At the Edge of Summer

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk – Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk
Women’s Candidates Tournament; Kazan, June 6, 2019
3r2k1/1pp2p2/p1br1bp1/P1N1p1p1/1PRnP1B1/3P2P1/1B3P1P/2R3K1 w - - 6 34

Position after 33. ... Nb5-d4

Black’s last move (33. ... Nb5-d4?!) proves to have been too ambitious: 34. Bxd4 Rxd4 35. Nxa6 Rxc4?! If she had foreseen what was to happen, Kosteniuk would have probably preferred 35. ... Bb5 36. Rxd4 exd4 37. Nxc7 Bxd3 38. Nd5 trying to limit her damage to only a Pawn down. 36. Rxc4 Bb5

37. Nxc7! This brilliant Exchange sacrifice gives White two Pawns as a material compensation, and, much more importantly, the almost definite prospect to make one or more passed Pawns on the Queenside. 37. ... Bxc4 38. dxc4 Rd4 39. Nd5 Bd8 (39. ... Rxc4 40. Nxf6+ Kg7 41. Nd5 f5 42. Bf3 g4 43. Bg2 fxe4 44. b5+−) 40. Bc8! Rxc4 41. Bxb7 f5 42. a6 Rc1+ 43. Kg2 Ra1 44. b5 g4 45. h3 f4 46. hxg4 Ra3 47. gxf4 exf4 48. b6 f3+ 49. Kg3 1 : 0.

Muzychuk finally came back to win, and in brilliant style too. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili.