They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?

Anna Olehivna Muzychuk – Lela Javakhishvili
Women’s Grand Prix 2015–2016; 3rd stage; Batumi, April 22, 2016
French Defence C18

Today Anna Olehivna Muzychuk had to play with two heads on her shoulders! In fact, her lesser sister doesn’t seem to have recovered at all from defeat in the Women’s World Chess Championship match. It’s not easy to give advice, but maybe she shouldn’t take it too seriously. Not anymore, at least. 1. e4 e6. This came as a surprise to Muzychuk, as in “99% of her games Lela played 1. ... c5”, then she said. 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Qg4 Qc7 8. Qxg7 Rg8 9. Qxh7 cxd4 10. Ne2 Nbc6 11. f4 dxc3 12. Nxc3 Nd4 13. Bb2 Bd7 14. 0-0-0 Ndf5 15. Nb5. 15. Qh3 Qc5 16. Rd2 0-0-0 17. g4 Ne3 doesn’t seem easy to play with White (even if Karjakin managed to draw at move 73!), Karjakin – Nepomniachtchi, 12th Aeroflot Open, Moscow 2013. 15. ... Qc5 16. Nd6+ Nxd6 17. exd6 Qxd6 18. g3 Qc5. 18. ... Rc8 19. Bd3 Ba4 20. Rhe1 Qc5 21. Re2 Bb5 22. f5 Bxd3 23. Rxd3 Rg4 was previous theory (at least as much as a blitz game can be regarded as theoretical), T. Kosintseva – Dzagnidze, 4th SportAccord World Mind Games, Women’s Blitz Tournament, 北京 (Beijīng) 2014. 19. Bd3 b5. Afterwards, both players thought that this was last chance for Black to defend with 19. ... Rf8.

20. f5! A powerful coup. 20. ... exf5? This seems folly as she exposes the King to direct assault. 20. ... 0-0-0 was called for, since after 21. f6 Nc6 22. Qxf7 Rh8 Black can at least hope to compensate for the minus Pawn. 21. Rhe1 Be6 22. Bxf5 Qd6 23. Rxe6! Simple, but devastating in its effect. 23. ... fxe6 24. Re1 Rf8 25. Rxe6 Qc5 26. Qg6+ Rf7 27. Re1 Rd8 28. Qg8+ Rf8 29. Bg6+ Kd7 30. Qe6+ Kc7 31. Qxe7+ Qxe7 32. Rxe7+ Kd6 33. Re1 Rg8 34. Bf6 Rc8 35. Bf7 Rg4 36. Be7+ 1 : 0. A very beautiful game.

Anna Olehivna Muzychuk vs. Lela Javakhishvili. Photo: Anastasiya Valeryevna Karlovich.