Bittersweetly speaking

And, finally, the mother of all tie-breakers. For the first time in their life, the Muzychuk sisters will have no perfect half of a peace-offering. Not at this time. Technically speaking, they might keep drawing all their games over and over till the end of the world, and no one could say anything about it. But there’s no need to rouse the “watchdogs” of the Big Bro. Better to give the Big Bro what the Big Bro wants — one will win and the other will not — and keep for themselves what belongs only to themselves. So, whoever loses, both shall be winners.

Anna Olehivna Muzychuk – Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk

2nd Women’s Chess World Cup; round of 16 tie-break game 1; time control: 25 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Baku, August 11, 2023

6k1/R7/P5p1/6Pp/1r5P/8/6K1/8 b - - 0 45

Position after 45. a5-a6

45. ... Ra4? Of course Black can’t even think about taking the Pawn, as after 45. ... Rxh4?? 46. Rb7 it would be all over. But the text also loses very instructively. One may just wonder whether the head or the heart had anything to do with what, under happier circumstances, would have been a totally drawn endgame. The correct way was 45. ... Rb6! 46. Kf3 (46. Ra8+ Kg7 47. a7 Ra6 is a book draw) 46. ... Re6, cutting off the King and preventing White from making progress.
46. Kf3 Kf8 47. Ke3 Ke8 48. Ra8+ Kf7

49. Kd3. Clearly not 49. a7?? (Δ Ra8-h8) on account of 49. ... Kg7 with a draw.
49. ... Kg7 50. Ra7+ Kf8 51. Kc3 Ke8 52. Ra8+ Kf7 53. Kb3 Ra1 54. Kb2 Ra4 55. Kb3 Ra1 56. Kc4 Ke6 57. a7 Kf5 58. Rf8+ Kg4 59. a8=Q Rxa8 60. Rxa8 Kxh4 61. Kd3 Kxg5 62. Ra4 1 : 0.

As Anna Olehivna Muzychuk emphasized in the post-game interview, “Yes, it was a bittersweet victory”. Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova/chess.com.