The Never Game

No one will ever know whether or not the tie-breaker between Nurgyul Salimova and Anna Olehivna Muzychuk spared the world yet another epitaph of war, and no one will ever say what was sacrificed at the altar of realpolitik. What is sure, at least, is that Salimova’s freshness and brightness are deserving of sympathy and wonder — a novelty and an attraction which may have helped Muzychik in her exit from the scene.

Nurgyul Salimova – Anna Olehivna Muzychuk

2nd Women’s Chess World Cup; Semifinal tie-break game 3; time control: 10 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Baku, August 17, 2023

Queen’s Gambit Accepted D27

1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Bxc4 c5 6. 0-0 a6 7. Re1 Nc6 8. Nc3 b5 9. Bd3 Bb7 10. a4 b4 11. Ne4 cxd4. 11. ... Na5 12. Nxc5 Bxc5 13. dxc5 Nd7 was the alternative; if 14. c6 there might follow 14. ... Bxc6 15. Nd4 Nc5 16. Bc2 g6 17. Bd2 Qb6 18. Nxc6 Nxc6 19. a5 Qb5 20. Ba4 Nxa4 21. Qxa4 Qxa4 22. Rxa4 Rb8 23. Rc1 Kd7 24. Rc4 ½ : ½ Offenborn – Volodarsky, WS/MN/101, by e-mail, 2013.
12. Nxf6+ gxf6 13. exd4

13. ... Na5? Apparently a novelty, but not a successful one. Intriguingly, a 90-year-old wine was still at its peak: 13. ... Ne7 14. Nh4 Rg8 15. Bf4 Ng6 16. Nxg6 hxg6 17. Qb3 Be7 18. Bc4 Ra7? (18. ... Qxd4 19. Bg3 Kf8 was the critical line, with a situation of dynamic equilibrium; for example: 20. Rad1 Qc5 21. Bxe6 fxe6 22. Qxe6 Re8 23. Bd6 Bxd6 24. Rxe8+ Kxe8 25. Qe6+ Kf8 26. Qxf6+ with perpetual check) 19. Rac1 Rh8 20. Bxe6! fxe6 21. Qxe6 Bd5 (21. ... Kf8 22. Bc7!+−) 22. Qxf6 Kd7 23. Rxe7+ Qxe7 24. Qxh8 Qe4 25. Qh7+ Ke6 26. Qh3+ Kf7 27. Be5 b3 28. Qh7+ Ke6 29. Qg8+ Kf5 30. Qc8+ Be6 31. Qh8 1 : 0 Lisitsin – Sorokin, 8th USSR Chess Championship, Leningrad 1933.
14. Bf4 Rc8? Another wrong move. Black should have hurried on with 14. ... Bd6 15. Bh6 Bf8, though after 16. Bd2 White still keeps the upper hand.
15. Qe2 Bd6 16. Bh6! Nb3? Now after 16. ... Bf8 White can even afford to be greedy with 17. Bxf8 Kxf8 18. Bxa6, thus securing both a material and positional advantage.
17. Rad1 Qa5. Likewise after 18. ... Bf8 18. d5! White irresistibly breaks through.

18. d5! Bxd5 19. Bxa6 Rc5 20. Bb5+ Kd8 21. Be3 Rc7. Leading to a pretty finish, but there were no good moves anymore.

22. Rxd5! exd5 23. Bb6! 1 : 0. For after 23. ... Qxb6 there follows 24. Qe8+ and mate next move.

Her stunning success as the dark horse of the Women’s World Cup is making Salimova feel that she can dream even greater dreams. Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova/chess.com.