Why Yesterday Tells of Tomorrow

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk – Evgenija Viktorovna Ovod
19th European Individual Women’s Chess Championship; Vysoké Tatry, April 13, 2018
French Defence C10

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7 5. Nf3 Ngf6 6. Nxf6+ Nxf6 7. Be3 Be7 8. Bd3 0-0 9. Qe2 b6 10. 0-0-0 Bb7 11. h4 Qd5 12. c4 Qh5 13. Rh3 c5! A significant improvement over 13. ... Bd6 14. Rg1 Rfe8? (14. ... Qg4 seemed called for) 15. g4! Qa5 16. Nd2 e5 17. g5 Nd7 18. d5 with an imposing position for White, Onischuk – Ivaschenko, 17th Ukrainian Team Chess Championship, Alushta 2010. 14. dxc5 Bxc5 15. Bg5 Kh8 16. Rg3. Muzychuk appears a bit shocked by the opening outcome, and trying to hide it make her situation worse, pushing hard for an uncoordinated attack on the Kingside. 16. ... Bd6 17. Rh3 Bc5 18. Bd2 Ng8 19. Bc3 f6 20. Bc2 e5 21. Qd2? Nh6? They both are quite short of time, and that explains and justifies the continuous blackouts. Now, after 21. ... Bc8 22. Rhh1 Bf5 Black seems to stand well. The text gives White an opportunity that Muzychuk does not miss. 22. Ng5! Bc8. If 22. ... Bxg2 then 23. Rg3 Bc6 24. Nxh7 with wild complications. 23. Rhh1 Nf5? Ovod had to play 23. ... Bf5 24. Ne4 Qf7 25. b3 with a very slight edge to White.

24. Ne4? On her turn Muzychuk misses 24. Qd5 Rb8 25. g4 Qh6 26. Kb1 and Black should have to deal with too many threats. 24. ... Nd4 25. Nxc5 bxc5 26. f3 Be6 27. b3 a5 28. g4 Qf7 29. Bxd4 cxd4 30. Qd3 g6 31. a4 Qe7 32. Rde1 Bg8?? And here begins Black’s disaster. After 32. ... Qa3+ 33. Kd2 Ra7! (and if 34. h5 then 34. ... g5) White should have strived for survival. 33. Qxd4 Rfd8? 33. ... Rab8! 34. Qc3! Qa3+ 35. Qb2 Qxb2+ 36. Kxb2 Bxc4 was obviously Black’s best drawing possibility. 34. Qc3 Qa3+ 35. Qb2 Qb4 36. Rxe5! Muzychuk perfectly calculated her winning streak. 36. ... Bxc4 37. Re4 Qd2+ 38. Kb1 Bd3 39. Qxf6+ Kg8 40. Qe6+ Kh8 41. Qf6+ Kg8 42. Bxd3 Rxd3 43. Qe6+ Kh8 44. Rc1 Rxf3 45. Rc8+ Rxc8 46. Qxc8+ Kg7 47. Qc7+ Rf7 48. Qc2 Qd8 49. g5 Rd7 50. Qc3+ Kg8 51. Re2 Rc7 52. Qd2 Qa8 53. Qe3 Qb7 54. Qe6+ Kg7 55. Qf6+ 1 : 0.

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk playing her fifth round game the day before. Photo: Oleksandr Martynkov.