Mixed Up

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk – Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk
2nd Cairns Cup; Saint Louis, February 11, 2020
Spanish Game C80

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9. a4. This seems to have been a lucky choice, which caught Muzychuk by surprise. 9. ... b4 10. Nbd2 Nc5. It may also be worth considering an alternative approach: 10. ... Bc5 11. Nxe4 dxe4 12. Bxe6 Qxd1 13. Rxd1 fxe6 14. Ng5 0-0 15. Nxe4 Bd4 16. c3 bxc3 17. bxc3 Bb6 18. Kf1 Rf5 19. Ke2 Rxe5 20. f3 Rd5 21. Bf4 Rf8 22. Be3 Na5 23. Bxb6 ½ : ½ Milos – Flear, 14th Torneo Open Internacional de Ajedrez “Corte Inglés”, Las Palmas 1993. 11. c3 Qd7?! Muzychuk gives a very confused treatment of the opening, only to soon wind up literally crushed. Best was 11. ... Be7! 12. Nd4 Nxb3 13. Nxc6 Qd7 14. Nxb3 Qxc6 15. cxb4 Bxb4 16. Be3 0-0 17. f4 Qd7 18. Bc5 Rfb8 19. Bxb4 Rxb4 20. Nc5 Qe7 21. Nd3 Rd4 22. f5 Bd7 23. Qf3 f6 24. Rfe1 Rf8 25. Rac1 fxe5 26. Nxe5 Rxf5 27. Nxd7 Qxd7 28. Rxc7 Rxf3 29. Rxd7 Rf7 30. Rd8+ Rf8 31. Rd7 Rf7 ½ : ½ Gashimov – Caruana, 3rd Chess World Cup, Khanty-Mansiysk 2009, match game 1. 12. Nd4 Nxd4 13. cxd4 Nxb3 14. Nxb3 Be7 15. Qd3 0-0

16. Qg3! (Δ Bc1-h6) 16. ... f6 17. Bf4 fxe5 18. Bxe5 Bd6 19. Rfc1. Here the question is whether this is the right (or wrong) Rook. 19. ... Bf5 20. Na5. Why on the rim? Simpler and stronger was 20. Nc5 Qe7 21. Re1! a5 22. Rac1 with a powerful advantage. 20. ... Rf6 21. Qb3 Bxe5 22. dxe5 Re6 23. Qxb4 Rxe5 24. f3?! Here there seems to have been a miscalculation — or something like that. White ought to play 24. Nc6 Re4 25. Nd4 retaining a distinct edge. 24. ... Rae8?! But Muzychuk misses her only major chance of disputing her opponent’s bind: 24. ... Re2! (Δ ... Bf5-h3) 26. Re1 Rae8 and, if Rooks are exchanged, Black may approach the ending from a position of strength due to the passed d-Pawn. 25. Nc6 R5e6. 25. ... Re3 is probably a little better, but then 26. Qf4 Bg6 27. b4, followed sooner or later by Nc6-d4, would imply something similar to the game — White takes up the stage. 26. Nd4 Rb6 27. Qd2 Bg6 28. a5 Rf6 29. Rc5 Qd6 30. Rac1 Qe5 31. Nc6 Qe2 32. Rxd5 Rfe6 33. b4 h6 34. Qxe2 Rxe2 35. Rd7 Kf8 36. Nd4 Rb2 37. h3 Rxb4 38. Rcxc7 Bh5 39. Nf5 Rb5 40. Nxg7 1 : 0. Muzychuk eventually overstepped the time limit, but her game was resignable.

Predictably, the Slav derby was, in some ways, a nervous affair. Photo: Lennart Ootes/Saint Louis Chess Club.