Lucky Strike

Zhansaya Daniyarqyzy Abdumalik – Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk
4th Trophée Anatoly Karpov; Cap d’Agde, October 28, 2015
Sicilian Defence B43

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 a6 3. Nc3 e6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Qc7 6. Bd3 Nf6 7. 0-0 Nc6 8. Nb3 b5 9. f4 d6 10. Be3 Bb7 11. Qf3 Be7 12. Qh3 Nb4 13. a3 Nxd3 14. cxd3 e5 15. Qg3. For 15. Rac1 Qd8 16. Nd2 (for 16. g4 h5 see Tukmakov – Csom, Zagreb 1971) 16. ... 0-0 17. d4 see Frolov – Shmuter, Zonal Tournament, Nikolaev 1993. 15. ... exf4 16. Qxf4 0-0 17. Nd4 Bc8 18. Rac1 Qb7 19. Qg3 Kh8 20. Kh1 Be6 21. Nf5 Bxf5 22. Rxf5 b4 23. axb4 Qxb4 24. Rcf1 Rac8 25. R1f2

25. ... Rxc3? A very hazardous Exchange sacrifice – to put it euphemistically. The thematic advance 25. ... d5! 26. exd5 (or 26. e5 Ng4) 26. ... Ng4 looks much more to the point. 26. bxc3 Qxc3 27. Bd2 Qd4 28. h3 Rb8 29. Qe3 Qxe3 30. Bxe3 Rb3 31. Rc2 h6 32. Rc7 Rxd3 33. Bf4 g6 34. Ra5 Ng8 35. Rxa6 Rd4 36. Ra8 Rxe4 37. Bxh6 Kh7 38. Bd2 d5 39. Rcc8. White probably missed a quick win on several occasions before. Also here, for instance, 39. Rd7 looks very strong, since after 39. ... d4 40. Re8 Black is in Zugzwang. 39. ... Rd4 40. Bc1 Rd1+ 41. Kh2 Bd6+ 42. g3 Ne7 43. Rh8+ Kg7 44. Bh6+ Kf6 45. Ra6 Nf5 46. Bf8? Also 46. Bf4? Kg7! leads nowhere. Abdumalik’s last chance to try to win was by 46. Re8. 46. ... Rd2+ 47. Kg1 Ke5 48. g4 Bxf8 49. Rxf8 Nd6 50. Rd8 Ne4 51. Ra5 Ng5 52. h4 Nf3+ 53. Kf1 Nxh4 54. Rf8 f5 55. gxf5 Nxf5 56. Ke1 Rg2 57. Rd8 Ne3 58. Re8+ Kf4 59. Ra4+ Kf3 60. Rf8+ Nf5 61. Kd1 Kg3 62. Ra3+ Kg4 63. Rg8 Kf4 64. Rd8 d4 65. Ra6 Kf3 66. Rb6?? A tragic blunder. White should have been able to draw by 66. Kc1. 66. ... Ne3+ 67. Kc1 Rg1+ 68. Kb2. On 68. Kd2 Rd1 it’s mate! 68. ... Nc4+ 69. Kb3 Nxb6 70. Rxd4 g5 71. Rd6 Nc8 72. Rf6+ Kg3 73. Kc3 Rd1 74. Rf8 Nd6 75. Kc2 Rd5 0 : 1. “I took a look at this game, and at first it seemed to be favourable to White”, Grandmaster Romain Édouard said. “Eventually I thought it would have ended in a draw, but the Women’s World Champion managed to wear the young Kazakhstani down and win”.