Пізанська вежа (Leaning Tower of Pisa)

Mariya Muzychuk – Marco Codenotti
14th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 27, 2016
Sicilian Defence B50

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. c3 Nf6 4. Be2. The great idea is 4. ... Nxe4?? 5. Qa4+, but it can work only in undeveloped chess countries. 4. ... Nc6 5. d4 cxd4 6. cxd4 d5 7. e5 Ne4 8. 0-0 Bg4 9. Be3 e6 10. Ne1 Bxe2 11. Qxe2 h6. Not 11. ... Qb6? on account of 12. f3 Nxd4 13. Qd1 Bc5 14. fxe4 and Black has no compensation at all for his sacrificed Knight (Muzychuk’s analysis). 12. f3. For 12. Nd3 Be7 13. f3 Ng5 14. Nd2 Qb6 15. f4 Ne4 see Fernández Aguado – Morovic Fernández, 10th International Open El Corte Inglés, Las Palmas 1987. 12. ... Ng5 13. Nc3 Be7 14. Qd3. For 14. Nd3 Qd7 15. Rac1 0-0 16. Nf4 Rac8 see Dâmaso – Diogo, 67th Portuguese Chess Championship, Lisbon 2013. 14. ... 0-0 15. f4. Grandmaster Stuart Conquest suggested a possible improvement with 15. a3 and if 15. ... Na5 then more effectively 16. f4. 15. ... Nb4 16. Qb1 Ne4! 17. a3. If 17. Nxe4 dxe4 18. Qxe4 there might follow 18. ... Qd5 and Black’s more dynamic placement seems to compensate for the Pawn. 17. ... Nxc3 18. bxc3 Nc6

19. f5. The aim is to vitalize a rather lifeless game. 19. ... exf5 20. Qxf5 Bg5 21. Nc2 Rc8 22. e6 Rc7 23. Rae1 g6 24. exf7+ Kg7 25. Bxg5 Qxg5. Not 25. ... hxg5? 26. Qh3 Rxf7 27. Ne3! with a powerful attack. 26. Qxg5 hxg5 27. Nb4 Nxb4 28. cxb4 Rcxf7 29. Rxf7+ Rxf7 30. h3 b5 31. Rc1 a6 32. Rc5 Rf5 33. Rc7+ Rf7 34. Rc5. The King and Pawn ending would also lead to a draw. 34. ... Rf5 35. Kh2 Rf2 36. Rc7+ Kf6 37. Rc6+ Kf5 38. Rxa6 Ra2 39. Ra5 g4 40. hxg4+ Ke4 41. Rxb5 Rxa3 42. Rb6 g5 43. Rg6 Kf4 44. Rf6+ Kxg4 45. Rd6 Rb3 46. Rxd5 Rxb4 47. Rd8 Ra4 48. d5 Rd4 49. Kg1 Kg3 50. Kf1 g4 51. d6 Rd5 52. Rd7 Rd4 ½ : ½.

Mariya Muzychuk
Photo: Sophie Tray

14th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival (‏@GibraltarChess)