The Bite in the Apple

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) – Anna Olehivna Muzychuk
Women’s Candidates Tournament; Kazan, June 1, 2019
Neo-Grünfeld Defence D78

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 c6 5. Bg2 d5 6. b3 dxc4 7. bxc4 c5 8. 0-0 0-0 9. Bb2 Qb6 10. Qb3 Ne4 11. e3 Nc6 12. Ne5 Ng5 13. f4!? A novelty, but hardly an improvement on 13. Nxc6 bxc6 14. Qxb6 axb6 15. Bxc6 Ra7 16. Nd2 Rd8 17. Nb3 Rc7 18. Bg2 cxd4 19. Bxd4 Rxc4 20. Bxb6 Rd6 21. Rac1 Nh3+ 22. Bxh3 Rxc1 23. Rxc1 Bxh3 24. Bc5 Ra6 25. a3 Kf8 26. Nd4 Bd7 27. f3 Ke8 28. Kf2 Ra8 29. Bb4 h5 30. Nb3 Ba4 31. Nc5 Rc8 32. Nb3 Ra8 33. Nc5 Rc8 34. Nb3 Ra8 ½ : ½ Jianu – Mekhitarian, 41st Chess Olympiad, Tromsø 2014. 13. ... Nh3+ 14. Kh1 cxd4 15. exd4 Rd8 16. Qxb6 axb6 17. Bd5? Very probably White had nothing better than 17. Nc3 Rxd4 18. Nd5 Rd2 19. Bc3 Re2 20. Bf3 Nf2+ 21. Kg1 Nh3+ with a draw by perpetual check. 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)’s move gives Black a powerful initiative. 17. ... Bf5 18. Nd2 Nxe5 19. fxe5 Bh6 20. Nb3 Bd3 21. Rfe1 Rac8. The tempting sacrifice of the Exchange with 21. ... Rxd5!? doesn’t seem to offer much advantage: 22. cxd5 Be4+ 23. Rxe4 Nf2+ 24. Kg2 Nxe4 25. Kf3 f5⩱ — but it would certainly give Black an easier game. 22. Bc1? White first ought to play 22. Kg2. 22. ... Bxc1? What before was promising, has become very good: 22. ... Rxd5! 23. Bxh6 (now 23. cxd5? is met by 23. ... Rc2! 24. Bxh6 Bc4! with devastating effect) 23. ... Rxc4 24. Kg2 Bf5 with a Pawn ahead and the better game. 23. Raxc1 Rc7?! 23. ... Ra8! 24. Bxb7 Rxa2 was a little better, with still somewhat of an advantage. 24. Bg2 Ng5. They both have only a few minutes to reach the time control, which may explain much of what is going to happen. 25. c5? 25. d5! would have made the threat of h2-h4 very annoying to Black’s Knight. 25. ... bxc5 26. Rxc5 Rcd7 27. d5 b6 28. Rc6 Rxd5 29. h4?! The Black Knight, being on g5, always allows Black the resource ... Bd3-e4+, which, in case of 29. Bxd5 Rxd5, would offer her enough compensation for the Exchange (30. Rxb6?! Be4+). So, it’s understable, even if tactically unsound, 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)’s wish to drive it away.

29. ... Ne6? Needless to say, Muzychuk’s omission makes her opponent’s wish come true instantly. Instead 29. ... Ne4! 30. Rxb6 (30. Bxe4 Rxe5 31. Nd2 f5 looks even worse) 30. ... Rxe5 would have left Black safe with an extra Pawn. 30. Bxd5 Rxd5 31. Rxb6. Now Black has no sufficient compensation for the Exchange, whilst White’s passed Pawn quickly decides matters. 31. ... Bc4 32. Rb4 Bb5 33. Kg1 g5 34. a4 Ba6 35. Kf2 Kg7 36. a5 h6 37. Re3 Rd1 38. Re1 Rd3 39. Re3 Rd1 40. Rb6 Bc4 41. Rc3 Bd5 42. a6 Rb1 43. Rb5 1 : 0.

16th Women’s World Chess Champion 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) got her first win by beating Anna Olehivna Muzychuk in a very tense game. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili.