The Pathway to Reality

Dinara Ramazanovna Saduakassova – Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2019–20; 4th stage; Catalan Bay, May 23, 2021
Catalan Opening E04

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. g3 dxc4 5. Bg2 a6 6. 0-0 Nc6 7. Be3 Nd5 8. Bg5 Be7 (8. ... f6 9. Bd2 Be7 10. e4 Nb6 11. Bc3 0-0 12. Nbd2 Bb4 13. Qc2 Bxc3 14. Qxc3 e5 15. d5 Na7 16. a4 Bd7 17. Qc2 Qe8 18. a5 Nbc8 19. Nxc4 Nb5 20. Rfc1 Qh5 21. Qd1 Bg4 22. Ne3 Ncd6 23. Nxg4 Qxg4 24. Ne1 Qg6 25. Ra4 Rae8 26. Nf3 Qh6 27. Qd2 Qh5 28. Re1 Re7 29. Raa1 f5 30. exf5 Rxf5 31. Nh4 Rff7 32. Qd1 Qh6 33. Nf3 Qf6 34. Qd2 e4 35. Nh4 g5 36. Bh3 gxh4 37. Be6 Nd4 38. Bxf7+ Rxf7 0 : 1 Saduakassova – Smirnov, 82nd Tata Steel Challengers Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2020) 9. Bxe7 Ncxe7 (9. ... Ndxe7 10. e3 0-0 11. Nbd2 b5 12. b3 c3 13. Ne4 Nd5 14. a3 f5 15. Nc5 a5 16. h4 Rb8 17. Re1 h6 18. e4 fxe4 19. Rxe4 b4 20. axb4 Rxb4 21. Nxe6 Bxe6 22. Rxe6 Qd7 23. Re1 Qf5 24. Ra2 Rd8 25. Bf1 Nb6 26. Re3 Nd5 27. Re1 Qf7 28. Ne5 Qf6 29. Bc4 Rxc4 30. bxc4 Ndb4 31. Nxc6 Qxc6 32. Rxa5 Qxc4 33. Qg4 Qf7 34. Re2 Re8 35. Rf5 Qd7 36. Rxe8+ Qxe8 37. Re5 Qf7 38. Qe4 c2 39. Re8+ Qxe8 40. Qxe8+ Kh7 41. Qe3 Kg8 42. Qc3 1 : 0 Eljanov – Sethuraman, 4th World Rapid Chess Championship, Berlin 2015) 10. Ne5 b5 11. b3 cxb3 12. Qxb3 0-0 13. Rc1 Rb8 14. Nd2 Bb7 15. Qb2!?TN (15. e3 Nf6 16. Bxb7 Rxb7 17. Qa3 Qd6 18. Rc5 Rb6 19. Rac1 Nfd5 20. Qa5 f6 21. Ne4 Qd8 22. Nd3 Nc8 23. Nc3 Nde7 24. Ne2 Nd6 25. Qa3 Nc4 26. Qc3 Nf5 27. Nef4 Qd7 28. Nb2 Nfd6 29. Qc2 Re8 30. Nfd3 Rc6 31. a4 Rxc5 32. Nxc5 Qc6 33. Nxa6 bxa4 34. Qxa4 Qxa4 35. Nxa4 Re7 36. Nb4 Kf7 37. Nc5 Nb6 38. Nca6 Ndc4 39. Kg2 Rd7 40. Nc5 Rd6 41. Nb7 Rd7 42. Nc5 Rd6 43. Nbd3 Rd5 44. Na6 Rd7 45. Ndc5 Re7 46. e4 c6 47. Nb8 Rc7 48. Nd3 Ke7 49. e5 Rc8 50. Na6 Rd8 51. Nab4 Rc8 52. f4 fxe5 53. dxe5 Nd5 54. Kf2 Ndb6 55. Nc5 Ra8 56. Nxc6+ Kf7 57. Nd4 Ra2+ 58. Rc2 Rxc2+ 59. Nxc2 Nd5 60. Nd4 Nc7 61. Ne4 Ke7 62. Ke2 Nb6 63. Nc5 Nc4 64. Kd3 Nb6 65. Ke4 g6 66. Nc6+ Ke8 67. Kd4 Nc8 68. Ne4 h6 69. Nd6+ Nxd6 70. exd6 Nb5+ 71. Ke4 1 : 0 Deac – Gavrilescu, 85th Romanian Chess Championship, Iași 2021) 15. ... Nb6 16. Bxb7 Na4 17. Qc2 Rxb7 18. Nb3 Qd6 19. Qe4 Ra7 20. Nc6 Nxc6 21. Rxc6 Qa3

22. Qe3?! Probably White’d do better to regain her Pawn with 22. Qc2 Nb6 23. Rxc7 Rxc7 24. Qxc7, however leaving Black — say, after 24. ... Nc4 — with an “easier” balance and better coordination. 22. ... Nb6 23. Qc1 Qxc1+ 24. Raxc1 Nc4 25. a4?! Here White, who is a Pawn down, could perhaps think about an easier way to carry her cross. 25. ... bxa4

26. Na1? Of course White ought to take the Knight (and no matter with which Rook), since after 26. R1xc4 axb3 27. Rb4 a5 28. Rxb3 a4 29. Ra3 Rfa8 Black’s extra Pawn is hardly convertible into a win. 26. ... Nd6 27. Rxc7 Rxc7 28. Rxc7 Rc8! Forcing a Knight ending with a Pawn ahead which is technically won. 29. Rxc8+ Nxc8 30. Kf1 Nd6 31. e3 Nb5 32. Ke2 Kf8 33. Kd3 Ke7 34. Kc4 Kd6 35. Nc2 e5 36. dxe5+ Kxe5 37. f3 f5 38. Kc5 a3 39. Kc4 g5 40. Nb4 g4 41. fxg4 fxg4 42. Kb3 Ke4 43. Nxa6 Kxe3 44. Nc5 Kf3 45. Nd7 Kg2 46. Nf6 Kxh2 0 : 1.

Unsurprisingly, after over a year of exile behind liquid crystals, no one appears to be looking further ahead than the next move. Photo © John Saunders.