5 dxe5 14. Bxe7 Qxe7 15. dxe5 with a decided advantage for White, Godena – Kozul, 36th Torneo Internazionale di Capodanno, Reggio Emilia 1993/1994. 10. Nc3 Nxc3 11. bxc3 dxe5 12. dxe5 b6 13. Bd3 Bb7 14. Qe4 g6 15. Bh6 Na5. For the model game 15. ... Re8 16. Rad1 Qc7 17. Qf4 Rad8 18. h4 see E. Sveshnikov – Rodríguez Céspedes, 25th Capablanca Memorial, Cienfuegos 1979. 16. Qe3 Re8 17. Rfe1 Rc8 18. Bb5 Bc6 19. Ba6 Rc7 20. Nd4 Qd5 21. Nxc6!? The alternative 21. Bf1 Rd8 22. Qf4 Rcd7 would lead to a more or less equal game. 21. ... Qxc6 22. Qe2 Nc4 23. a4 Rd8 24. Rad1 Rd5? Decidedly too optimistic. After 24. ... Rxd1 25. Rxd1 Na5! Black seems very close to equality, e,g. 26. Qd2 Qa8. 25. Bb5 Qc5 26. Rxd5 exd5 27. Qf3 Na3

28. e6? Tempting, but the correct move was 28. Be8! when 28. ... Bf8 29. Bg5 Nc4 30. h4! gives White a very powerful attack. 28. ... f6 29. Be8? It was worth trying to play 29. Bd3! since after 29. ... Nc4 (29. ... Qxc3?? loses to 30. Rc1) 30. Bf4 Nd6 31. Bf1! White still remains somewhat better. Now Mariya manages to save the day. 29. ... Qxc3 30. Bf7+ Kh8 31. Rd1 Qxf3 32. gxf3 Rc5 33. Be3 Ra5 34. Be8 Nc4 35. Bd4 Nd6 36. Bd7 Nf5 37. Bb5 Nxd4 38. Rxd4 a6 39. Bc6 Rc5 40. Bxd5 Kg7 41. Bb7 Re5 42. Rd7 Rxe6 43. Bxa6 f5 44. Bc4 Re1+ 45. Kg2 Kf6 46. Rb7 Bc5 47. f4 Re7 48. Rxe7 ½ : ½.

Mariya Muzychuk
Photo: ukrchess.com