Фейр-Плей (Fair Play)

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2015–16; 1st stage; Monte Carlo, October 14, 2015
Sicilian Defence B51

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+. Unpretentious from the start.
3. ... Nd7 4. 0-0 a6 5. Bd3 Ngf6 6. c4? Strategically, very bad times will come for Muzychuk after this move. More flexible was 6. c3(!) aiming to transpose into something similar to a Spanish Game.
6. ... g6! Much more to the point than 6. ... Qc7 7. Nc3 e6 8. Be2 b6 9. d4 cxd4 10. Qxd4 Bb7 11. b4 Be7 12. Be3 0-0 13. Nd2 Rab8 14. f4 Ba8 15. Kh1 Rfc8 16. Rac1 e5 17. Qd3 exf4 18. Bxf4 Ne5 19. Qg3 Nfd7 20. Nd5 Bxd5 21. exd5 Bf8 22. Ne4 g6 23. Qh3 Bg7 24. Bh6 f5 25. Bxg7 Kxg7 26. Ng5 Nf8 27. Qg3 h6 28. Nf3 Nxf3 29. Rxf3 Kh7 30. Bd3 Qe7 31. Rcf1 Re8 32. h3 Rb7 33. h4 Qe5 34. h5 Qxg3 35. Rxg3 g5 36. Bxf5+ Kg7 37. a3 Rf7 38. Rgf3 Re5 39. g4 b5 40. cxb5 axb5 41. Rd1 Rc7 42. Kg2 Re2+ 43. Rf2 Re5 44. Rf3 Re2+ 45. Rf2 Re5 0–1 Jelica – Djurović, 1st Open “Krk Golden Island”, Malinska 2013.
7. Nc3. 7. b3 Bg7 8. Bb2 0-0 9. Nc3 Nh5 10. Bc2 Ne5 11. Ne1 Nc6 is also fine for Black, Saranya – M. Brunello, 32nd World Junior Chess Championship Girls U-20, Pune 2014.
7. ... Bg7 8. Re1

8. ... Ng4! “My plan is very interesting: I intend to play ... Ng4-e5-c6 in order to prevent d2-d4. If I do not do it, White would quickly play Bd3-f1 and d2-d4 with a comfortable Maróczy Bind-like setup”, says 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán).
9. Bf1 Nge5 10. d3 (10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. d3 Nc6⩱)
10. ... 0-0 11. Be3 Nxf3+! 12. Qxf3 Ne5 13. Qd1 Nc6! 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán): “I think Black is already very comfortable. I am preventing the advance d3-d4 as I have very clear plans such as the breaks ... b7-b5 or ... f7-f5”.
14. Qd2 Rb8 15. Ne2 e5! 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán): “With her last move, White threatens d3–d4, which made me hesitate between 15. ... e6 — allowing d3-d4 — or 15. ... Nd4 16. Nxd4 cxd4 17. Bh6, and in both cases I am fine. However, in the end I decided for the text move”.
16. Nc3 Be6 17. Nd5. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán): “It is a logical move, but maybe White first ought to play 17. g3”. Muzychuk: “I was thinking about it, but I did not like by that she could play 17. ... b5 18. b3 Qa5 19. Bg2 Nd4 with a symmetrical position in which Black has gained various tempos”.
17. ... b5 18. b3. Muzychuk: “Better was 18. Rab1”.
18. ... f5⩱

19. g3? A miscalculation which loses by force. Comparatively best was 19. exf5 gxf5 20. Rac1 bxc4 21. dxc4 Nd4⩱ with only an edge for Black.
19. ... f4! 20. gxf4 exf4! Muzychuk was expecting — and hoping for — 20. ... Bxd5 21. exd5 exf4 22. Bxf4 Bxa1? 23. dxc6 with compensation.
21. Nxf4

21. ... Bg4!! The killer and — undoubtedly — the most difficult move of the whole game.
22. Bg2 Ne5! 23. h3 Nf3+ 24. Bxf3 Bxf3 25. Ne6. “If 25. Ne2 Qh4 26. Kh2 Be5+ 27. Ng3 Bg4 winning”. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán).
25. ... Qh4 26. Ng5 h6! 27. Nxf3 Rxf3 28. d4 Rxh3 29. Kf1 Qg4 0–1. An impressive attacking game by 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán).

Mrs. Agnes Puons, General Secretary of Société des Bains de Mer, making the first move in the game between Muzychuk and 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). Photo: Anastasiya Valeryevna Karlovich.