Into the Labyrinth

Bela Khotenashvili – Mariya Muzychuk
Women’s Grand Prix; 4th stage; 成都 (Chéngdū), July 4, 2016
Sicilian Defence B38

1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 g6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Bg7 5. e4 Nc6 6. Nc2 Nf6 7. Nc3 d6 8. Be2 0-0 9. Be3 Be6 10. f3 Rc8 11. Qd2 Nd7 12. Rc1 a6 13. 0-0 Qa5 14. b4! A pretty shot – Khotenashvili could not miss it. The Maróczy Bind can well become a nightmare for the second player, since it greatly limits Black's mobility. Theoretically speaking, it’s clear that Muzychuk has had the worst of it. 14. ... Qd8. Not 14. ... Nxb4? 15. Nd5! and Black’s gonna lose heavy material. 15. Nd5 f5. For 15. ... a5 17. bxa5 Ra8 18. Ncb4 Nxa5 19. Nf4 Nc5 20. Nxe6 Nxe6 21. f4 see 赵雪 (Zhào Xuě) – 黄茜 (Huáng Qiàn), 2011 Chinese Chess League, 青岛 (Qīngdǎo) 2011. 16. b5. For 16. exf5 Bxf5 17. Rfd1 Kh8 18. Na1 Nf6 19. Nb6 Rb8 20. Nb3 Be6 21. Nd5 Bg8 22. Bb6 Qe8 23. Ne3 see Srebrnič – Gladisheva, 15th Croatian Women’s Team Chess Championship, Šibenik 2006. 16. ... Nce5 17. Nd4 Nc5 18. Nxe6 Nxe6 19. Nb6

19. ... Rc5. Muzychuk has no other choice but to give up the Exchange for no realistic compensation. In fact, Black has very few or zero chances to create counterplay on the dark squares. 20. exf5 gxf5 21. Bxc5. Muzychuk then argued that 21. Na4 (indeed, it’s also Stockfish’s first choice) might have been even stronger. 21. ... Nxc5 22. Nd5 e6 23. Nb4 a5 24. Nc2 b6 25. Rcd1 Nf7 26. Nd4 Qf6 27. f4 Bh6 28. Qe3 Kh8 29. Qf3 Ne4 30. Nc6 Rg8 31. Bd3 Nc5 32. Be2 Qb2 33. Nd4 Rg6 34. Qe3 Ne4 35. Qb3. The exchange of Queens puts an end to any further illusion. 35. ... Qxb3 36. axb3 e5 37. Nxf5 Bxf4 38. Bd3 Nc3 39. Ra1 Rg5 40. g3 Kg8 41. h4 Rg4 42. Kh2 e4 43. Bxe4 Bxg3+ 44. Nxg3 Nxe4 45. Nxe4 Rxh4+ 46. Kg3 Rxe4 47. Rae1 Ng5 48. Rxe4 Nxe4+ 49. Kf4 Nc5 50. Rd1 Nb7 51. Ke4 Nc5+ 52. Kd5 Nxb3 53. Kc6 a4 54. Kxb6 a3 55. Kc7 Na5 56. b6 1 : 0.

Bela Khotenashvili vs. Mariya Muzychuk
Photo: qipai.org.cn