Old Days Old Ways

Mariya Muzychuk – Nana Dzagnidze
Women’s Grand Prix; third stage; Batumi, April 30, 2016
Two Knights Defence C55

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Be7 5. 0-0 0-0 6. Re1 d6 7. a4 Be6 8. Na3 Nd7. If 8. ... Qd7 there might follow 9. c3 Kh8 10. b4 Rae8 11. b5 Nd8 12. d4 Bg4 13. Qd3 Ne6 14. Nc2 Nf4 15. Bxf4 exf4 16. Nb4 Qc8 17. a5 c5 18. bxc6 bxc6 19. d5 as occurred into the game Tseshkovsky – Shchekachev, Krasnodar 1996. 9. c3 Kh8 10. b4 Bf6 11. a5 a6 12. h3 b5 13. Ba2 Re8 14. Nc2 Ne7 15. Bxe6 fxe6 16. Ng5 Bxg5 17. Bxg5 Qc8 18. d4 Ng6 19. g3 exd4 20. cxd4 c5 21. h4 cxd4 22. Nxd4 Nge5 23. Rc1 Qb7 24. h5 h6 25. Bh4 Nc4 26. g4 Nde5 27. Rc3 Rac8 28. Qe2 d5. This, too, would seem like another unlucky day for the former Women’s World Chess Champion, but she quite boldly starts playing dynamically, regardless of the material balance. 29. f4!?? So Muzychuk doesn’t even consider any kind of peace compromise by 29. exd5 exd5 30. f4 Qa7! 31. Bf2 Nxg4! 32. Qxg4 Rxe1+ 33. Bxe1 Qxd4+ 34. Bf2! (White cannot allow Black’s Rook to penetrate the e-file by ... Rc8-e8) 34. ... Qxc3 35. Qxc8+ Kh7 36. Qf5+ with a draw by perpetual check. 29. ... Nc6 30. Nxc6 Qxc6 31. e5 d4 32. Rd3 Ne3 33. Rxd4 Nc2 34. Rd6 Qc3 35. Red1 Qxb4? Dzagnidze doesn’t resist the temptation to grab the Queenside White Pawns. 35. ... Qh3! looked very strong. 36. Bg3 Rc3 37. R1d3 Qxa5? Black has finally got her aimed two united passed Pawns, but in the meanwhile White has accumulated enough energy to start an assault on the Kingside. After 37. ... Qc4 38. Qd2 b4 the chances are roughly balanced. 38. f5! Qa1+ 39. Kh2 Rxd3 40. Qxd3 Qa2 41. Qd2 b4. Grandmaster Bachar Kouatly calls it “Une faute terrible!”, but after 41. ... exf5 42. gxf5 Nb4 43. Qxa2 Nxa2 44. Rg6!! (threatening both f5-f6 and e5-e6) Black is doomed anyway. The variations are very easy: both 44. ... b4 and 44. ... Re7 are met by 45. e6, while if 44. ... Nc1 there might follow 45. f6 gxf6 46. exf6 Nd3 47. Bd6 Re2+ 48. Kg3 Rf2 49. Bb4!! Kh7 50. Rg7+ Kh8 51. Bc3 b4 52. Bd4 Rf4 53. f7 finis.

42. f6! b3 43. f7 Rf8 44. Rd8 Qa3 45. Bh4. 45. Re8 (eventually followed by Qd2-d8) can be regarded as a dual. 45. ... b2 46. Bf6! Threatening Qd2xh6 mate. 46. ... Ne3 47. Qxe3! 1 : 0. For if 47. ... Qxe3 then 48. Rxf8+ Kh7 49. Rh8+! Kxh8 50. f8=Q+ and mate next move.

Mariya Muzychuk
Photo: Eteri Kublashvili

Nana Dzagnidze
Photo: Eteri Kublashvili