Afterday

Daria Stanislavovna Voit – Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk
19th European Individual Women’s Chess Championship; Vysoké Tatry, April 17, 2018
English Opening A37

1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 Nc6 3. Nc3 g6 4. g3 Bg7 5. Bg2 e6 6. d4 cxd4 7. Nb5 d5 8. cxd5 exd5 9. Nfxd4 Nge7. The B-plan is 9. ... Nf6 10. 0-0 0-0 11. Be3 Ng4 12. Bf4 Nxd4 13. Nxd4 Qb6 14. Nb3 Bxb2 15. Rb1 Bg7 16. Qxd5 Nf6 17. Qd6 Bf5 18. Rbc1 Be4 19. Rfd1 Bxg2 20. Kxg2 Qxd6 21. Rxd6 Rfc8 22. Na5 Ne4 23. Rd7 Nc5 24. Rd5 b6 25. Be3 Bf8 26. Nb3 Ne6 which, after a series of exchanges, finally led to a draw, Gelfand – Lékó, Grand Prix 2012-2013, second stage, Tashkent 2012. 10. 0-0 0-0 11. Be3 a6 12. Nc3 Be6 13. Qd2 Rc8 14. Nxc6 bxc6 15. Bc5 Re8 16. Na4 Nf5 17. Rad1 Nd6 18. b3 Nb5 19. Rc1 Bf5 20. e3. The game seems quite balanced, so now Muzychuk decides to break the routine: 20. ... h5! Let’s forget the past and just have a nice afternoon. 21. h4 g5! 22. Qd1. Perhaps White ought to have taken (more) seriously Muzychuk’s “war declaration” and aimed for simplifying matters, for instance by 22. e4 followed by Qd2xg5. 22. ... Bg4 23. Bf3. 31. f3, however unpleasant it might appear to Voit, was probably less sharp than the text (even if not better); there would have followed 31. ... Bf5 with far more pleasant prospects for Black.

23. ... Re4! A very brilliant positional pseudo-sac. 24. hxg5? Muzychuk’s pressing has its effect in producing the wished outcome. Best was 24. Rc4! dxc4 25. Qxd8+ Rxd8 26. Bxe4, although after 26. ... c3! 27. hxg5 Bd1! Black has enough compensation for the Pawn to make her own position easier to play. 24. ... Qxg5 (Δ ... h5-h4) 25. Kg2 h4 26. Rh1. Of course, not 26. gxh4?? on account of 26. ... Bxf3++ and mate next move. And also after 26. Bxg4 Rxg4 Black’s attack appears very telling; for instance: 27. Be7!? Rxg3+! 28. fxg3 Qxg3+ 29. Kh1 Qh3+ 30. Kg1 Qxe3+ 31. Rf2 Qxe7 with Black clearly superior. 26. ... hxg3 27. fxg3 Be5 28. Qg1? This allows Muzychuk to finish brilliantly. However, after 28. Bxg4 Rxg4 29. Rh3 Rxg3+ 30. Rxg3 Qxg3+ 31. Kf1 Qh3+ 32. Kf2 Bg3+ 33. Ke2 Qg2+ 34. Kd3 Qe4+ 35. Kd2 d4! the result is also the same. 28. ... Bxf3+ 29. Kxf3 Nd4+! 30. Bxd4. Not 30. exd4 because of 30. ... Qf5+ 31. Kg2 Re2+ and mate in two moves. 30. ... Bxd4 31. Re1 Rce8 32. Kg2 Rxe3 33. Rxe3 Rxe3 34. Qf2 Be5 0 : 1.

Daria Stanislavovna Voit (right) vs. Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk (left). Photo: Oleksandr Martynkov.