Battling Blazes

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk – Nana Dzagnidze
Women’s Candidates Tournament; Kazan, June 12, 2019
Sicilian Defence B31

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. Bxc6 bxc6 5. 0-0 Bg7 6. Re1 Nh6 7. c3 0-0 8. h3 f5 9. e5 Nf7 10. d3 d6. Another continuation is 10. ... Rb8 11. Na3 Ba6 12. c4? (correct is 12. Nc4) 12. ... d6! 13. Qa4 Bc8 and Black stands well, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Korobov, 20th Corsican Circuit Knockout (15+5), Bastia 2016, match game 2. 11. Bf4 Ba6 12. Nbd2 dxe5!? After 12. ... Bxd3 13. e6 White has obvious compensation for the Pawn (but hardly more than that), Zhigalko – Meribanov, 84th Belarusian Chess Championship, Minsk 2018. Dzagnidze tries another idea — incidentally a new one. 13. Nxe5 Bxe5 14. Bxe5 Bxd3 15. Qb3 a5 16. a4 Qd7 17. Bf4

17. ... g5! It’s the minimum that two tacticians could do! Dzagnidze too — by giving back her Pawn — goes seeking an “attack with Bishops of opposite colour”. 18. Be5. If 18. Bxg5 then 18. ... c4! 19. Nxc4 Qd5 20. Bxe7 Rfb8∞ with very complex play. 18. ... f4 19. Nf3 Rad8?! This finesse could have serious consequences. 19. ... c4 at once seems to be better (and perfectly playable). 20. Nxg5 c4 21. Nxf7! Rxf7. Her Majesty is obviousy taboo: 21. ... cxb3?? 22. Nh6 mate. 22. Qb6 f3!? 23. Qe3?! Maybe Muzychuk should try for more with 23. Qxa5 fxg2 24. Re3 which ought to lead to a clearly better ending for White. 23. ... Qf5 24. Qxf3 Qxf3 25. gxf3 Rxf3 26. Bg3 Kf7 27. Kg2 Rf5 28. Re3 Re8 29. Rae1 e6 30. Re5 Bc2 31. Rxf5+ exf5 32. Rxe8 Kxe8 ½ : ½.

Muzychuk and Dzagnidze battled in a game without exclusion of blows that finally ended in a draw. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili.