Agua de Valencia

Anna Olehivna Muzychuk and Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk took part on Sunday, February 4, 2018 in the Women Chess Stars, a 6-player round robin tournament held in the Assembly Hall of Mercantile Athenaeum in Valencia, Spain jointly organised by the Valencian Community and the chess club Laboratorio SyS in Paterna. Time control was 10 minutes per player, plus 5 seconds time per move. And in the end, the Muzychuk sisters won first prize ex aequo with 4½ points out of 5, conceding only one draw (each to the other). Sabrina Vega Gutiérrez, Cécile Haussernot, Marta García Martin, and Laura Unuk were the other participants.

Mariya and Anna Muzychuk. Photo: Cadena SER.

From left: Sabrina Vega Gutiérrez, Laura Unuk, Anna Olehivna Muzychuk, Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk, Cécile Haussernot, and Marta García Martin. Photo: levante-emv.com.

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk – Cécile Haussernot
Women Chess Stars; Valencia, February 4, 2018
Tarrasch Defence D33

1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 Nc6 3. Nc3 e6 4. g3 Nf6 5. Bg2 d5 6. cxd5 exd5 7. d4 Bg4 8. Bg5 Be7 9. dxc5 d4 10. Bxf6 gxf6!? Looking for something sharper than the old routine 10. ... Bxf6 11. Ne4 Be7 12. 0-0 0-0 13. Rc1 with a steady edge for White, Salwe – Fahrni, Karlsbad 1911. 11. Ne4 f5 12. Nd6+ Bxd6 13. cxd6 Qxd6 14. 0-0 f4!? Given the time format, Haussernot’s tricky play may be very interesting. 15. Qd3 0-0-0 16. Rac1 Kb8

17. Ng5!? 17. Qb5 d3! 18. exd3 a6 19. Qb6 Nd4 might even give Black enough compensation for the Pawn, so Muzychuk tries her luck with another bolt. 17. ... Ne5?? 17. ... Qe7 18. Qb3 Rhg8! seems to be okay for Black. The text is simply disastrous. 18. Qb5!+− f3!? 19. exf3 Bd7 20. Qb3 Bc6? 20. ... Qa6 seems just a little better, though after 21. Qc2 (or 21. f4) Black cannot hope to last much long in office. 21. f4. 21. Rxc6 Nxc6 22. Nxf7 may be equally (if not more) telling. 21. ... Bxg2 22. Kxg2 Qg6 23. Rfe1 Nd3 24. Re7 Qa6 25. Rcc7 Ne1+ 26. Kg1 b6 27. Qxf7 1 : 0. For mate follows very shortly.