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Tigran Alexandrovich Gharamian – Anna Olehivna Muzychuk
4th Trophée KARPOV; Cap d’Agde, October 25, 2015
Sicilian Defence B50

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Nc6 5. c3 g6 6. h3 Bg7 7. 0-0 0-0 8. Bb3 b6 9. Re1 Bb7 10. d4 e5 11. dxc5 dxc5 12. Qe2 Qc7 13. Bg5 Na5 14. Bc2 c4 15. Nbd2 h6 16. Bxf6 Bxf6 17. Nf1 Rad8 18. Ne3 b5 19. Rad1 Rfe8 20. Nd5 Bxd5 21. Rxd5 Rxd5 22. exd5 Qd7 23. Rd1 Nb7 24. Qe3

24. ... Nd6. “I’ve not achieved much in the opening, but the position was very complicated. I don’t know if she ‘blundered’ or deliberately sacrificed her h6-Pawn. I had to take it, even though I knew she would have got plenty of play for it!”, then Gharamian said. 25. Qxh6 e4 26. Ng5 Qf5 27. Nf3 Qd7 28. Nh2 Bg7 29. Qe3 Qc7 30. Nf1 Nf5 31. Qe2 Bh6 32. Qg4 Qe5 33. Re1 e3 34. fxe3 Nxe3 35. Nxe3 Bxe3+ 36. Kh1 Kg7 37. Qf3 f5 38. d6 f4 39. Qb7+ Kh6 40. Qf7. Miss Anna Muzychuk has got herself into trouble by trying too hard to win, but now she is lucky enough that Gharamian overlooks a simple way of winning by 40. d7 followed by Qb7-c6. 40. ... Qe6 41. Qxe6 Rxe6 42. d7 Rd6 43. Rd1 Rxd1+? It’s understandable that Black – a Pawn down – wants to liquidate into an ending with Bishops of opposite colour, but perhaps she should have done it by 43. ... Bd2! 44. Kg1 Rxd7 45. Kf1 Rd8 46. Ke2 f3+ 47. gxf3 (47. Kxf3 is comparatively the best and retains some winning chances) 47. ... Bg5 48. Rxd8 Bxd8 and, as the d7-Pawn disappears, the ending looks very drawish indeed. 44. Bxd1 Bb6 45. Bf3. Now, instead, “The ending with Bishops of opposite colour looks like a win for me. White can create various Zugzwang positions”, Gharamian said. 45. ... Kg5 46. Bc6 a6 47. Bb7 a5 48. Ba6 b4 49. cxb4 axb4 50. Bxc4 Kf6 51. h4 Kf5 52. Kh2 Kg4 53. Bd3 Kxh4 54. Bxg6 Kg5 55. Bc2 Kf6 56. a4 bxa3 57. bxa3 Ke7 58. Bf5 Kf6 59. Bd3 Kg5 60. Kh3 Ba5 61. a4 Bc7 62. Ba6 Bb6 63. Bb7 Bc7 64. Bc8 Bb6 65. g4 fxg3 66. Kxg3 Kf6 67. Kf4 Ke7 68. Ke5 Ba5 69. Kd5 Kd8 70. Kc6 Be1 71. Kb5 Kc7 72. a5 Bd2 73. a6 Be3 74. Kc4 Ba7 75. Kd5 Bb8 76. Kd4 Ba7+ 77. Kd5 Bb8 78. Ke6 Kd8 79. Bb7 Ba7 80. Kd6 Bd4 81. Kc6 1 : 0.

Tigran Alexandrovich Gharamian vs. Anna Muzychuk
Photo © Pierre Textoris/CapÉchecs