The Ides of March

Anna Olehivna Muzychuk – 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)

Women’s World Chess Championship Knockout Tournament; match game 3; Tehran, March 1, 2017

French Defence C11

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Be3 Be7 8. Qd2 0-0 9. dxc5 Bxc5. The alternative is 9. ... Nxc5 10. 0-0-0 a6 11. Qf2 b6 12. Nd4 Qc7 13. g3!? Bb7 14. Bg2 Na5 15. f5!? Qxe5 16. Bf4 Qf6 17. h4 e5! 18. Nxd5! Bxd5 19. Bg5 Qd6 20. Bxe7 Qxe7 21. Bxd5 exd4 22. Bxa8 Rxa8 23. Rhe1 Qc7 24. b4 Nc6 25. bxc5 bxc5 with dynamic balance, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), 15th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival, Catalan Bay 2017. 10. 0-0-0 Qa5 11. a3 Be7!? For 11. ... Rb8 12. Bxc5 Nxc5 13. Qe3 Qb6 14. Nd4 Nxd4 15. Qxd4 Bd7 16. h4 see Eljanov – Gagare, Isle of Man International Masters, Douglas 2016. 12. Bd3! If it were a novelty, one should wonder why – but, of course, it’s not. The fierce Ukrainian Grandmaster just aims straight for mate! 12. ... a6!? 13. h4! b5? 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)’s being oblivious to the danger, innocently plays what she planned to do...

14. Bxh7+! Just the start of a devastating attack. Muzychuk thought for almost half an hour before sacrificing, thus suggesting that she was just improvising. I think, instead, she was well inside her preparation. 14. ... Kxh7 15. Qd3+ Kg8 16. Ng5 f5!? No better is 16. ... g6 17. h5! and White’s attack develops itself. 17. Nxd5! That’s Muzychuk’s novelty, which appears to be almost as strong as 17. Qe2! Bxg5? 18. hxg5 g6 19. Qf3 Ne7 20. Nxd5! Nxd5 21. Rxd5 Kf7 22. Rdd1 1 : 0 Zaas – Greig, NAPZ Higher Class Tournament, by correspondence, 2014. 17. ... b4!? 18. Nxe7+ Nxe7 19. Bd2? Too cautious. Best was the immediate 19. Qd6! as after 19. ... bxa3 20. b4! Black is in a valley of tears (20. ... a2 21. Kb2 Rb8 22. c3+−). 19. ... Rb8?? 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) got too upset to keep nerves calm and steady. Nevertheless, after 19. ... Nd5! 20. Qf3 (Δ Qf3-h5), it was not easy to find the right defensive idea: 20. ... Ra7!! 21. Qh5 N7f6! 22. exf6 gxf6 and, miraculously, the Black Rook on the seventh rank keeps everything under control. 20. Qd6! Now White wins by brute force. Muzychuk, who was a bit short of time, must be only careful not to make blunders. 20. ... Qc5 21. Bxb4 Qxd6 22. Bxd6 Ng6 23. Nxe6 Re8 24. Bxb8 Rxe6 25. g3 Bb7 26. Rh2 Nc5. Now Muzychuk ends the game in very pretty style. 27. Rd8+ Kh7 28. Bd6! Black is in zugzwang. 28. ... Ne4 29. h5 Nh8 30. h6! Nf7 31. Rd7 Rxd6 32. Rxf7 1 : 0.

Muzychuk vs. 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí). Photo © David Llada.