Cryotherapy

Lars Stark – Mariya Muzychuk
14th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, February 1, 2016
English Opening A36

1. c4 c5 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. a3 e6 6. Nh3 Nge7 7. Nf4 0-0 8. Rb1 Re8!? 8. ... a5 can transpose into 9. d3 Rb8 10. Bd2 b6 11. 0-0 Bb7 12. Re1 d6 13. Nb5 Nd4 14. Nxd4 Bxd4 15. Bxb7 Rxb7 16. Qa4 Qd7 17. Qxd7 Rxd7 18. Bc3 Bg7 19. Bxg7 Kxg7 20. b4 axb4 21. axb4 Ra8 ½ : ½ B. Larsen – Karpov, Interzonal Tournament, Leningrad 1973. 9. 0-0 d5 10. d3? From a “semantic point of view” White should have preferred 10. cxd5 exd5 11. d3 with a more balanced game. 10. ... dxc4 11. dxc4 Bxc3! 12. bxc3 b6. Mariya’s strategy is quite simple: first neutralize any White’s Kingside initiative and then mercilessly exploit her opponent’s chronic weaknesses on the Queenside (eventually by ... Bc8-a6 and ... Nc6-a5). Very similar to the Sämisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian Defence. What if, instead, White succeeds? More or less something like Botvinnik vs. Capablanca, AVRO Chess Tournament, Amsterdam 1938. 13. Nd3 f6 14. Qa4. HAL 9000 suggests of going to drastic measures with 14. g4 Qc7 15. g5 fxg5 16. Bxg5, to which Black can reply 16. ... Bb7 17. Bf4 e5 18. Nxe5 Nxe5 19. Bxe5 Qxe5 20. Bxb7 Rad8 with good compensation for the Pawn. 14. ... Qc7 15. f4 Bd7! 16. Qc2 Rad8 17. g4 Na5 18. Nb2 Bc6 19. e4 Qb7 20. Re1 Nc8 21. e5 f5 22. h3 Rd7 23. Bxc6 Qxc6 24. Qg2 Ne7 25. Qxc6 Nexc6 26. Be3 Red8. Black’s strategy has triumphed. White find himself in a kind of strategic Zugzwang.

27. Kf2 Nb3 28. gxf5 gxf5 29. Rbd1 Rxd1 30. Rxd1 Rxd1 31. Nxd1 Nca5 32. Nb2 Na1 33. Ke2. White is virtually in Zugzwang: if 33. a4 there equally follows 33. ... Nc2 and White’s position falls apart. 33. ... Nc2 34. Bf2 Nxa3 35. Kd3 Kf7 36. Bh4 Ke8 37. Bg5 Kd7 38. Bf6 Kc6 39. Bg5 b5 40. cxb5+ Kxb5 41. Be7 N5c4 42. Nd1 a5 43. Bd8 a4 44. Bc7 Nb1 0 : 1.

Lars Stark vs. Mariya Muzychuk
Photo: Sophie Tray