Yet Another Day

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk – Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno

Women’s World Chess Championship Knockout Tournament; match game 1; Khanty-Mansiysk, November 15, 2018

Spanish Game C67

Muzychuk postponed everything to tomorrow. That’s not necessarily a matter of superstition. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. 0-0 Nxe4 5. Re1 Nd6 6. Nxe5 Be7 7. Bf1 Nxe5 8. Rxe5 0-0 9. d4 Bf6 10. Re1 Re8 11. c3 Rxe1 12. Qxe1 c6. A recent game continued: 12. ... Ne8 13. d5 c6 14. Nd2 cxd5 15. Nf3 d6 16. Be3 Nc7 17. Qd2 Bd7 18. g3 Bc6 19. Bg2 Ne6 20. Rd1 Qa5 21. a3 h6 22. Nd4 Nxd4 23. Bxd4 Bxd4 24. Qxd4 Re8 25. Bxd5 Bxd5 26. Qxd5 Qxd5 27. Rxd5 Re2 28. b4 Rc2 29. Rxd6 Rxc3 30. Rd8+ Kh7 31. Rd7 Rxa3 32. Rxb7 ½ : ½ Giri – Caruana, 43rd Chess Olympiad, Batumi 2018. 13. Bf4 Nf5 14. Nd2 d5 15. Nf3 h6!? Let’s call that a novelty — but indeed it is just another brick in the wall: 15. ... Nd6 16. Bd3 Bf5 17. Bxf5 Nxf5 18. Qe2 Qe7 19. Qd3 Nh4 20. Nxh4 Bxh4 21. g3 Bf6 ½ : ½ Smeets – Kramnik, 73rd Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2011. 16. Bd3 Be6 17. Qd2 Nd6 18. Qc2 Qd7 19. Re1 Bf5 20. Ne5 Re8 21. Kf1 Bxd3+ 22. Qxd3 Bxe5 23. Rxe5 Rxe5 ½ : ½. For after 24. Bxe5 Nc4 25. Qg3 g5 the game is equal.

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk vs. Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili/Russian Chess Federation.