A Queen is never late, everyone else is simply early

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk – Antoaneta Stefanova
Women’s Grand Prix 2015–2016; 1st stage; Monte Carlo, October 3, 2015
Modern Defence B06

1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nf3 d6 4. Bd3 Bg4 5. c3 Nd7 6. Nbd2 Nb6. Stefanova’s opening strategy looks a bit odd. Another continuation could be 6. ... c5 7. h3 with a slight edge for White. 7. h3 Bd7 8. 0-0 Nf6 9. Re1 0-0 10. e5 Nfd5 11. Ne4 Bf5 12. a3 c6 13. exd6 exd6 14. Bg5 Qd7 15. c4 Bxe4 16. Rxe4 Nc7. On 16. ... Nf6 White could follow with 17. Rh4. 17. Re7 Qc8 18. Re1 Re8 19. Qd2 Ne6 20. Bh6 Bf6 21. Re2 Qd7 22. Rae1 Re7 23. b3 Rae8 24. Bc2 c5 25. d5 Nd4 26. Nxd4 Bxd4 27. h4 Nc8 28. Bg5 Re5 29. Bf4 R5e7 30. g3 a6 31. Kg2 b5 32. Rxe7 Rxe7 33. Rxe7 Qxe7 34. Bd3 bxc4 35. bxc4 Qb7 36. Qe2 Kg7 37. h5! Qb2 38. Bc2 Qc3. Clearly not 38. ... Qxa3?? on account of 39. Qe8 threatening both Qe8xc8 and 40. h6+ Kf6 41. Qd8+ followed by mate. But probably 38. ... Be5 would have been a more resilient defence, although 39. Bg5 f6 40. Bd2! should enable White to keep the initiative. 39. h6+! Now 39. Qe8?? fails to 39. ... Qxc2 40. h6+ Kf8 41. Qd8+ Kf5 42. Qxc8+ Ke4 turning the tables! 39. ... Kf8

“White stands better, possessing the Bishop-pair, as well as having the safer King position. In particular, the White Pawn on h6 cramps the Black monarch’s freedom of movement. But it is not obvious how much better White stands in the above position, as Black is quite solid. And how to make progress is not evident either: 40. Ba4!? Be5! 41. Bxe5?! Qxe5 42.Qxe5 dxe5 followed by ... Nc8-d6 nor 41. Qg4!? Nb6! would please White. Perhaps 40. a4 might be investigated (with a slight edge)... but White came upon a surprising idea:”, writes Grandmaster Kevin Spraggett. 40. Qg4! Miss Tactics doesn’t disappoint her admirers, playing the decisive coup with only four seconds left. 40. ... f5. “If now 40. ... Qxc2? 41. Qxc8+ Ke7 42. Bg5+! f6 43. Bxf6+! Bxf6! 44. Qe6+ Kd8 45. Qxd6+ Kc8 46. Qxf6 Qxc4 47. Qh8+ White is simply mopping up. Worse still is 40. ... Ne7?? as 41. Qd7! catches the Black monarch in a mating net”, says Spraggett. 41. Bxf5! Not too difficult, but very accurately calculated. “Black is not given any reprieve! If now 41. ... gxf5? 42. Qxf5+ Ke7 43. Bg5+ will soon be mate and if instead 41. ... Ne7 42. Be6! catches the Black King in a cage. Black tries the best chance:“, Spraggett said. 41. ... Qe1 42. Bd3! Not 42. Bxc8? because of 42. ... Qxf2+ 43. Kh3 Qf1+ 44. Kh4 Bf6+ 45. Bg5 Qh1+ with perpetual check. 42. ... Qxf2+ 43. Kh3 Ne7 44. Bxd6 Qe3 45. Qf4+ Ke8 46. Bc2 Qxf4 47. Ba4+!? Also 47. gxf4! looks very tempting, e.g. 47. ... Ng8 48. Bxg6+! hxg6 49. h7 Nh6 50. Bxc5 and with three Pawns for the sacrificed Bishop White would have secured excellent winning chances. Whatever it is, Mariya prefers to play it safe. 47. ... Kf7 48. Bxf4 Nc8 49. Kg4 Ke7 50. Bb3 Nd6 51. Kf3 Nf7 52. g4 Bf6 53. Ke4 Nd6+ 54. Kd3 Nf7 55. Be3 Kd6 56. Ke4 g5. In the press conference, both players severely criticised the text move. Instead 56. ... Ng5+ would have allowed Black to put up strong resistance. 57. Bf2 Be5 58. Kf5 Bf4 59. Bd1 Nxh6+ 60. Kf6 Ng8+ 61. Kg7 Ne7 62. Kxh7 Nc8 63. Kg6 Nb6 64. Be2 Bc1 65. Bg3+ Kd7 66. Bd3 a5 67. Be5 a4 68. Bf5+ Kd8 69. d6 Nd7 70. Bc3 Ke8. Equally after 70. ... Bxa3 71. Kxg5! Bb4 72. Ba1 Bd2+ 73. Kh5 Bf4 74. g5 Bxd6 75. g6 Bf8 76. Bxd7 Kxd7 77. g7 Bxg7 78. Bxg7 Black is dead and buried. 71. Bc2 Bxa3 72. Bxa4 Bc1 73. Bf6 Bf4 74. Be7! Elegant to the end! 1 : 0.

Seated from left: Antoaneta Stefanova and Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk. Standing from left to right: Chief Arbiter Anastasia Sorokina, President of Monaco Chess Federation Jean-Michel Rapaire, FIDE President Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov, and the Director of Casinos of Montecarlo John Galvani. Photo: Anastasiya Karlovich.