From Day to Day

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk – Anna Olehivna Muzychuk

Knockout Women’s World Chess Championship Tournament; match game 1; Khanty-Mansiysk, November 12, 2018

Sicilian Defence B33

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bf4 e5 8. Bg5 a6 9. Na3 b5 10. Nd5 Be7 11. Bxf6 Bxf6 12. c4 b4 13. Nc2 0-0 14. Be2. Curiously, Kosteniuk chose a line which is well known also by her opponent: 14. g3 Be6 15. Bg2 Bg5 16. 0-0 a5 17. Qd3 Bxd5 18. cxd5 Nb8 19. a3 Na6 20. axb4 Nxb4 21. Nxb4 axb4 22. Qc4 b3 23. Qxb3 ½ : ½ A. Muzychuk – Gelfand, 4th Gideon Japhet Cup (25+10), Jerusalem 2018. 14. ... a5. Or 14. ... Rb8 15. Qd3 Bg5 16. 0-0 Be6 17. b3 a5 18. Rad1 Kh8 19. f4 exf4 20. Nxf4 Qb6+ 21. Qe3 Qxe3+ 22. Nxe3 Rfd8 23. Nf5 Bxf5 24. exf5 Ne7 25. Nd5 Nxd5 26. Rxd5 Be3+ 27. Kh1 Bc5 28. Bf3 Re8 29. Rd3 Re5 30. g4 Kg8 31. Kg2 Kf8 32. Rfd1 Rbe8 ½ : ½ A. Muzychuk – Šarić, 76th Tata Steel Chess Challengers Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2014. 15. 0-0 Bg5 16. b3 Be6 17. a3. If 17. Qd3 then 17. ... Ne7 18. a3 bxa3 19. Rxa3 f5!?∞ Kosteniuk – Harika, 1st World Mind Sports Games, Individual Blitz Women, 北京 (Běijīng) 2008. 17. ... bxa3 18. Nc3!?TN Qb8 19. Nxa3 Bd8 20. Nab5 Bb6 21. Qxd6 Qxd6 22. Nxd6 Nd4!

23. Rab1. Pavel Vladimirovich Tregubov and Alexander Sergeyevich Morozevich, the official commentators on the Women’s World Championship, argued that, from a morphological point of view, 23. Rfb1 would have been more to the point, but the differences are not substantial. Kosteniuk apparently was happy with a draw, and, given her long experience in such races, probably not without a reason. 23. ... Rfd8 24. Ndb5 Nxe2+ 25. Nxe2 a4 26. bxa4 Bxc4 27. Nbc3 Bc5 28. Rfd1 Rxd1+ 29. Rxd1 Bxe2 30. Nxe2 Rxa4 31. Rd8+ ½ : ½.

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk. Photo © Press service of the Women’s World Championship 2018.

Anna Olehivna Muzychuk. © Press service of the Women’s World Championship 2018.