She Too Plays Against Pieces!

Nana Dzagnidze – Mariya Muzychuk
Women’s Grand Prix Series 2015-2016; Monte Carlo, October 4, 2015
Grünfeld Defence D83

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bf4 Bg7 5. e3 0-0 6. Rc1. A critical line is 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Nxd5 Qxd5 8. Bxc7 – the so-called Grünfeld Gambit – but Black gets a great lead in development after 8. ... Nc6, which fully compensates her/him for the Pawn deficit. 6. ... c5 7. dxc5 Be6! 8. Nf3 Nc6 9. Ng5. If 9. Be2 then 9. ... Ne4! with rough equality. 9. ... Bg4 10. f3 e5!

11. Bg3. “It is clear that 11. fxg4 exf4 12.cxd5 Nxd5 suits Black, and I just didn’t know what could be achieved with 11. cxd5 exf4 (now 11. ... Nxd5 12. Qxd5 Bd7 doesn’t work because of 13. Nxf7! Rxf7 14. Bc4 and Black is lost) 12. dxc6 Qe7 with a strong attack for the sacrificed piece”, Grandmaster Svetozar Gligorić wrote in his book “I Play Against Pieces” (Batsford, 2003). 11. ... d4 12. Nb5? A novelty, and a very bad one. For 12. fxg4 dxc3 13. Qxd8 Rfxd8 14. Rxc3 h6 15. Nf3 Ne4 see Botvinnik – Gligorić, 16th Chess Olympiad, Tel Aviv 1964. 12. ... h6. Nevertheless, also 12. ... Bh6! looks very strong. 13. exd4. 13. fxg4 hxg5 14. exd4 exd4 transposes into the game. Black stands much better. 13. ... exd4 14. fxg4 hxg5 15. Bd3? Comparatively better was 15. Be2, although after 15. ... Ne4 16. Bc7 Qd7 17. Bd6 Rfe8 18. 0-0 Rac8 Black keeps a strong grip on the position. 15. ... Re8+ 16. Kf2 Nb4 17. Bb1 d3! Mariya conducts her ferocious attack with ceaseless energy. 18. Rf1 Ne4+ 19. Kg1 Nxg3 20. hxg3 Bd4+ 0 : 1. For after 21. Kh2 Kg7 White’s King is dead and buried.

Muzychuk sisters’ sweet tea-break
Photo: FIDE Grand Prix 2015

Nana Dzagnidze vs. Mariya Muzychuk
Photo: FIDE Grand Prix 2015