To be continued...

Congratulations anyway to Mariya Muzychuk for her fierce and unexpected resistance against such a high-ranking antagonist. Good luck!

Mariya Muzychuk – Michael Adams
6th Chess World Cup; match game 2; Baku, September 11, 2015
English Opening A20

1. c4 e5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 h6!? A rare variant: Adams hopes to catch her opponent by surprise. 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qb3 a5 6. e3 Bxc3. For 6. ... 0-0 7. Nge2 d6 8. 0-0 Nbd7 9. d4 Re8 see Gordon – Mackle, 100th British Chess Championship, Torquay 2013. 7. Qxc3 d6 8. Ne2 0-0 9. 0-0 Nc6 10. d4 Bf5. “In Muzychuk – Adams, Mickey played 10. ... Bf5!, now as White I would try 11. h3! to prevent the plan of ... Qd8-d7 and ... Bf5-h3, exchanging Bishops”, Grandmaster Daniel W. Gormally said. 11. d5 Ne7 12. f3. “Now Adams plays the natural 12. ... e4!. White has the possibility of 13. fxe4 Bxe4 14. Rxf6! with fantastic compensation, instead she plays 13. ... f4?!”, Gormally said. 12. ... e4 13. f4. On 13. fxe4 the answer would have been most likely 13. ... Nxe4 14. Qd4 c5 with equality. 13. ... Qd7 14. b3 a4 15. Bb2. This is a slightly provocative move which enables Black to gain ground. 15. ... a3 16. Bc1 c6 17. dxc6 Nxc6 18. Nd4 Nxd4 19. Qxd4 d5 20. c5 h5 21. Bd2 Ra6 22. Bc3 h4 23. gxh4 Rc8 24. Rac1 Rac6 25. b4 b6 26. cxb6 Rc4? Take a walk on a razor’s edge! Correct was 26. ... Rb8 followed by ... Rb8xb6. 27. Qd2 Qc6

28. b7? Here Mariya misses her big chance! Instead 28. Rfd1! Bg4 (obviously not 28. ... Rxc3? 29. Rxc3 Qxc3?? on account of 30. Qxc3 Rxc3 31. b7 and the b-Pawn promotes) 29. Bf1! Bxd1 30. Bxc4 dxc4 31. Rxd1 Qxb6 32. Kh1! would give White excellent attacking chances. 28. ... Qxb7 29. Bd4 Qxb4 30. Qxb4 Rxb4 31. Rxc8+ Bxc8 32. Rc1 Be6 33. Bf1 Kh7 34. Be2 Bg4 35. Bxf6. Mariya pins her hopes in the Bishops of opposite colours. If 35. Bf1 then 35. ... Ng8! and Black stands slightly better. Also 35. Kf2 was worth considering. 35. ... Bxe2 36. Bd4 Bc4 37. Rc2 Kh6 38. Kg2 Rb1 39. Bc5 Rb2 40. Rf2 Be2 41. Bxa3 Rc2 42. f5 d4!? Cleverly speculative! After 42. ... Rxa2 43. Be7 White apparently survives, e.g. 43. ... Bf3+ 44. Kg3 Ra1 45. f6 d4!? 46. fxg7 dxe3 47. g8=N+! Kg7 48. Bf6+ Kxg8 49. Bxa1 exf2 50. Kxf2 Kh7 leads to a dead draw. 43. exd4 e3 44. Rf4? The first and, at the same time, decisive mistake, perhaps due to time trouble. After 44. Bc1! Bf3+! 45. Kxf3 Rxf2+ 46. Ke4 Rd2! 47. Kf3 Rxa2 48. Bxe3+ Kh5 49. d5 Ra6 the game seems to be moving towards a draw. 44. ... Bc4+ 45. Kg3 Bd5 46. Rg4 Rf2! 45. Kg3 Bd5 46. Rg4 Rf2 47. Rg5 f6 48. Rg6+ Kh7 49. h5 Rxf5 50. Bf8 Kg8 51. Bb4 Kf7 52. Kh4 Bf3 0 : 1.

Mariya Muzychuk vs. Michael Adams
Photo: Evgeny Surov

Mariya Muzychuk at her last bus stop in Baku
Photo: Evgeny Surov