The Martian Chronicles

Mariya Muzychuk looking at the stars
Photo: 2015.ukrchess.com

Round One
Mariya Muzychuk vs. Andrei Volokitin ½ : ½

According to the report of Ivan Yaremko: “Thursday, December 3, started the Round One of the 84th Ukrainian Chess Championship with the participation of twelve Grandmasters, eleven men and one girl, but such a girl! – Women’s World Champion Mariya Muzychuk. Naturally, her game with Andrei Volokitin captured major public attention. The two players – Mariya conducted the White pieces – created a truly interesting painting on the board. As often occurs in the Sicilian Defence, the opponents were attacking on different flanks. White took the initiative first and tried to launch her own attack against Black’s King. For a moment it seemed that she could break through his defence, but Volokitin quietly found the correct answers and his King felt more comfortable. Black finally decided to sacrifice both Knights for Rook and Pawn. We’ll never know how the game could have developed further, because the players agreed to a draw. They both preferred not to take the risk to keep playing such an unbalanced position...”. According to Evgeny Surov, the editor-in-chief of Chess-News.ru, the organization’s decision of not broadcasting any live games of the Championship is for denying any knowledge or information to Muzychuk’s next challenger for the Women’s World Crown 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) from China. Well, it very much seems to me that you are more to the Left than me, Miss Stalin... :).