Algorithms

Anna Olehivna Muzychuk – Anna Yuriyivna Ushenina
2nd Women’s Chess World Cup; round of 32 match game 2; Baku, August 6, 2023
Russian Defence C42

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Be7 7. 0-0 Bf5 8. Re1 0-0 9. Nbd2 Nd6 10. Nf1 c6 11. Bxf5 Nxf5 12. Qd3 Nd6 13. Bf4 Na6 14. h4. Dernier cri.

14. ... Re8. Most usual is 14. ... Nc7 15. Ng5 g6 16. Nh2 Qd7 17. h5 Bxg5 18. Bxg5 Rfe8 19. hxg6 hxg6 20. Bf6 Rxe1+ 21. Rxe1 Re8 22. Rf1 Na6? (⌓ 22. ... Qe6 23. Be5 Re7 Δ ... Nc7-e8) 23. Be5!± Caruana – Mamedyarov, 7th Grand Chess Tour, 1st stage; Superbet Chess Classic, Bucharest 2022.
15. Ng3. Muzychuk said afterwards that maybe she should have played 15. Ne3 instead of 15. Ng3 because, as things went, there wasn’t anything special for White to look for.
15. ... Nc7 16. Nf5 Nxf5 17. Qxf5 g6 18. Qg4 Bf6 19. h5 Ne6 20. Be5

20. ... Bxe5?! This facilitates White’s attack. 20. ... Bg7 21. c3 f6 22. Bh2 Nf8 would have allowed a better defence.
21. Rxe5. Besides doubling the Rooks on the e-file, White could also think of something more direct with h5xg6 followed by g2-g3, Kg1-g2 and Ra1-h1.
21. ... Qf6 22. Rae1 Kf8 23. Qh3? Too hasty. White ought first to consolidate with 23. c3! (and only after 23. ... Qf4 play 24. Qh3).
23. ... Kg7? However, Black misses her best chance, namely 23. ... Nxd4! 24. Rxe8+ Rxe8 25. Rxe8+ Kxe8 26. Qc8+ Ke7 27. Qxb7+ Kd6 with complex but balanced play.

24. Ng5! With the powerful threat of Ng5xh7.
24. ... Nxg5?? Black self-mates, but also after 24. ... gxh5 25. Qxh5 Qg6 26. Qxg6+ hxg6 27. Nxe6+ fxe6 28. Rxe6 the extra Pawn and the domination of the only open file are enough to ensure White’s victory.
25. h6+ Kf8 26. Qa3+! Strange to say, this check was probably overlooked by Ushenina.
26. ... Re7 27. Rxe7 1 : 0.

It was an all-Ukrainian affair, and was not an easy one, but the next one might be even more dramatic. Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova/chess.com.