Resilience and Vulnerability

Anna Olehivna Muzychuk – Divya Deshmukh
Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026; Pegeia, April 7, 2026
Sicilian Defence B36

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 Nc6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nf6 6. Nc3 d6 7. Be2 Nxd4 8. Qxd4 Bg7 9. Be3 0-0 10. Qd3 Ng4 11. Bxg4 Bxg4 12. 0-0 Be6 13. Bd4 Bxd4 14. Qxd4 Qc7 15. b3 Qc5 16. Qd3 Rfc8 (16. ... a6 17. a4 a5 18. Kh1 f6 19. Rae1 Bd7 20. Re3 Bc6 21. Qd2 Rf7 22. Rfe1 Rd8 23. Rd3 Rdf8 24. Nd5 Ra8 25. f4 Bxd5 26. exd5 b6 27. Rde3 Ra7 28. f5 g5 29. Qe2 Qd4 30. Rd1 Qc5 31. Re4 Qc8 32. Rf1 Rg7 33. h4 gxh4 34. Rxh4 Rb7 35. Rff4 Kh8 36. Qh5 Qg8 37. Rfg4 Qf7 38. Qh6 Rxg4 39. Rxg4 Rb8 40. Rh4 Rg8 41. Qe3 Qg7 42. Qh3 Qf7 43. Qe3 Qg7 44. g4 Qg5 45. Qxg5 Rxg5 46. Kg2 Rg8 47. Kf3 Kg7 ½–½ Ivkov – Janošević, International Tournament, Smederevska Palanka 1971)
17. Rfe1 a6 18. a4 Rc7 19. Re3 Rac8 20. Rae1 Qe5 21. h3 b6 22. Nd5 Bxd5 23. exd5 Qf6 24. Rf3 Qg7 25. h4 f6 26. Qd4 Rb8 27. Rfe3 Rbb7 28. Re6 Qh6 29. g3 Qf8 30. h5 g5 31. Kg2 Qa8 32. Ra1 Qc8 33. Rae1 Qa8 34. f4 gxf4 35. Qxf4 b5 36. h6 Qf8 37. cxb5 axb5 38. a5 Rc5 39. Qg4+ Kh8 40. b4 Rc4

White’s Maróczy Bind against Black’s Accelerated Dragon couldn’t have gone any better for Muzychuk, or much worse for Deshmukh. Strangely enough, however, the drama did not unfold directly and predictably at the fateful 40th move, but rather, more enigmatically, on move 41...
41. R6e4? Much stronger was 41. Qe2! Qxh6 42. a6! Rbc7 43. Rxe7 Rxe7 42. Qxe7 Qd2+ 45. Re2 Qxd5+ 46. Kh2 Qh5+ 47. Kg1 Rc1+ 48. Re1 Rxe1+ 49. Qxe1 Qg4 50. Qe3 with an apparently winning endgame.
41. ... Rxe4 42. Rxe4 Rc7 43. Qe2? Now White lost her way let her advantage slip away. 43. Qh5 Qg8 44. Kh3 Qc8+ 45. Re6 still maintained a strong grip on the position.
43. ... Qxh6 44. Qxb5. 44. Rxe7 Rxe7 45. Qxe7 Qd2+ is also a likely draw.
44. ... Rc2+ 45. Re2 Qg6 46. Rxc2 Qxc2+ 47. Kf3 Qd1+ 48. Kf2 Qd2+ 49. Kf3 Qd1+ 50. Kf2 Qd2+ 51. Qe2 Qxb4 52. a6 Qb6+ 53. Kg2 Qa7 54. Qb5 Kg7 55. Qa4. If 55. Qb7 then 55. ... Qe3! 56. a7 Qe2+ with perpetual check.
55. ... h5 56. Qa2 Kf7 57. Qe2 Kf8 58. Kh3 Qg1

59. a7? White could secure the draw with 59. Qxh5 Qf1+ 60. Kh2 Qxa6 61. Qh8+ Kf7 62. Qh7+ Ke8 63. Qg8+ Kd7 64. Qe6+ and perpetual check.
59. ... Qxa7 60. Qxh5 Qe3 61. Qh8+ Kf7 62. Qh5+? Here 62. Qh7+ Ke8 63. Qh8+ Kd7 64. Qa8 still gave some chances of a draw.
62. ... Kg7 63. Qe8 Qe4 64. Kh2 Qe2+ 65. Kg1 Qe1+ 66. Kg2 Qd2+ 67. Kh3 Qe2 68. g4 Qf3+ 69. Kh2 Qe4 70. Kg3 Qe5+ 71. Kh3 f5 72. gxf5 Qxf5+ 73. Kg3 Qg5+ 74. Kf2 Kf6 75. Qh8+ Kf5 76. Qc8+ Kf6 77. Qh8+ Kg6 78. Qg8+ Kh6 79. Qh8+ Kg6 80. Qg8+ Kh5 81. Qf7+ Kh4 82. Qh7+ Kg4 83. Kf1 Qf5+ 0–1.

“Divya’s turnaround was a miracle for the youngster from Nagpur considering she had been under pressure from the start of the game with Muzychuk coming up with some excellent opening prep.”, Amit Kamath wrote in The Indian Express of April 8. Photo: Michał Walusza/FIDE.