Minding Minds

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk – 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié)

1st IMSA World Masters Women’s Rapid Chess Championship (15+10); 衡水 (Héngshuǐ), May 14, 2019

Scotch Game C45

The 1st International Mind Sports Association (IMSA) World Masters Open and Women’s Rapid Championships started today in 衡水 (Héngshuǐ), 河北省 (Héběi province), China. Particularly interesting is the participation — in the Women’s Rapid Campionship — of five out of eight challengers who will play the upcoming Women’s Candidates Tournament in Kazan, Russia; namely (in alphabetical order): Nana Dzagnidze, Valentina Evgenyevna Gunina, Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk, Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk, and 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí). 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. e5 Qe7 7. Qe2 Nd5 8. c4 Nb6 9. Nc3 g6!? Not so usual, but not at all bad. A recent game went 9. ... Bb7 10. Bd2 Qe6 11. 0-0-0 0-0-0 12. f4 g5!? 13. Ne4 (maybe White has to look for an improvement here) 13. ... gxf4 14. Bxf4 c5 15. Qc2 Bh6 16. Bxh6 Qxh6+ 17. Kb1 Bxe4 18. Qxe4 Qg6 with equality, M. O. Muzychuk – Kosteniuk, 2nd IMSA Élite Mind Games, Women’s Basque Event, 淮安 (Huái’ān) 2017. 10. Ne4 Bg7 11. Bg5 Qxe5?? It usually takes so little to lose a game, but in this case Black’s cooperation is really awesome! Correct is 11. ... Qb4+ 12. Qd2 Qxd2+ 13. Kxd2⩲ Feygin – Mikhalchishin, 27th Master Tournament, Dortmund 1999.

12. Bf6! And the curtain falls, even though Muzychuk took all her time to safely finish the game. Black finally resigned after about another fifty moves!

Muzychuk (centre foreground) playing her first round game with her countrywoman Anna Yuriyivna Ushenina. Photo: International Mind Sports Association.