Moonshot

Anastasia Mikhailovna Bodnaruk – 朱锦尔 (Zhū Jǐn’ěr)

9th Women’s World Rapid Chess Championship; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Samarkand, December 27, 2023

Sicilian Defence B23

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nd4 4. Bc4 e6 5. Nge2 Qc7 6. d3 a6 7. Nxd4 cxd4 8. Ne2 b5 9. Bb3 Bc5. Less convincing is 9. ... Qb6 10. 0-0 Bb7 on account of 11. c3! dxc3 12. Be3 regaining the Pawn with the better game, Goryachkina – Osinenko, Titled Tuesday Blitz October 11 Early 2022, chess.com, October 11, 2022 (time control: 3 minutes plus 1 second per move).
10. c3 dxc3 11. bxc3 Ne7 12. 0-0 Bb7 13. d4 Bb6 14. Bc2 d6 15. Be3 0-0 16. Rc1 e5 17. Ng3 Rad8 18. Qh5 Ng6?! Better was 18. ... Kh8 19. Bb3 f6 with a solid defence.
19. Nf5. Intending Qh5-g4 followed by h2-h4-h5.
19. ... Rfe8 20. Qg4

20. ... Qxc3? Such greed cannot be condoned by a predestined elect. Comparatively better was still 20. ... Kh8, though now, after 21. h4 Rg8 22. Bb3 d5 23. h5 Ne7 24. Nh4! Bc8 25. Qg3 White’s initiative bites and stings.
21. Bb3 Qb4 22. dxe5 Bxe3. If 22. ... Bc5 then 23. Bd4! (Δ e5-e6) 23. ... Bxd4 (23. ... Bc8 24. Bc3! Qa3 25. exd6+−) 24. Bxf7+! Kxf7 25. Rc7+ Kf8 26. Nxd4! with irresistible attack.

23. Bxf7+! Kxf7 24. Rc7+ Kg8. Or 24. ... Kf8 25. fxe3! with a mating attack — one of the rare cases in which tripled Pawns serve.
25. Rxg7+ Kf8. If 25. ... Kh8 then 26. Rxh7+! Kxh7 27. Qh5+ with mate in two moves.
26. fxe3 Qxe4

27. Rxg6. Bodnaruk contents herself with a prosaic win rather than play for mate with 27. Rxh7; for, as they say, the end justifies the means.
27. ... Qxg4 28. Rxg4 Rxe5 29. Nxd6+ Ke7 30. Nxb7 Rd2 31. e4 h5 32. Rg7+ Ke6 33. Rgf7 Rg5 34. R7f2 Rd7 35. Rf6+ Ke5 36. Nc5 Rd2 37. Re6+ Kd4 38. Nb3+ 1 : 0.

Bodnaruk was not among the favourites to win a gold medal. Much to everyone’s surprise, however, she won. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili/Chess Federation of Russia.

Afoot and Afloat

Anastasia Mikhailovna Bodnaruk – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
20th European Individual Women’s Chess Championship; Antalya, April 18, 2019
French Defence C18

Goryachkina, for all her Round Seven game, literally sit on the edge of the abyss, finally surviving an absolutely lost cause. 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Qg4 cxd4 8. Qxg7 Rg8 9. Qxh7 Qc7 10. Ne2 Nbc6 11. f4 dxc3 12. h4 Bd7 13. h5 0-0-0 14. Qd3 d4 15. h6 Kb8 16. Rb1. Another try is 16. h7 Rh8 17. Rh6 Bc8 18. g4 b6 19. Ng3 Bb7 20. Ne4 Ng6 21. Ng5 Ka8 22. Bg2 Na5 23. Be4 Bxe4 24. Nxe4 Nc4 25. Nf2 Nb2 26. Qe4+ Kb8 27. Kf1 Ne7 28. Rh3 Qc4+ 29. Qe2 Qa4 30. Ne4 Nc4 31. Rb1 Nd5 32. Nc5 Nd2+ 33. Bxd2 Qxc2 34. Na6+ Kb7 35. Nc5+ Kb8 36. Na6+ Kb7 37. Nc5+ Kb8 38. Na6+ Kb7 ½ : ½ Bodnaruk – Sedina, 18th European Individual Women’s Chess Championship, Riga 2017. 16. ... Bc8. Goryachkina adopted a line much favoured by Ukrainian-Italian International Master Elena Sedina, without, however, bringing it any improvement. 17. h7 Rh8 18. g4 b6 19. Bg2 Bb7 20. Be4 Ng6. 20. ... Nd5 didn’t bring Sedina good luck at all: 21. Rh6 Qc8 22. Qg3 Na5 23. f5 Ne3? 24. Bxe3 Bxe4 25. Nxd4 Nc4 26. Qf4 1 : 0 Bosiočić – Sedina, 18th Open, Trieste 2016. 21. Rh5 Nf8 22. a4. Another matter of study is 22. Bxc6 Qxc6 23. Nxd4 Qe4+ 24. Be3 Nxh7 25. Qxe4 Bxe4 26. Rb4 Rdg8 27. f5 Rxg4 28. fxe6 fxe6 29. Nxe6 Rhg8 30. Rc4 Bxc2 31. Rxc3 Rc8 32. Rxc8+ Kxc8 33. Nd4 Bg6 34. Rh6 Kd7 35. Ke2 Be4 36. Bf2 Ng5 37. e6+ Kd6 38. Nb5+ Ke7 39. Bh4 Bf5 40. Rh5 Re4+ 41. Kf2 Rf4+ 42. Ke3 Re4+ 43. Kf2 Rf4+ 44. Ke3 ½ : ½ Hoolt – Sedina, 37th Women’s Chess Mitropa Cup, Le Castella 2018. White’s play seems largely improvable. 22. ... f6? A new nuance with regard to 22. ... f5? which, however, quite paradoxically ended up rewarding Black: 23. exf6 Nd7 24. Bxc6 Qxc6 (on 24. ... Bxc6 25. Nxd4 White stands much better) 25. g5?? (25. Qxd4 seemed very strong here) 25. ... Nc5−+ Alquist – Hernando Rodrigo, 16th Open Internacional de Sants, Barcelona 2014. 22. ... Nd7!? 23. Ba3 Ndxe5!?∞ is probably the best continuation, even though further study is needed to assess its actual merit. 23. Bxc6!? 23. exf6 might transpose into the game mentioned in the previous note. 23. ... Qxc6 24. Nxd4 Qd5 25. Be3 fxe5? Black doesn’t seem to have any feeling at all for her own position. 25. ... Nxh7 26. Rxh7 f5!∞ was very uncertain, with chances for both colours. Now Black is really lost!

26. Rb5!+− Qg2 27. Nc6+! Bxc6 28. Qxd8+ Kb7 29. Rb4!? Even stronger was 29. Qe7+! Ka6 (or 29. ... Kc8 30. Rb4 Qxc2 31. Qxa7 with a more prosaic win) 30. Ra5+!! with mate in a few moves. 29. ... Ng6 30. Qf6? Simply 30. Qd3+− would have left Black without resource. 30. ... Qxc2! 31. Qf7+. White has nothing better than a draw by perpetual, for if 31. fxe5 then 31. ... Qd3! with harsh equality. 31. ... Ka8. Not 31. ... Ka6?? 32. Qxe6+− Be4 on account of 33. Rxb6+! and mate in two moves. 32. Qg8+ Kb7 33. Qf7+ Ka8 34. Qg8+ Kb7 35. Qf7+ ½ : ½.

Sunday Afternoon

Anastasia Mikhailovna Bodnaruk – Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina
68th Russian Women’s Chess Championship Superfinal; Satka, September 2, 2018
Caro-Kann Defence B12

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Nd2 e6 5. Nb3 Nd7 6. Nf3 Qc7 7. Nh4 Bg6!? No intermediate moves. A recent game ran as follows: 7. ... Be4 8. f3 Bg6 9. Nxg6 hxg6 10. f4 c5 11. c3 Ne7 12. Be3 Nf5 13. Bf2 cxd4 14. cxd4 a5 (Black’s pseudo-Excelsior will prove to be quite unfortunate) 15. Bd3 a4 16. Nd2 a3 17. Rb1 axb2 18. Rxb2 Ra3 19. Rc2 Rc3 20. 0-0 Bb4 21. Nf3 0-0 22. g4 Ne7 23. Be1 Rxc2 24. Bxb4 Rxa2 25. Bxe7 Nxe5 26. Bxf8 Nxd3 27. Qxd3 Qxf4 28. Bd6 Qxd6 29. Ne5 Qc7 30. Qb3 Re2 31. Qf3 Rd2 32. Qf4 Re2 33. Qxf7+ Qxf7 34. Nxf7 Re4 35. h3 Rxd4 36. Ng5 e5 37. Ne6 1 : 0 Sasikiran – Tari, 16th Aeroflot Open, Moscow 2018. 8. Be2 c5 9. c3 Ne7 10. 0-0 Nc6 11. Be3 Be7 12. Nxg6 hxg6 13. f4 c4 14. Nd2 Rb8 15. b3 b5 16. a4 a6 17. axb5 axb5 18. Rb1 f5 19. exf6 gxf6 20. bxc4 bxc4 21. Rxb8+ Qxb8 22. Nf3 Bd6 23. g3 Ne7. If 23. ... g5!? there might follow 24. Qa4 Nd8 25. Ne5! fxe5 26. fxe5 Be7 27. Qc2 Nf8 28. Qa4+ Nd7 29. Qc2 Nf8 with a draw by repetition. 24. Qc2 Nf5. 24. ... g5!? 25. Ne5! is still quite unclear. 25. Bf2 Kf7 26. g4 Nh6 27. Nh4 f5 28. g5 Ng8 29. Bg3 Ne7 30. Nf3 Qa7 31. Bd1 Nc6 32. Re1. The attack on the e-file is a mere mirage, so maybe 33. Qa4 was to be considered as a wise policy. 32. ... Qa3 33. Qe2. White could still have played 33. Qa4 forcing the Queen exchange, as the ending seems to be perfectly playable. 33. ... Re8 34. Qe3? White misses her last chance to rewind back to where she was before: 34. Qc2(!), once again intending Qc2-a4. 34. ... Bc7? And here 34. ... Nc5! was probably stronger, as 35. dxc5 Bxc5 36. Nd4 Nxd4 37. Bf2 Nc2! seems to win material. 35. Re2? Another very unfortunate decision. Best, and probably necessary, was 35. Be2 Nf8 (preparing for ... Re8-b8 which cannot be played at once because of Be2xc4; likewise, 35. ... Na7 36. Rb1 Rb8 doesn’t make much difference overall) 36. Rb1 Rb8 with an approximately balanced game, even if a little easier for Black. 35. ... Qa1. Black’s invasion will prove to be quite unpleasant. 36. Qd2 Ba5 37. Re3 Rb8 38. Be1 Bc7 39. Ne5+? Another time-control drama — the most stubborn defence was probably 39. Re2 Nf8∓, though with very little hopes of saving the game. Now everything falls apart: 39. ... Ndxe5 40. fxe5 Rb2 41. Bc2

41. ... Nxe5! 42. dxe5 Bb6 43. Kf1 Rxc2! 44. Qxc2 Bxe3. The End. 45. h4 Bf4 46. Qf2 Bxe5 47. Qe3 Bg7 48. h5 gxh5 49. g6+ Kf6 50. Kg2 Qb2+ 51. Kh3 f4 52. Qxf4+ Kxg6 53. Bd2 Qc2 54. Qg5+ Kf7 55. Qxh5+ Kf8 56. Qf3+ Qf5+ 57. Kg2 Qxf3+ 58. Kxf3 Kf7 59. Be1 Kg6 60. Kg4 Be5 61. Kf3 Kf5 62. Ke3 Bc7 63. Kd2 Ba5 64. Bf2 Ke4 65. Kc2 e5 66. Bg3 d4 0 : 1.

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili.

Anastasia Mikhailovna Bodnaruk. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili.

The Story So Far

Elisabeth Pähtz from Germany and Anna Olehivna Muzychuk from Ukraine won the ACP European Women’s Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships which took place in Tbilisi, Georgia, from March 29 to April 1, 2018. The Rapid Championship was won by Pähtz, Anastasia Mikhailovna Bodnaruk and Muzychuk securing respectively second and third places. The Blitz Championship, instead, was won by Muzychuk, with Pähtz second and Monika Bobrowska-Soćko third.

The 2018 ACP European Women’s Rapid Chess Champion Elisabeth Pähtz. Photo: Graf/Thüringer Allgemeine.

The 2018 ACP European Women’s Blitz Chess Champion Anna Olehivna Muzychuk. Photo: European Chess Union.

One Day on Mars

Anastasia Mikhailovna Bodnaruk – 沈阳 (Shěn Yáng)
10th Russia – China Friendship Match; Moscow, June 13, 2016
Spanish Game C78

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Bc5 6. c3 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. a4 Bb7 9. d4 Bb6 10. Re1 0-0 11. Bg5 h6 12. Bh4 exd4 13. cxd4 Re8 14. d5. The most common way is 14. axb5 axb5 15. Rxa8 Bxa8 16. d5 Na5 17. Bc2 c6 18. dxc6 Bxc6 19. Nc3 g5 20. Bg3 b4 21. Nd5 b3 22. Bxb3 Rxe4 ½ : ½ Minić – Planinc, 27th Yugoslav Chess Championship, Umag 1972. 14. ... Na5 15. Bc2 c6 16. Nc3 g5 17. Bg3 cxd5 18. Nxd5 Nxd5 19. exd5 Rxe1+ 20. Nxe1 Qf6 21. axb5 axb5 22. Qe2 b4 23. Qe4 b3 24. Bd3 Bd4. Black finally decides to cash in the b2-Pawn. On the other hand, White is quite glad to sacrifice it as her initiative fully compensates for it. 25. Nf3 Bxb2 26. Re1 Kf8? As usual 沈阳 (Shěn Yáng) doesn’t hesitate to play on the edge of the foxhole. Correct was 26. ... Qg6 27. Qe2 Qf6 effectively offering a draw by repetition.

27. h4! A terrific blow, threatening 28. hxg5 hxg5 29. Nxg5! Qxg5 30. Bxd6+ and mate in a very few moves. 沈阳 (Shěn Yáng)’s answer appears forced. 27. ... g4. In fact, on 27. ... Ba3 28. Nh2! is too strong. 28. Qxg4 Bc3 29. Re3. Not bad, but I like very much the interferential Rook sacrifice 29. Re6!! (29. ... fxe6 30. Bxd6+) with a triumphal crescendo. 29. ... Re8. And once again, a bad move will bring 沈阳 (Shěn Yáng) good luck! True indeed, also, is the fact that Stockfish’s best offer 29. ... Bc8 30. Qa4 Bb7 31. Bh7! (Δ Qa4-g4) 31. ... Kg7 32. Bb1! Kf8 33. Qg4 Bc8 34. Qe4 would have lose as well since there are too many threats for Black to face. 30. Rxe8+ Kxe8 31. Qg8+? Anastasia Mikhailovna misses her golden point! It was not too hard to find 31. h5! that would have threatened everything (among others things, Bg3-h4 and/or Qg4-g8+). 31. ... Kd7 32. Qb8 Bxd5 33. Bf5+. White wisely contents herself with perpetual check. 33. ... Qxf5 34. Qxd6+ Ke8 35. Qb8+ Kd7 36. Qc7+ Ke8 37. Qb8+ Kd7 38. Qc7+ Ke8 39. Qb8+ ½ : ½.

Anastasia Mikhailovna Bodnaruk vs. 沈阳 (Shěn Yáng)
Photo: Eteri Kublashvili

The Matrix Reloaded

Anastasia Mikhailovna Bodnaruk – Nataliya Igorivna Buksa
17th European Women’s Individual Chess Championship; Mamaia, May 27, 2016
Spanish Game C83

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9. c3 Be7 10. Be3 0-0 11. Nbd2 Qd7 12. Bc2 Nxd2 13. Qxd2 Bg4. Curiously enough, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv Law Faculty student Nataliya Igorivna Buksa is on the footsteps of her countrywoman Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk. 14. Qd3. It “promise[s] nothing”, Grandmaster Adrian Bohdanovych Mikhalchishin said. In the 2nd game of the Women’s World Chess Championship match in Lviv between 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) and Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk, Chinese Grandmaster preferred 14. Bf4 Bxf3 15. gxf3 Rad8 16. Rfd1 Qe6 17. Qe3 when, rather than 17. ... Rd7, Black should have played 17. ... Na5!? 18. b3 c5 as 19. a4?! c4! would give Black a satisfactory play. 14. ... g6 15. Bh6 Rfe8 16. Rad1. Also after 16. Rfe1 Bf5 17. Qd2 Bxc2 18. Qxc2 Nd8 19. Rad1 Ne6 20. h4 c5! Black gets excellent chances, Kokarev – Short, 2nd International Chess Open, Kolkata 2015. 16. ... Bf5 17. Qd2 Bxc2 18. Qxc2 Nd8 19. Nd4 f6 20. exf6 Bxf6 21. Nb3 Nb7 22. f4. Less committal seems 22. Be3 a5 with approximate equality.

22. ... Qg4. With the threat of ... Re8-e2. 23. Qd3 Rad8 24. f5? After 24. Rde1! the game was still quite even. 24. ... g5. Cutting off the White Bishop. Bodnaruk will pay very dearly for its liberation. 25. Nd4 Nc5 26. Qh3 Qxh3 27. gxh3 Kf7 28. Nf3 Ne4 29. Kg2 c5 30. h4. Finally! But it’s too late. 30. ... gxh4 31. Kh3 d4. Black’s preponderance is overwhelming. 32. cxd4 cxd4 33. Ne1 Rd5 34. Nd3 Nd6 35. Bf4 Nc4 36. Bc1 Ne3 37. Bxe3 dxe3 38. Nf4 Rxf5 39. Kg4 h5+! A pretty conclusion. 40. Nxh5. Not 40. Kxf5 Re5 mate. 40. ... Rxh5 41. Kxh5 e2 42. Rxf6+ Kxf6 43. Re1 Kf5 44. Kxh4 Kf4 45. Kh3 Ke3 0 : 1.

Nataliya Igorivna Buksa. Photo: Chess-News.ru.

Баклава (Baklava)

Mariya Muzychuk – Anastasia Mikhailovna Bodnaruk
15th European Individual Women’s Chess Championship; Plovdiv, July 11, 2014
Sicilian Defence B52

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ Bd7 4. Bxd7+ Qxd7 5. 0-0 Nc6 6. c3 Nf6 7. d4 Nxe4 8. d5 Ne5 9. Re1 Nf6 10. Nxe5 dxe5 11. c4 g6 12. Rxe5 Bg7 13. Nc3 0-0 14. Re2. For 14. Bg5 h6 15. Bh4 see Andreikin – Sjugirov, II World’s Youth Stars, Kirishi 2004, while for 14. Re1 Ne8 15. Bg5 see Sedina – Neuman, 22nd Mitropa Cup, Pula 2003. 14. ... Qg4. Somewhat strange but not necessarily bad.

15. Qb3. 15. Rxe7 Qxc4 leads nowhere. 15. ... Rfe8 16. h3 Qd7 17. Bf4. Intending Nc3-b5. 17. ... e6!? Black prefers the weakness of an isolated Pawn on e6 rather than to commit herself on the Queenside. For instance, if 17. ... a6? then 18. Na4 and White’s advantage is already overwhelming. 18. dxe6 Rxe6 19. Rxe6 fxe6. It doesn’t make sense to sacrifice a Pawn by 19. ... Qxe6 since after 20. Qxb7 Re8 21. Qb5 Black has no compensation at all. 20. Rd1 Qf7 21. Qb5 b6 22. Qc6 Rf8 23. Be3 h6? The beginning of an ambitious, but wrong plan of counter-attack. Comparatively best was 23. ... Qe8(!) so as to considerably reduce White’s advantage. 24. Rd6 g5? The hysterical sacrifice of a Pawn cannot help Black’s cause. On the other hand, after 24. ... Re8 25. a4 g5 26. a5 White should shatter her opponent’s position on the Queenside before Black can really become dangerous on the Kingside. 25. Rxe6 g4 26. Nd5 gxh3 27. Nxf6+ Bxf6 28. gxh3. Simpler was 28. Bxh6! Bd4 29. Bxf8 Qxf2+ (on 29. ... h2+ 30. Kh1 Qxf2 31. Rg6+ Bg7 32. Rxg7+ Kxf8 33. Qf3+ White forces an elementary King and Pawn endgame) 30. Kh2 hxg2 31. Qxg2+ Qxg2+ 32. Kxg2 Kxf8 33. b3 when White has a won endgame. 28. ... Bg5. More tenacious is 28. ... Qg6+, though after 29. Qg2 Kf7 30. Qxg6+ Kxg6 31. b3 h5 32. Rd6 White remains a clear Pawn ahead and, with proper play, she should win. 29. Qe4 Kh8 30. h4 Bf6 31. Bxh6 Bd4 32. Be3 Bg7 33. Rg6 Rg8. Or 33. ... Bxb2 34. Qg2! substantially transposing into the game. The rest is easy. 34. Qg4 Qxg6 35. Qxg6 Bxb2 36. Qxg8+ Kxg8 37. Kg2 Kf7 38. Kf3 a6 39. a4 Ke6 40. Ke4 Kd6 41. h5 Kc6 42. h6 Kd6 43. Bf4+ Ke6 44. h7 Bd4 45. Bc7 Kf7 46. Be5 1 : 0.

Mariya Muzychuk (here against Salome Melia)
Photo © Boyan Botev