Time Gone By

Alina Anatolyevna Kashlinskaya – Anna Olehivna Muzychuk
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2019–20; 4th stage; Catalan Bay, May 24, 2021
Nimzo-Indian Defence E39

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 c5 5. dxc5 0-0 6. a3 Bxc5 7. Nf3 d5 8. cxd5 exd5 9. Bg5 Be6 10. e3 h6 11. Bh4 Nc6 12. Rd1 d4!? Muzychuk tries something new off the beaten track (which was satisfactory for Black): 12. ... Rc8 13. Be2 Be7 14. 0-0 Ne4 15. Nxe4 Bxh4 16. Nxh4 Qxh4 (or 16. ... Nd4 17. Qd3 dxe4 18. Qxd4 Qxh4 19. g3 Qf6 20. Qxf6 gxf6 21. Rd2 ½ : ½ Inarkiev – Goganov, 17th European Individual Chess Championship, Gjakova 2016) 17. Nc5? (⌓ 17. Nd6 Rc7=) 17. ... Ne5 18. Qa4 Qxa4 19. Nxa4 Rc2 20. Rfe1 Rb8⩱/∓ Böhm – Romanishin, 18th Rubinstein Memorial, Polanica-Zdrój 1980.

13. Be2! White offers an Exchange sacrifice which proves very dangerous for Black, at least from a practical standpoint. 13. ... Qb6 14. Bxf6 dxc3 15. Bxc3 Bb3 16. Qe4. If, instead, 16. Qf5 Bxd1 17. Bxd1 then 17. ... Bxe3! 18. fxe3 Qxe3+ 19. Kf1 Rfe8 with sufficient counterplay. 16. ... Bxd1 17. Bxd1 Rfe8 18. Qg4 Bf8. The only move, for if, instead, 18. ... g6? then 19. Qh4 Bxe3!? 20. 0-0! with a crushing advantage. 19. Bc2. Threat: Qg4-f5. 19. ... Qb5 20. h4 Rad8 21. Rh3

21. ... Rd3! Perhaps Black could avoid returning the Exchange (for instance by 21. ... h5 22. Qf4 Bd6), even though from a practical point of view it is probably the best solution. 22. Bxd3 Qxd3 23. Rg3 Qb1+? An ill-timed check, which only helps White improve her position. The right move was 23. ... g6! whereupon if 24. h5 then 24. ... Rd8 25. Nd2 Bg7! 26. Qe4 Bxc3 27. Qxd3 Rxd3 28. bxc3 Rxc3 with equality. 24. Ke2 Rd8 25. Nd2 Qc2

26. Qf4! Threat: Qf4-f6. 26. ... Rd5? In order to reply to 27. Qf6 with 27 ... Ne5, but, unfortunately for Black, White can still rely upon a powerful “back-up” threat. Comparatively better was 26. ... Rxd2+! 27. Bxd2 Qxb2, though after 28. Qc4! Qxa3 29. h5 White still enjoys a clear advantage. 27. Qxh6 Ne5 28. e4 g6? (28. ... Ng6 29. Qe3 Rd3! 30. Qg5 Be7 31. Qf5! Rd5! 32. Qg4 Rd8 33. e5! Bxh4 34. Re3+− Δ e5-e6) 29. Qf4 Nd3 30. Qf6 Nc1+ 31. Ke1 1 : 0.

Together but each one alone in her own discomfort zone. Photo © John Saunders.