Only Human

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
Women’s World Chess Championsip 2016; match game 3; Lviv, March 5, 2016
Bogo-Indian Defence E11

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Be7 6. Nf3 0-0 7. 0-0 Nbd7 8. Qc2 c6 9. Rd1 b6 10. Bf4 Ba6. The alternative is 10. ... Bb7 11. Nc3 dxc4 12. Nd2 Nd5 13. Nxc4 Nxf4 14. gxf4 Qc7 15. e3 Rad8 16. a3 c5 17. d5 exd5 18. Nxd5 Bxd5 19. Rxd5 b5 20. Ne5 Nxe5 21. Rxe5 Bd6 22. Rd5 Be7 23. Re5 Bd6 24. Rd5 Be7 ½–½ Harika – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 1st 杭州 (Hángzhōu) WGM Chess Tournament, 杭州 (Hángzhōu) 2011.
11. cxd5 cxd5

12. Ne5 Rc8 13. Nc6 Bb5 14. Nxe7+ Qxe7 15. Nc3 Nh5 16. Be3 Nhf6 17. a4!? In one sense it is true to say that this novelty was caused by an underlying feeling of impatience. On the other hand also, after 17. Qd2 Ba6 White can hardly hope for more than a draw: 18. Bf4 Nh5 19. Bg5 Nhf6 20. Bf4 Nh5 21. Bg5 Nhf6 ½–½ 温阳 (Wēn Yáng) – 余泱漪 (Yú Yāngyī), 10th “映美杯” (“Yìng Měi Cup”) Chinese Chess League, 江门 (Jiāngmén) 2014.
17. ... Bc4

18. a5 bxa5 19. Rxa5 Qb4 20. Rda1 Rb8 21. Rxa7 (21. Bc1 a6=)
21. ... Qxb2 22. Qxb2 Rxb2 23. Bf3 h6 24. h4

24. ... Rc8. “侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) simply could not play two moves in a row with the Pawns: 24. ... h5”, writes Grandmaster Adrian Bohdanovych Mikhalchishin.
25. Bf4. “Here White had chances to win more space and to create some real threats. Had it been Carlsen, he would have made Black’s life hard here. Unfortunately Mariya does not enjoy Magnus’s technique... 25. g4 Rb3 26. Nb1 Bb5 27. g5”, Mikhalchishin noted.
25. ... Rc2 26. R7a3 h5 27. Kg2 Kh7 28. Rc1 Rxc1 29. Bxc1 e5 30. dxe5 Nxe5 31. Be3 Nxf3 32. Kxf3 Ne4 33. Nxe4 dxe4+ 34. Kxe4 Bxe2 35. Ra5 f6 36. Rc5 Rxc5 ½–½.

After the débâcle suffered in the previous game, today Muzychuk just contented herself with half a point, hoping to restore morale and confidence in the coming days. Photo: Vitaliy Hrabar.