The 11th Hour

Anna Olehivna Muzychuk – Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov
4th Trophée Anatoly Karpov; Cap d’Agde, October 26, 2015
Caro-Kann B19

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 e6 8. Ne5 Bh7 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 Nf6 11. Bd2 Nbd7

12. Ng6 Nc5. Karpov prefers to avoid 12. ... fxg6 13. Qxg6+ Ke7 14. Bb4+ c5 15. dxc5 Qc7 with very unclear consequences, Belotti – Garcia Palermo, 54th Italian Chess Championship, Reggio Emilia 1994/1995. 13. dxc5. For 13. Qe3 fxg6 14. dxc5 Qd5 see Areshchenko – Pantsulaia, International Youth Sports Games M16, Moscow 2002, while for 13. Qe2 fxg6 14. dxc5 Bxc5 15. Qxe6+ Qe7 see Kovalev – Shyam, FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship, Dubai 2014. 13. ... Qxd3 14. cxd3 fxg6 15. d4 Rd8 16. Be3 Kf7 17. Ke2 Rd5 18. f4 Be7 19. b4 Rhd8 20. Rad1 R5d7 21. a3 a5 22. Rb1 axb4 23. axb4 Ra8 24. Rb3 Ra2+ 25. Kf3 Nd5 26. Ne2 b5 27. cxb6 Rb7 28. Nc1 Ra1 29. Rg1 Nxe3 30. Kxe3 Rxb6 31. Ne2 Ra4 32. Rgb1 Raxb4 33. Rxb4 Rxb4 34. Rxb4 Bxb4. The temporary Black’s extra Pawn is quite meaningless. 35. Ng1 Be1 36. Nf3 Bg3 37. Ne5+ Kf6 38. Kf3 Be1 39. g3 h5 40. Nxc6 Kf5 41. Na7 Bc3 42. Nb5 Bb4 43. Na7 Be7 44. Nc6 Bd6 45. Ne5 Bb4 46. Nc4 Kf6 47. Ne3 Bd2 48. Ke4 Be1 49. Kf3 Ke7 50. Nc4 Bc3 51. Ke4 Kf6 52. Ne3 ½ : ½. “My play during all first round was disastrous”, Anna admitted. “I lost my first game against Abdumalik. I had chances of winning, but I made a mistake. I was very disappointed, and perhaps that bad result may have affected me more than I would have expected. Against my sister, the ending was equal, but we both were playing to win, and I lost again (round three). Usually I’m not ‘lucky’, but I don’t believe much in luck. I rely more on my own chess skills. I’m far from 4th place (2/7). I will fight. Who knows? Maybe I will succeed to move up the rankings!”.

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