Invisible Jukebox

Anna Olehivna Muzychuk – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
Women’s Candidates Tournament; Kazan, June 4, 2019
Giuoco Piano C54

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. 0-0 Bb6 7. a4 a5!? Usual and flexible is 7. ... a6 8. b4 0-0 9. Nbd2 Ne7 10. Bb3 Ng6 11. Nc4 Ba7 12. Be3 Be6 13. Bxa7 Rxa7 14. Ne3 Qd7 15. a5 Raa8 16. Re1 Bxb3 17. Qxb3 Rfe8 18. c4 c6 19. Rad1 Qc7 20. Qc3 Rad8 21. c5 d5 22. Qc2 Ne7 23. Nf1 Nh5 24. Qb2 Ng6 25. g3 Nf6 26. Qc2 h6 27. Ne3 Ne7 28. Qb2 Ng6 29. Qc2 Ne7 30. Qb2 Ng6 31. Qc2 ½ : ½ So – Caruana, 1st Airports Authority of India (AAI) Chess Tournament, New Delhi 2011. 8. Nbd2 Ne7 9. Bb3 c6. The game position can also be reached by a different move order: 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d3 Bc5 4. Nf3 d6 5. 0-0 Nc6 6. c3 Bb6 7. a4 a5 8. Nbd2 Ne7 9. Bb3 c6 (Bishop’s Opening C24). 10. d4!TN Ng6 11. dxe5 dxe5 12. Nc4 Qxd1 13. Rxd1 Bc7 14. Be3. Much stronger was 14. Ng5! 0-0 15. Be3 with a powerful bind. 14. ... Bg4. Naturally, the White Knight is not given a second chance. 15. h3!? Bxf3 16. gxf3 0-0 17. Nd6 Nh4 18. Nxb7!? Muzychuk does not hesitate to assume some calculated risk. 18. ... Nxf3+. The alternative 18. ... Rfb8 19. Nc5 Bb6 20. Nd7 Nxd7 21. Rxd7 Bxe3 22. Bxf7+ Kf8 23. fxe3 Rxb2⩱ is favoured by most engines, even though it can be hardly regarded as advantageous for Black. 19. Kg2 Nh4+ 20. Kg3 Rfb8 21. Nc5

21. ... Nxe4+. 21. ... Bb6 22. Kxh4 Bxc5 23. Bxc5 g5+ 24. Kxg5 Nxe4+ 25. Kf5 Nxc5⩱ is a bit easier for Black, but probably not enough to hope for a win. 22. Kxh4 Nxc5 23. Bxf7+ Kxf7 24. Bxc5 Bd8+ 25. Kg4 Rxb2. Black has just won a Pawn, but it won’t be enough due to White’s initiative. 26. Rd7+ Kg8 27. Re1 Bf6 28. Re4 Rc2 29. Rc4 e4 30. Rc7 Rxc3 31. Rxc3 Bxc3 32. Rxc6 Re8 33. Be3 Bb4 34. Rc7 Rb8 35. Rc4 Re8 36. Rc7 Rb8 37. Rc4 ½ : ½.

Goryachkina kept her nerve cool to take half a point against the elder Muzychuk sister, and she is now ½ point behind Dzagnidze. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili.