Many Lives

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk – Anna Olehivna Muzychuk

Women’s World Chess Championship Knockout Tournament; tie-break game 1; time control: 25 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Khanty-Mansiysk, November 14, 2018

Sicilian Defence B33

It took only two tie-break games for Kosteniuk to overcome Muzychuk’s resistance, thus going through to semi-final, and, however bad may be her final result, entitling herself to a place of honour in the “coming soon” Women’s Candidates Tournament. 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9. Nd5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c3 Rb8 12. Nc2 Bg5 13. Be2 0-0 14. 0-0 Be6 15. Qd3 a5 16. Rfd1 Ne7 17. Nxe7+ Bxe7 18. Ne3 Qd7 19. Nd5 Rfd8!? An interesting novelty that could work as well as 19. ... Bd8 20. Rd2 b4 21. cxb4 axb4 22. Qb3 Bb6 23. Nxb6 Rxb6 24. Bc4 Bxc4 25. Qxc4 Rc8 26. Qd3 h6 27. h3 Qc6 28. Rad1 Qc5 29. Qb3 Qc4= Zagrebelny – Rogozenko, 10th Goodricke International Open Chess Tournament, Calcutta 1999. 20. Qg3 Qa7 21. Rd2 b4 22. Rad1 bxc3 23. Nxc3 h6 24. b3 Qc5 25. Na4? As they say, “A Knight on the rim is dim”. A sounder course would have been 25. Rd3(!) Rf8(!) with an approximately balanced game. 25. ... Qa7? With 25. ... Qb4(!) Black would have immediately put her finger in the wound, gaining — at least momentarily — the upper hand. 26. Bg4 Qc7 27. Bxe6 fxe6 28. Qg4 Qc8 29. Rd3 d5 30. Qg6 Bf6 31. Rg3 Qc2 32. Rf1 Kh8 33. Qf7!? Kosteniuk, bravely, does not hesitate to go into the wild, burning all bridges behind her. 33. ... d4! It’s clear, however, that Muzychuk, too, plays for the win. 34. Rh3 Rf8 35. Qxe6 d3! 36. Qc4 Rbc8? Muzychuk keeps pursuing tactics, thus missing the time to decisively tighten the grip on White’s position: 36. ... Rfd8! 37. Qe6 Bg5! 38. Qxe5 d2 39. Nc3 Rbc8 40. Nd1 Qxd1! 41. Rxd1 Rc1 with overwhelming effect. 37. Qxd3 Qxa2? 38. Nb6! The Knight finally re-enters into the board. 38. ... Rc2. It’s a gamble, but 38. ... Rcd8 39. Nd5 would have left White with a powerful advantage.

39. Qd6? It was hard to resist such a temptation, but indeed White should have contented herself with 39. Nd7 Rd8 40. Qb5 grinding out a more prosaic win. 39. ... Be7! 40. Qxe7 Rcxf2? The right move with the wrong Rook! Consequential was 40. ... Rfxf2! 41. Rxf2 Rxf2 as after 42. Qe8+ Kh7 43. Nd7 (or 43. Rg3 Qb1+! 44. Kxf2 Qc2+ with perpetual check) 43. ... Rxg2+ 44. Kh1 Qf2 45. Nf8+ White has no more than perpetual check. 41. Qxf8+. Sic et simpliciter. The win is now very easy: 41. ... Rxf8 42. Rxf8+ Kh7 43. Rf1 Qc2 44. Kh1 Qxe4 45. Rg3 Qd4 46. Na4 h5 47. h3 e4 48. Re1 g6 49. Rge3 Qb4 50. Rc1 Qd2 51. Rce1 Qb4 52. Nb2 Kh6 53. Nd1 a4 54. bxa4 Qxa4 55. Nf2 Qc2 56. Nxe4 Qa2 57. Kh2 Qa5 58. h4 Qe5+ 59. g3 Qb5 60. Ng5 Qf5 61. Nh3 Qg4 62. Nf4 g5 63. Re6+ Kh7 64. Re7+ Kg8 65. Rc7 1 : 0.

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