Far and Near

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk – Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno
7th World Women’s Team Chess Championship; Astana, March 12, 2019
Spanish Game C67

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. Bf4. Vintage theory gives 11. c3 Rxe1 12. Qxe1 Nf5 13. Bf4 d6 14. Nd2 Be6 15. Bd3 Nh4 16. Ne4 Ng6 17. Bd2 d5 18. Nc5 Bc8 19. Qe3 b6 20. Nb3 Qd6 21. Qe8+ Nf8 22. Re1 with a slight edge for White, Steinitz – Zukertort, New York 1886, World Chess Championship match game 4. 11. ... Rxe1 12. Qxe1 Ne8 13. Nc3 Bxd4 14. Nd5 d6 15. Bg5 f6 16. Bh4 Bxb2 17. Rb1 Be5 18. f4 c6 19. fxe5 cxd5 20. exf6 Nxf6 21. Bd3 Bd7 22. Qg3!? An interesting novelty in place of the previously played 22. h3 b5 23. Bxb5 Qe8 24. Qxe8+ Bxe8 25. Ba6 Bg6 26. Bxf6 gxf6 27. Bb7 Re8 28. Bxd5+ Bf7 29. Bxf7+ Kxf7 30. Rb7+ Kg6 31. Rxa7 Rc8 32. Rd7 Rxc2 33. Rxd6 Rxa2 ½ : ½ Karjakin – Anand, 5th Norway Chess, Stavanger 2017, and 22. Rxb7 Qc8 23. Rb1 Ne4 24. Bxe4 dxe4 25. Qxe4 Qc6 26. Qxc6 Bxc6 27. Rd1 Be4 28. Rxd6 Rc8 29. Rd8+ Rxd8 30. Bxd8 Bxc2 ½ : ½ Halkias – Balogh, 45th Greek Team Chess Championship, Patras 2017. 22. ... Bc6. In order to meet 23. Rf1? with 23. ... Qb6+ 24. Kh1 Ne4! with Black on top. 23. Bf5 Kh8 24. Qh3. With the obvious threat of Bh4xf6.

24. ... Qe7?? A huge mistake which loses right off. Correct was 24. ... Qc7! (25. Bxf6 gxf6) with a perfectly playable, though somewhat unclear, game. 25. Bxh7!+− d4. If 25. ... Bd7 then 26. Bxf6 winning a clear piece. 26. Re1. Clearly not 26. Bxf6?? on account of 26. ... Qe3+ saving everything. 26. ... Qxe1+ 27. Bxe1 Nxh7 28. Bf2. But now it’s not only a matter of material, since White can easily mount a decisive attack against Black’s castle. 28. ... Re8 29. Bxd4 Kg8 30. Qg3 Re7 31. h4 Nf8 32. h5 Ne6 33. Qxd6 Kf7 34. Qg3 Nxd4 35. Qf4+ Kg8 36. Qxd4 Re4 37. Qd8+ Kf7 38. Qg5 Re2 39. g4 Re6 40. Qf4+ Kg8. Black didn’t want to deprive herself of the satisfaction of making the time control, but after White’s next move she could resign without regret. 41. g5 a6 42. Qc4 Kf7 43. g6+ Ke7 44. Qc5+ Ke8 45. Qf5 Kd7 46. h6 1 : 0.

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk (right) and Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno (left) shake hands before the game. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili/Russian Chess Federation.