Flirting with Disaster

Laurent Fressinet – Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk
4th Trophée Anatoly Karpov; Cap d’Agde, October 26, 2015
Sicilian Defence B40

1. Nf3 c5 2. e4 e6 3. g3 Nc6 4. Bg2 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. 0-0 Be7 7. Re1 e5 8. c3 0-0 9. Nbd2 Be6. Instead of 9. ... Re8 10. a4 Bf8 11. Nc4 h6 12. Rb1 Qc7 13. Ne3 Be6 14. Nh4 Qd8 15. Nd5 g6 16. f4 exf4 17. Nxf4 Bg4 as in Skripchenko – A. Muzychuk, 1st SportAccord World Mind Games; Women’s Rapid Event, 北京 (Beijīng) 2011. 10. Nf1 h6 11. Ne3 b5 12. Nh4 Re8 13. Nd5 Qd7 14. Bd2 Rab8 15. a3 Bh3 16. Nf5 Bxf5 17. exf5 Rec8 18. Nxe7+ Nxe7 19. g4 c4 20. d4 exd4 21. cxd4 Nc6 22. h4 d5 23. Bf4 Rb6 24. Be5 b4 25. Bxf6 gxf6 26. Qd2 Kg7 27. Qf4 bxa3 28. Rxa3 Qc7. Black does not dare to take the b-Pawn: if 28. ... Rxb2 then 29. g5 Rb3 30. Re3 with a powerful attack. 29. Qd2 Qd6 30. g5! hxg5 31. hxg5 Rb3 32. Re3 Rxa3. Here 32. ... Qf4! looks strong, bringing Black very close to equality. 33. Rxa3 Rb8? The Rook on the wrong file! Black’s best defence was 33. ... Rh8 in order to effectively answer 34. Rg3 by 34. ... Kf8. 34. Rg3. White’s attack is now overwhelming. 34. ... Kf8

35. g6! fxg6 36. Qh6+ Ke7 37. Rxg6? Laurent’s blind spot on the way to win. After 37. Qh7+ Kd8 38. fxg6 Black could well have resigned. 37. ... Rf8 38. Rg7+ Rf7 39. Qe3+ Kf8 40. Rg3 Ne7? A very grave error, probably due to time shortage. Correct was 40. ... Rh7! 41. Rh3 Rxh3 42. Bxh3 Ne7 with equality. 41. Qh6+ Ke8 42. Qh5. Threat: Rg3-g7. 42. ... Qc7 43. Rg7 Nc6 44. Qh8+ 1 : 0.

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk. Photo © Pierre Textoris/CapÉchecs.