Earth to Echo

Mariya Muzychuk – Alina Anatolyevna Kashlinskaya

FrauenBundesliga 2016/2017; OSG Baden-Baden – SK Schwäbisch Hall; Karlsruhe, January 21, 2017

Queen’s Gambit Declined D31

1. c4 e6 2. Nc3 d5 3. d4 Be7 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bf4 c6 6. e3 Bf5 7. g4 Be6 8. h3 Nd7 9. Nf3 Ngf6 10. Bd3 0-0. Maybe new, maybe questionable. For 10. ... Nb6 11. Qc2 Nc4 12. Kf1 Nd6 13. Nd2 Qc8 14. Kg2 Nd7 15. f3 g6 16. Rac1 Nb6 17. b3 Qd7 18. Ne2 Ndc8 19. a4 a5 20. Bg3 Bd6 21. Nf4 Ne7 22. Nf1 h5 23. Be2 h4 24. Bh2 g5 25. Nd3 Qc7 26. Qd2 Nd7 27. Bg1 Ng6 28. Bh2 Ne7 29. Bd1 b6 30. Kg1 f6 31. e4 Bxh2+ 32. Qxh2 Qxh2+ 33. Rxh2 Rd8 see Botvinnik – T. V. Patrossiàn, Moscow 1963, World Chess Championship match game 18. 11. Ng5 c5 12. Nxe6 fxe6 13. g5 Ne4 14. Bxe4 dxe4 15. d5! c4! Not 15. ... e5? 16. Bg3 Bxg5 on account of 17. Qg4 with powerful attack. 16. Nxe4. 16. dxe6 would be answered by 16. ... Nc5 with roughly even play. 16. ... Qa5+ 17. Nc3 Nc5. 17. ... Bb4 is also worth considering, but, indeed, the text has its (telling) points. 18. 0-0 Nd3 19. Qg4. Intending d5-d6. 19. ... Rf5 20. h4 Raf8? It looks very natural, but it will turn out to be badly timed. Best was 20. ... Nxb2 in order to answer 21. dxe6 by 21. ... Rxf4! 22. Qxf4 Rf8 23. Qd4 Rd8 with a likely draw by repetition. 21. d6 Bd8

22. Bg3! White has achieved an ideal position for her forces and can seriously think of bringing home the whole point. 22. ... Kh8? Black’s last chance was probably 22. ... Nxb2, although after 23. e4 Qxc3 (I am not sure that refusing is better) 24. exf5 exf5 25. Qe2 Nd3 26. Rae1! White would (should) maintain good (very good) winning chances. 23. Qxc4 Nxb2 24. Qb3! The pointe. Now Black has the brief illusion of some counterplay on the Kingside, but White’s inexorable penetration will soon awake the dreamer. Black is doomed. 24. ... Nd3 25. Ne4 Ne5 26. Rac1 Nf3+ 27. Kg2 Re5 28. Qxb7 Rb5 29. Qa8 Kg8 30. Rc8 Rd5 31. Rfc1 Ne5 32. Nc5 Ng4 33. Nb3 Qb6 34. Nd4 Rxd6 35. Qe4 e5 36. Qxg4 exd4 37. Bxd6 Qxd6 38. Qxd4 Qe7 39. Qd5+ Kh8 40. R1c4 1 : 0.

From left to right: Mariya Muzychuk, Anna Muzychuk, and Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk, the first three boards of the OSG Baden-Baden team, chatting together. Photo: schachbundesliga.de.