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Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

1st Online Nations Cup; China – Rest of the World; time control: 25 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; chess.com, May 5, 2020

Sicilian Defence B52

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ Bd7 4. Bxd7+ Qxd7 5. c4 e5 6. Nc3 Nc6 7. d3 g6. Muzychuk was recently put to the test with 7. ... Be7 8. 0-0 Bd8 9. a3 Nge7 10. Rb1 a5 11. Bd2 0-0 12. b3 h6 13. Nd5 f5 14. b4 fxe4 15. dxe4 axb4 16. axb4 Nd4 17. Nxd4 cxd4 18. f4 Nxd5 19. cxd5 Bf6 20. fxe5 Bxe5 21. Rxf8+ Rxf8 22. Qe2 Qa4 23. Qd3 Qa2 24. Rc1 Ra8 25. g3 Kh7 26. Kf2 Rf8+ 27. Ke2 Qa8 28. Rf1 Rc8 29. Kf2 Qa2 30. Kg1 Rc2 31. Rf2 Qa1+ 32. Rf1 Qa4 33. Rf2 Qa1+ 34. Rf1 Qa2 35. Rf2 Rb2 36. Kg2 b5 37. Qe2 Bf6 38. Qg4 Rc2 39. Qf4 Be5 40. Qf5+ Kh8 41. Qf8+ Kh7 42. Qf5+ Kh8 43. Qf8+ Kh7 44. Qf5+ ½ : ½ M. O. Muzychuk – Aronian, 17th Gibraltar Chess Festival, Catalan Bay 2019. 8. a3 Bg7 9. b4 Nge7. Of course 9. ... cxb4 10. axb4 Nxb4 11. Ba3 Nc6 12. Nb5 Bf8 13. d4! gives White excellent compensation for the Pawn. 10. Rb1 0-0 11. 0-0 h6 12. Nd5 (Δ Bc1xh6) 12. ... f5 13. b5!?TN Nd8 14. Nh4 Nxd5 15. cxd5 Kh7 16. exf5 g5 17. Nf3 (17. f6!? Bxf6 18. Nf3 Nf7 19. Nd2⩲) 17. ... Qxf5 18. Qb3 Nf7 19. Nd2

19. ... Nh8! What a long way it is! Black’s Knight comes from b8 (... Nb8-c6-d8-f7-h8) and is heading to g6. 20. Ne4 Qd7 (⌓ 20. ... Rad8) 21. Be3 (21. b6!±) 21. ... Ng6 22. f3 Rad8 23. Qc4 Kh8 (23. ... Qf7? 24. Bxg5!) 24. a4 Qf7 25. a5 Ne7 26. Nc3 Nf5 27. Bd2 Nd4 28. Be3 Nc2 29. Qe4. With hindsight, White would probably have preferred 29. Bc1, implicitly offering a repetition of moves — though Black would likely have refused it! 29. ... Nxe3 30. Qxe3

30. ... e4! A powerful Pawn sacrifice to get an almighty dark-square Bishop. 31. Qd2? Under severe time pressure, Muzychuk falls into a way of no return. After 31. fxe4! Qc7! (not 31. ... Qxf1+? 32. Rxf1 Bd4 because of 33. Qxd4+! cxd4 34. Ne2±/+−) Black’s dark-square initiative compensates more than enough for the Pawn, but the game would go on. 31. ... e3 32. Qc2 Be5 33. g3 Rde8 34. Kg2 Kg8 35. Rbe1 Bxc3 36. Qxc3 Qxd5. 36. ... e2 37. Rf2 Re3!−+ was another way to win, but 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) confidently goes for the endgame. 37. Qc4 Rf5 38. Re2 Kf8 39. Qc3 Kf7 40. Qc2 g4 41. Qc4 Qxc4 42. dxc4 h5 43. f4 d5 44. cxd5 Rxd5 45. Rc1 Re4 46. Rc3 c4 47. Rcxe3 Rxe3 48. Rxe3 Rxb5 49. Rc3 Rxa5 50. Rxc4 Ra2+ 51. Kg1 Rb2 52. Rc5 Kg6 53. Rg5+ Kh6 54. Rg8 a5 55. f5 Rb5 56. Rg6+. Or 56. f6 Rf5 57. Rb8 (57. Ra8 Kg6−+) 57. ... a4 58. Rxb7 Ra5−+ with a book win. 56. ... Kh7 57. Rg5 a4 58. Rxh5+ Kg8 59. Rg5+ Kf7 60. Rxg4 Ra5 61. Rd4 a3 62. Rd1 a2 63. Ra1 b5 64. g4 b4 0 : 1.