It Ain’t Necessarily So

Marie Rachel Sebag – Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk
4th Trophée KARPOV; Cap d’Agde, October 25, 2015
Sicilian Defence B22

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 Nf6 4. e5 Nd5 5. d4 cxd4 6. cxd4 d6 7. Bc4 dxe5 8. dxe5 Ndb4 9. Qxd8+ Nxd8 10. Na3 Bg4 11. Nd4 Ndc6 12. Nxc6 Nxc6 13. f4 e6 14. Be3 Bb4+ 15. Kf2 0-0-0 16. h3 Bf5 17. Rhd1 a6 18. Be2 Bxa3 19. bxa3 Rxd1 20. Rxd1 Rd8 21. Rc1 Kc7 22. Bf3 Rd3 23. g4 Bg6 24. Bc5 Rd2+ 25. Ke3 Rxa2 26. Bd6+ Kd7 27. h4 Bc2 28. h5 Na5 29. Be2 b5 30. Bf8 Nc4+ 31. Kd4 Bb3 32. Bd3 Rf2 33. Bxg7 Rxf4+ 34. Kc5 Rxg4 35. h6 Nb2 36. Kb6 Nxd3. Now Black is a Knight and two Pawns up, but White has at least a draw by perpetual check here. 37. Rc7+ Ke8 38. Bf6! Sebag wants more than perpetual. 38. ... Rc4 39. Re7+ Kf8 40. Rd7 Rc8 41. Rxd3 Bc4 42. Rd7 Be2 43. Kxa6. After all, White is only a Pawn down and has got a powerful grip on the enemy position. Black must be very careful. 43. ... Ke8 44. Re7+ Kf8 45. Kb7 Re8 46. Rc7 Bf3+ 47. Kb6 Rb8+ 48. Kc5 Ke8 49. Re7+ Kf8 50. Rd7 Rc8+ 51. Kb4 Be2 52. Rd2 Bc4 53. Rd6 Ke8 54. Ka5 Rb8 55. Ka6 Kf8? Muzychuk is in serious time trouble and goes off on the wrong track. Correct was 55. ... Bd5 in order to answer 56. Ka7 by 56. ... Rb7+ with roughly equal chances. 56. Ka7 Re8 57. Bd8! Sebag very elegantly tightens the stranglehold. 57. ... Bd5 58. Kb6 Bc4 59. Rd7 Be2 60. Kc6 Kg8 61. Rd2 Bf1 62. Kd7 Kf8

63. Rd1? Here Sebag misses her (first) big chance: after 63. Bf6! Ra8 64. Be7+ Kg8 65. Rd1 White wins the Bishop and the game. 63. ... Be2 64. Rd2. Nothing bad, but 64. Rg1 is also a win. 64. ... Bf1 65. Rd4? Again 65. Bf6! was called for. 65. ... f5! Muzychuk, of course, is only too happy to spring to life again! 66. exf6 e5 67. Be7+ Kf7 68. Re4 Bh3+ 69. Kd6 Rg8 70. Rxe5 Bf1 71. Rc5 Rg6 72. Rc7 Rxh6 73. Ke5 Rh5+ 74. Kf4 Rd5 75. Bd8+ Ke6 76. Rc6+ Kf7 77. Rc7+ Ke6 78. Rc6+ Kf7 79. Rc7+ Ke6 ½ : ½.

Sebag’s and Muzychuk’s very tense game ended in a draw. Photo © Pierre Textoris/CapÉchecs.