A Snow Day Off

Zhansaya Abdumalik – Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk

Knockout Women’s World Chess Championship Tournament; match game 2; Khanty-Mansiysk, November 13, 2018

Sicilian Defence B84

Once again, the younger Muzychuk sister did her “comeback” second day’s show, this time taking many risks to leave her half chair to Abdumalik. Instead, they will play the tiebreaker tomorrow. 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be2 Nf6 7. 0-0 Bb4 8. Ndb5 Qb8 9. Be3 a6 10. a3 Be7 11. Nd4 0-0 12. f4 d6 13. Kh1 Bd7 14. Bf3 Rc8. 14. ... Nxd4 15. Bxd4 Bc6 might have been worth considering. 15. Qe1 b5 16. Qg3. Or 16. Rd1 Nxd4 17. Bxd4 e5 (17. ... Bc6 17. Qg3 produces similar themes, Pergel – Ilić, 25th European Chess Club Cup, Ohrid 2009) 18. Be3 Be6 19. Qg3 with a typical Scheveningen duel, Hossain – Maga, 6th Asian Chess Championship, Cebu City 2007. 16. ... b4 17. axb4 Qxb4 18. e5!? Abdumalik plays for a material stake, probably with a draw in mind. The most sure way to do was perhaps to play for a win: 18. Rfd1! Nxd4 19. Bxd4 Bc6 20. e5! Ne8 21. Ne4 with powerful initiative. 18. ... Nxd4 19. Bxd4 Qxd4 20. exf6 Bxf6 21. Bxa8 Rxa8. Black’s two Bishops compensate for the Exchange. 22. Qd3. A quick passage to the “draw mode”. 22. ... Qxd3 23. cxd3 d5 24. Ra3 g6 25. Rb3 a5 26. Ra1 Kg7 27. Kg1 a4 28. Rb7 Bc6 29. Rc7 Be8 30. Kf1 h5 31. Ra2 Bd8 32. Rb7 Bc6 33. Rb4 Ra6

34. Ke2? I suspect now White could have missed her golden chance to make her dream come true, as after 34. Nxa4(!) Be7 35. Nc3 Rxa2 36. Nxa2 Bxb4 37. Nxb4 the endgame appears to be drawable. 34. ... Be7 35. Rd4 Bc5 36. Rdxa4 Bxa4 37. Nxa4 Bd4 38. b4 Ra8. Instead, now the ending is winning for Black. 39. Ra3 h4 40. Kf3 f5 41. g4 Kf6 42. Ra2 Rb8 43. g5+ Ke7 44. Nb2 Rxb4 45. Nd1 Bb6 46. Rc2 Kd7 47. Nc3 Rd4 48. Rd2 Ba5 49. Ne2 Rxf4+ 50. Kxf4 Bxd2+ 51. Ke5 Ke7 52. Nf4 Bxf4+ 53. Kxf4 Kd6 54. d4 e5+ 55. dxe5+ Ke6 56. Kf3 Kxe5 57. Kg2 Kf4 58. Kh3 Kxg5 0 : 1.

Zhansaya Abdumalik vs. Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk. Photo © Press service of the Women’s World Championship 2018.