Stained glass

Anna Muzychuk – 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)

Knockout Women’s World Chess Championship Tournament; match game 1; Tehran, February 27, 2017

French Defence C10

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bd7 5. Nf3 Bc6 6. Bd3 Nd7 7. 0-0 Ngf6 8. Ned2 Be7 9. b3 0-0 10. Bb2 b6. For 10. ... Re8 11. c4 Bxf3 12. Nxf3 c5 13. Bc2 cxd4 14. Nxd4 Qb6 15. Qe2 Nf8 16. Rad1 Ng6 17. a3 a5 18. Nb5 see A. Muzychuk – Piesik, 4th International Tournament of Polonia Wrocław Chess Club, Wrocław 2009. 11. c4 Bb7 12. Qe2 c5 13. Rfe1 Re8 14. Rad1 Qc7 15. Ne4. Apparently not too ambitious. Another try was 15. Bc2 Rad8 16. dxc5 Nxc5 17. Ne5 a5 18. Ndf3 Nce4 19. Rxd8 Rxd8? (Black’s last few moves were quite dubious, but this last one is decidedly wrong) 20. Nxf7! Kxf7 21. Bxf6 Nxf6 22. Ng5+ Ke8 23. Nxe6 Qd7 24. Rd1 Bd6 25. c5! bxc5 26. Nxc5+ Qe7 27. Qxe7+ Bxe7 28. Rxd8+ Bxd8 29. Nxb7 remaining two Pawns up in a clearly won endgame, Rozentalis – Couso, 35th Rilton Cup 2005/2006, Stockholm 2005. 15. ... Nxe4 16. Bxe4 Bxe4 17. Qxe4 Nf6 18. Qe5 Bd6 19. Qe2 Rad8 20. dxc5 Bxc5. The position looks already very drawish. 21. Bxf6. Attempting to shatter the balance. 21. Ne5 was very natural, but hardly supernatural. 21. ... gxf6 22. g3 Rxd1 23. Rxd1 Rd8

24. Kg2. Strangely self-pinning her own Knight. 24. ... Rxd1 25. Qxd1 Qc6 26. Qd3. With her Knight stuck on f3, White must hurry to get a draw by perpetual check on time. 26. ... f5 27. Qd8+ Kg7 28. Qg5+ Kf8 29. h4 Qe4 30. Qd8+ Kg7 31. Qd2 a5 32. h5. With the deadly threat of h5-h6+. 32. ... h6 33. Qc3+ Kg8 34. Qd2 Kh7 35. Qb2 Qg4 36. Ne5. The Knight is finally free, at the cheap cost of a Pawn, and just in time to assist Her Majesty in her drawing choreographies. 36. ... Qxh5. Also after 36. ... Qd1 37. Nf3 (not 37. Nxf7?? on account of 37. ... Bd4 followed by ... Qd1-e1−+) 37. ... Kg8 the game is roughly even. 37. Nd7 Qg5 38. Nf6+. The Queen endgame would not have promised anything more. 38. ... Kh8 39. Ne8+ Kg8 40. Nf6+ Kh8 41. Ne8+ Kg8 42. Nf6+ ½ : ½. Draw by mutual respect.

And very opportunely the photographer did not forget to snap a shot of Anna Muzychuk and 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) shaking hands before the start. Photo © David Llada.