Sufganiyot

Ian Aleksandrovich Nepomniachtchi – Anna Olehivna Muzychuk
4th Gideon Japhet Cup (25+10); Jerusalem, July 4, 2018
English Opening A11

Anna Olehivna Muzychuk took another hit today, by drawing both her games with Russian Grandmaster Ian Aleksandrovich Nepomniachtchi. Especially the six round game was a tremendously hard fought battle, which perhaps she ought to have won. 1. Nf3 d5 2. e3 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. Nc3 e6 5. b3 Bd6 6. Bb2 0-0 7. Be2 Nbd7 8. Qc2 b6 9. Rg1 Bb7 10. g4 Qe7 11. g5 Ne8 12. h4 Rc8 13. h5 Ba3 14. Bxa3 Qxa3 15. cxd5. This is a very strange move on Nepomniachtchi’s part. If 15. Nh4 then 15. ... f5! with very unclear play, but maybe 15. Bd3(!) g6 16. Nh2(!) would have offered better chances for White to enhance his initiative. 15. ... cxd5 16. Bb5 Qe7 17. Qb2 Nd6. Muzychuk does not feel sure enough to venture 17. ... f6!?, but her choice, too, leads to wild complications. 18. Bxd7 Qxd7 19. h6!? Nf5. Here 19. ... d4!? 20. Nxd4 e5 was very interesting, with excellent compensation for the Pawn. 20. Ne2 g6 21. Ng3. Why not Nf3-e5-g4? 21. ... f6 22. gxf6 Qf7. After 22. ... Nxh6 23. Qd4 Qd8 24. Nh5 Nf5 the game would have been less controversially balanced. 23. Nh5!? Stockfish’s 23. Nxf5 exf5 24. Ke2! seems to offer White more chances. 23. ... d4 24. Nxd4? 24. Ne5 Qc7 25. f4∞ was almost a must-do for Nepomniachtchi. 24. ... Nxh6 25. f4

25. ... Rc5! 26. Rg5? (26. Ng7 Qxf6 27. Ngxe6 Rfc8∓/−+) 26. ... Nf5? (26. ... Rxg5 27. fxg5 gxh5 28. gxh6 e5−+) 27. Nxf5 exf5 28. Rc1 Rfc8. 28. ... Bf3! seems a little more tough. 29. Rxc5 Rxc5 30. b4 Rc8 31. Ng3 Qd5 (31. ... h6?? 32. Nxf5!+−) 32. Ne2 Kf7 33. Rg1 Qd6 34. Nd4 Bd5 35. Nxf5 Qxf6 36. Nh6+ Kg7 37. Qxf6+ Kxf6 38. Ng4+ Kf5 39. Ke2 Bxa2 40. Ne5 Bd5 41. Rg5+ Ke6 (41. ... Ke4?? 42. d3 mate) 42. Ng4 Rc2 43. e4 Bc4+ 44. Ke3 Rb2 45. Kd4. If nothing else, 45. d3 offered better reasons to keep playing (for if 45. ... Rb3 then 46. Ne5). 45. ... Rxb4 46. Kc3 Ra4 47. d4 Be2 48. Ne5 a5 49. f5+ gxf5 50. Rxf5 b5 51. d5+ Kd6 52. Nf7+ Ke7 53. d6+ Kd7 54. Re5 Bg4 55. Re7+ Kc6 56. e5 Rc4+ 57. Kb2 Kd5 58. d7 Bxd7 59. Rxd7+ Ke6 60. Rb7 Rf4 61. Ng5+ Kxe5 62. Rxb5+ Kf6 63. Nxh7+ Kg6 ½ : ½. What a fight!

Anna Olehivna Muzychuk. Photo: Vladimir Barsky.

From left: Ian Aleksandrovich Nepomniachtchi and Pyotr Veniaminovich Svidler. Photo: Vladimir Barsky.