Control Room

Anna Olehivna Muzychuk – Dinara Ramazanovna Saduakassova
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2019–20; 4th stage; Catalan Bay, May 29, 2021
Spanish Game C83

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. Nbd2 Nc5 10. c3 Be7 11. Bc2 d4 12. Nb3 d3 13. Bb1 Nxb3 14. axb3 Bf5 15. Re1 (15. Be3 0-0 16. Re1 Qd5 17. Bd4 Rfd8 18. Re3 Nxd4 19. cxd4 c5 20. Bxd3 cxd4 21. Re2 Qe6 22. h3 Bg6 23. Ne1 a5 24. Kh2 h6 25. Bxg6 Qxg6 26. Qd3 Qxd3 27. Nxd3 a4 28. Rc2 axb3 29. Rcc1 Ra4 30. Kg3 f6 31. exf6 Bxf6 32. Re1 Rc8 33. Rad1 Kf7 34. Kf4 Rc2 35. Kf3 Ra7 36. Re4 Rac7 37. g3 R7c6 38. h4 Re6 39. Ra1 Rxe4 40. Kxe4 Re2+ 41. Kd5 Rd2 42. Ra7+ Ke8 43. Ke4 Re2+ 44. Kd5 Rd2 45. Ke4 ½ : ½ Smeets – Saduakassova, 82nd Tata Steel Challengers Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2020) 15. ... 0-0 16. Bf4. Another way is 16. Be3 Qd5 17. Bd4! Rfd8 18. h4! Bg6 (18. ... Nxd4 19. Nxd4 d2 20. Bxf5 dxe1=Q+ 21. Qxe1 Kf8 22. Rd1 Qc5 23. Bxh7 Bxh4 24. Qe4 Be7 25. Rd3 Qd5 26. Qf4 g5 27. Qh2 Bc5 28. Qh6+ Ke8 29. Nc6 Qxd3 30. Bxd3 Rxd3 31. e6 Rd1+ 32. Kh2 Bd6+ 33. g3 1 : 0 Sethuraman – Saduakassova, 45th Sunway Open, Sitges 2019) 19. b4! d2 20. Qxd2 Bxb1 21. Raxb1 Bxb4 22. Qf4 Be7 23. e6! fxe6 24. Qg4 Nxd4 25. Nxd4 Bf6 26. Nxe6 Rd7 27. Re3 h5 28. Qg6 Rf7 29. Rbe1 Rc8 30. Nf4 Qd7 31. Qxh5 Re7 32. Nd5 Rf7 33. Rd1 Qc6 34. Nf4 Rd7 35. Re8+ 1 : 0 Caruana – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 3rd Gashimov Memorial, Şəmkir (Shamkir) 2016. 16. ... Qd7 17. b4 Rfd8 18. h3 a5 19. g4 (19. bxa5 Rxa5 20. Rxa5 Nxa5 21. e6 Bxe6 22. Ne5 Qd5 23. Qxd3 Qxd3 24. Bxd3 b4 25. Ra1 g5 26. Bg3 Nb3 27. Ra7 Nc5 28. Nc6 Rxd3 29. Nxe7+ Kf8 30. Nc6 Ne4 31. Nxb4 Rd1+ 32. Kh2 Nd2 33. Bxc7 Nf1+ 34. Kg1 Nd2+ 35. Kh2 Nf1+ 36. Kg1 Nd2+ ½ : ½ Mammadzada – M. O. Muzychuk, 24th Turkish Chess League, Ankara 2018) 19. ... Bg6 20. bxa5 Rxa5 21. Ba2 Rf8 22. e6 (22. b4 Ra4 23. Qd2 Nd8 24. Bg5 c5 25. Bxe7 Qxe7 26. bxc5 Qxc5 27. Nh4 Ne6 28. Bb3 Rxa1 29. Rxa1 Qxe5 30. Nxg6 hxg6 31. Bxe6 fxe6 32. Qxd3 b4 33. Rc1 Qf4 34. Rf1 b3 35. Qxg6 Qc4 36. Re1 Rf6 37. Qe8+ Kh7 38. Qh5+ Rh6 39. Qe5 Rxh3 40. Qxe6 Qxe6 41. Rxe6 Rxc3 42. Rb6 Rc4 43. Rxb3 Rxg4+ ½ : ½ Caruana – Giri, 3rd Norway Chess, Stavanger 2015) 22. ... Qd8 23. exf7+ Kh8

24. Bd2!? Finally, the novelty comes. A little-known game continued 24. Qd2 Qa8 25. b4 Ra4 with more or less equality, Warmerdam – Geirnaert, 1st Wachtebeke Winter Round Robin (WWRR), Wachtebeke 2016. 24. ... Rxa2! (24. ... Bxf7 25. Bxf7 Rxa1 26. Qxa1 Rxf7 27. Ng5!±) 25. Rxa2 Bxf7. Despite material minus, Black’s powerful Bishop pair and Kingside pressure compensate for the Exchange.

26. Ra6? A “threatening” mistake which proves catastrophic. 26. ... Bd5! 27. Ne5? After a long thought, Muzychuk ends up disintegrating. Probably she was not happy about 27. Re3 Bc5! 28. Rxd3 Bxf2+! leaving Black with a very powerful attack — but indeed that was her comparatively best chance. 27. ... Bc5! 28. Rxc6 (28. Nxd3 Qh4!−+) 28. ... Bxf2+ 29. Kh2

29. ... Qh4! 30. Nf7+. If 30. Re3 then 30. ... Bg3+! 31. Rxg3 Rf2+ followed by mate in two. 30. ... Kg8 0 : 1.

A radiant Saduakassova is being interviewed after her first win in the tournament. Photo © David Llada.