The Purple Rose of Cairo

Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno – Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk

Women’s World Chess Championship Knockout Tournament; tie-break game 1 (25+10); Khanty-Mansiysk, November 17, 2018

Spanish Game C83

Lagno neatly won both tie-break games with Muzychuk, thus qualifying for the 4-game Women’s World Chess Championship final against 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn). 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Nxe4 6. d4 Be7 7. Re1 b5 8. Bb3 d5 9. dxe5 Be6 10. c3 0-0 11. Nbd2 Nc5 12. Nd4 Nxd4 13. cxd4 Nd3 14. Re3 Nxc1 15. Rxc1 a5 16. Rec3 Rc8 17. Nf3 a4 18. Bc2 Bb4!?TN (18. ... g6 19. Bd3 b4 20. Rc6 Bd7 21. Qxa4 Ra8 22. Qb3 Bxc6 23. Rxc6 Ra5 24. h3 Qd7 25. Qc2 Rxa2 26. Rxc7 Qe6 27. Kh2 Raa8 28. Rc6 Qd7 29. Rc7 Qe6 30. Rc6 Qd7 31. Rc7 ½ : ½ Almási – Rapport, 10th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay 2012) 19. Rc6 Bd7 20. Qd3 g6 21. Qxb5. Whites sacrifices the Exchange for two Pawns, enjoying a good game at almost zero risk of losing it. 21. ... Bxc6 22. Qxc6 a3 23. bxa3 Bxa3 24. Rb1 Rb8 25. Rxb8 Qxb8 26. Bb3 Qb6 27. Qxd5 c5 28. h4. On 28. Ng5 Qb4! forces the Knight back to f3. 28. ... cxd4 29. Qxd4. If 29. Ng5 Black can reply with 29. ... Be7! 30. Nxf7 Qc5 31. Qd7 Qc1+ 32. Kh2 Qf4+ drawing by perpetual check. 29. ... Qxd4 30. Nxd4 Rc8 31. Nc2 Bc5 32. e6 f5 33. Kf1 Kg7 34. Ke2 Kf6 35. Ne1 Rd8 36. Nd3

36. ... Rxd3? Black inexplicably gives back the Exchange just to drift into a Bishop of opposite colour ending a Pawn down, in which her best possible result is a draw at most. Almost any Bishop move, even though far from bringing any objective advantage, would have at least maintained both the tensity and density of the position. 37. Kxd3 Bxf2 38. h5! gxh5 39. a4 Be1? With 39. ... Ke7 Black held drawing chances. 40. Bd5. 40. Kd4! eventually followed by Kd4-d5 seems a more convincing way to put Black on ropes. 40. ... h4 41. Ke2 Ba5 42. Bb3 Bb4 43. Ke3 h6? Muzychuk is becoming more and more demoralised and quickly collapses. 43. ... Ke7(!) 44. Kd4 Kd6 should have drawn the game quite easily. Furthermore, 43. ... Bc5+ 44. Kd3 Bb6 45. Kc4 f4 46. Kb5 Bd8 47. a5 Bxa5! 48. Kxa5 h3!= was another drawing line for Black — just a bit of pyrotechnic. 44. Kd4 Be1 45. Kd5 Bb4 46. Bd1 h3 47. gxh3 f4 48. Bg4 Ke7 49. Ke5 Bd2 50. Kf5 Kf8 51. h4 Ke7 52. h5 f3 53. Bxf3 Bc3 54. Bg4 Bb4 55. Ke5 Kd8 56. Kd5 Kc7 57. a5 Kb7 58. Be2 Kc7 59. a6 Be7 60. Ke5 Bc5 61. Kf6 Kd8 62. Kf7 1 : 0.

Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lahno vs. Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk. Photo © Press service of the Women’s World Championship 2018.