Lost & Found

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk – Meri Arabidze
19th European Individual Women’s Chess Championship; Vysoké Tatry, April 18, 2018
Sicilian Defence B40

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4 Nc6 4. Nc3 a6 5. d4 cxd4 6. Nxd4 Qc7 7. Be3 Nf6 8. a3 b6 9. Rc1 Bb7 10. Be2 Nxd4 11. Qxd4 Bc5 12. Qd3 0-0 13. 0-0 Rfd8 14. b4 Bxe3 15. Qxe3 d6 16. Rfd1 Rab8. Another modus vivendi is 16. ... Qc6 17. Bf3 Qc7 18. Na4 Nd7 19. Qd4 Bc6 20. b5 Nc5! 21. Nxb6 Qxb6 22. bxc6 e5 23. Qd5 Rac8= Solovjova – Sirotkina, 1st Rudenko Memorial, Saint Petersburg 2005. 17. f3 Nd7? A new move and an unfortunate one. After 17. ... h6 18. Bf1 Ba8 19. Ne2 Nd7 20. Nd4 Nf8 Black somehow succeeded in consolidating his position, Jeitz – Srebrnič, 20th Czech Open, Pardubice 2009.

18. Nb5! In her last games Muzychuk found back her self-confidence and was able to play creatively. And maybe, in any event, she should be content to come back home with something that sometimes may even be more important than a medal. 18. ... axb5 19. cxb5 Nc5 20. e5! dxe5. 20. ... Rbc8 21. exd6 Rxd6 22. Rxd6 Qxd6 23. bxc5 bxc5 24. a4 also produces an endgame similar to that of the game, where, in spite of material equality, White’s duo of passers on the Queenside should make the difference. 21. bxc5 Rxd1+ 23. Bxd1 Qa5 24. Be2. The situation is sufficiently clear that White can put the autopilot in a “win” mode. 24. ... Rd8 25. Kf2 e4 26. b6! Qa8. 26. ... Qxc5+ 27. Rxc5 Rd6 28. Rb5 followed by the advance the a-Pawn is also completely hopeless for Black. 27. Qe7 Re8 28. Qb4 e5 29. fxe4 Bxe4 30. Rc7 Rb8 31. Bf3 Bxf3 32. gxf3 Qa6 33. b7 h6 34. Qb3 Kh7 35. Qxf7 Qb6+ 36. Kg2 Qb2+. Or 36. ... Qg6+ 37. Qxg6+ Kxg6 38. a4 and finis. 37. Kh3 Rg8 38. Rc8 1 : 0.