Minding Tomorrow

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk – Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov
4th Trophée Anatoly Karpov; Cap d’Agde, October 28, 2015
Caro-Kann Defence B11

1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. h3 Bxf3 5. Qxf3 e6 6. d4 Nf6 7. Bd3 dxe4 8. Nxe4 Nbd7 9. c3 Nxe4 10. Qxe4 Nf6 11. Qe2 Bd6 12. 0-0 Qc7 13. Bg5 Bf4 14. Bxf6 gxf6 15. a4 h5 16. b4 h4 17. Rfe1 Kf8 18. Be4 f5 19. Bf3 Kg7 20. Qb2 Bg5

21. b5 Rhd8 22. Re5 Rab8 23. Qb3 Be7 24. Qc4 Rdc8 25. bxc6 bxc6 26. Ree1. A very strange move! Why not 26. Rae1? 26. ... Qf4 27. Rab1 Bd6 28. Qd3 c5 29. Rb5 a6 30. Rb7 cxd4 31. Qxd4+ Qxd4 32. cxd4 Rc4 33. Rxb8 Bxb8 34. d5 e5 35. Rb1 Bc7 36. Rb7?? A terrible oversight. 36. ... Rc1+ 37. Kh2 e4+ 0 : 1. “In the first portion of the game, the position was mostly equal but slightly in favor of White”, Grandmaster Christian Bauer said. “Mariya spent a lot of time thinking, but she proceeded with a plan not too promising, aimed to transfer the Queen to c4. She intended to exert pressure on the Queenside, but after having opened the b-file, she ended up having problems. Karpov was ready to pounce!”.

Mariya Muzychuk vs. Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov
Photo: Europe Échecs (@EuropeEchecs)