Last But Not Least

Anna Olehivna Muzychuk – Nana Dzagnidze

1st Women’s Chess World Cup; tie-break game 1; time control: 25 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Krasnaya Polyana, July 27, 2021

Sicilian Defence B94

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 Nbd7 7. Bc4 g6?! If a tie-breaker is a war of nerves, then Dzagnidze began to lose now. With the text move she actually transposes to one of the worst versions of the Dragon, which is enough for Muzychuk to secure a win. 8. Qe2 Bg7 9. 0-0-0 0-0 10. f4 Qc7 (10. ... Nb6 11. Bb3 Bg4 12. Nf3 Qc7 13. e5 Ne8 14. exd6 exd6 15. Be7 Bxc3 16. bxc3 Qxc3 17. Bxf8 Kxf8 18. Qd3 Rc8 19. Qxc3 Rxc3 20. Rd3 Rc6 21. Nd4 Rc8 22. f5 Bxf5 23. Nxf5 gxf5 24. Rf1 Rc5 25. g4 f6 26. gxf5 Nd7 27. Rg3 Ne5 28. Rg8+ Ke7 29. Rh8 b5 30. Rxh7+ Kd8 31. Be6 Rc7 32. Rxc7 Nxc7 33. h4 Nxe6 34. fxe6 Ke7 35. Rg1 Kxe6 36. Rg7 Nd7 37. h5 f5 38. Rxd7 1 : 0 Shirov – Orsini, 25-board simultaneous exhibition, Toronto 2010) 11. f5 b5 12. Bb3 Bb7 (12. ... Nb6 13. a3 Re8 14. h4 gxf5 15. exf5 Bb7 16. Rh3 d5 17. Qf3 Kh8 18. Bf4 Qc5 19. Be3 Qc7 20. Rg3 Rg8 21. Bf4 Qc5 22. Rg5 Rad8 23. Qg3 Nbd7 24. Nf3 a5 25. Be5 b4 26. Nxd5 Ne4 27. Qf4 Nxe5 28. Nxe5 Bxd5 29. Bxd5 Nxg5 30. hxg5 Bxe5 31. Qxe5+ Rg7 32. axb4 axb4 33. g6 b3 34. c4 Ra8 35. Kb1 Qa5 36. Kc1 e6 37. gxf7 Rd8 38. fxe6 Qa1+ 39. Kd2 Qa5+ 40. Ke2 1 : 0 Fernández – Tate, 50th U.S. Chess Championship, San Diego 2006) 13. h4 Nc5 14. h5 Nxb3+!? Dzagnidze finally introduces a new move in the (vain) hope to write another story better than 14. ... Nfxe4 15. Nxe4 Bxe4 16. hxg6 hxg6 17. Qf2! Nxb3+ 18. axb3 Rfc8 19. Rd2 d5 20. Qh4+− Qe5 21. Bxe7 f6 22. Qh7+ Kf7 23. Qxg6+ Kxe7 24. Qxg7+ Kd6 25. Rh6 Rf8 26. Rh7 Rfc8 27. b4 Bxf5 28. Qe7+ Qxe7 29. Nxf5+ Ke6 30. Nxe7 Rc4 31. Nxd5 Rg8 32. Re7+ Kd6 33. Ree2 Rgg4 34. Nxf6+ Rgd4 35. Rxd4+ Rxd4 36. Rd2 1 : 0 Berg – Spirin, Manhem Chess Week GM–tournament 2010, Gothenburg 2010. 15. axb3

15. ... Qc5? Allowing White a one-way attack. 15. ... Nxh5 16. Rxh5! gxh5 17. Qxh5 Bxd4 18. Rxd4 (Δ f5-f6) 18. ... f6 19. Bh6 Kh8! was a critical imperative. 16. hxg6 hxg6 17. Qf3 Rfc8 18. Qh3 Qe5 19. Bxf6 Qxf6 20. fxg6 Qxg6 (20. ... fxg6 21. Rdf1+−) 21. Nf5 Qg5+. If 21. ... Kf8 then 22. Qh8+ Bxh8 23. Rxh8+ Qg8 24. Rxg8+ Kxg8 25. Nxe7+ Kg7 26. Nxc8 Rxc8 27. Rxd6 emerging two Pawns ahead. 22. Kb1 Rxc3 23. bxc3 Bxe4 24. Nxg7 Qxg7 25. Rde1 d5

26. Re3? An inaccuracy which gives Black an unexpected possibility of salvation. Of course White ought first to play 26. Qh2! and then lift the Rook to e3. 26. ... e6? (⌓ 26. ... Bxg2! 27. Qh4 Bxh1 28. Rg3 Be4 29. Rxg7+ Kxg7 30. Qxe7 Rc8∞) 27. Rg3 Bg6 28. Re1. Even stronger is 28. Rxg6! fxg6 29. Qxe6+ Qf7 30. Qe5 with a mating attack. 28. ... Re8 29. Qh4 a5 30. Rf1 a4 31. Kb2 Rc8 32. Rf6 axb3 33. cxb3 b4 34. cxb4 Rc2+ 35. Ka3 Re2 36. Rfxg6 fxg6 37. Qd8+ 1 : 0.

Muzychuk eventually won the tie-breaker to get the fourth and final spot in the semifinals. Photo © Eric Rosen.