The European Dream

Mariya Muzychuk – Betül Cemre Yıldız
18th European Individual Women’s Chess Championship; Riga, April 12, 2017
Slav Defence D10

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. cxd5 cxd5 5. Bf4 Nc6 6. e3 a6 7. Bd3 Bg4 8. Qb3 Na5 9. Qa4+ Bd7 10. Qc2 e6 11. Nf3 Rc8 12. 0-0 Be7 13. Ne5 b5 14. Qe2 Qb6? The Queen looks very unfunctionally placed here. Whatever it is, no one knows better than Mariya Muzychuk that the position can be very unpleasant for Black: 14. ... 0-0 15. Rfc1 Be8 16. Rc2 Nd7 17. Nf3 Nb6 18. Rac1 Nac4 19. e4 dxe4 20. Qxe4 g6 21. Bh6 Bc6 22. Qe2 Bxf3 23. Qxf3 Re8 24. Be4 Qxd4 25. Bb7 Rcd8 26. Bxa6 b4 27. Ne4 Ne5 28. Qe2 Nd3 29. Rf1 f5 30. Ng3 f4 31. Qxe6+ Kh8 32. Ne2 Qf6 33. Qxf6+ Bxf6 34. Rc6 Bh4 35. Bxd3 Rxd3 36. Nxf4 1 : 0 李超 (Lǐ Chāo) – M. Muzychuk, 12th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival, Catalan Bay 2014. 15. Rac1 0-0 16. Bg5 Bc6? This move seems obscure to me. The modest 16. ... Qd8 (Stockfish) appeared to be called for. 17. f4! Nc4. If 17. ... b4 (intending ... Bc6-b5) there might follow 18. Ng4! bxc3?? 19. Nxf6+ gxf6 (19. ... Bxf6 20. Bxf6 gxf6 21. Qg4+ Kh8 22. Qh4 f5 23. Qf6+ Kg8 24. Rf3 equally leads to mate) 20. Bxh7+! Kxh7 21. Qh5+ Kg8 22. Bh6 f5 23. Rf3 with a quick mate. 18. f5! After the opening of the f-file, Black will disintegrate very soonly. 18. ... Rc7 19. Bxf6 Bxf6 20. Ng4 Bg5. If 20. ... e5 then 21. Nxf6+ gxf6 22. Bxc4! bxc4 23. Qh5! with a vehement attack (23. ... Qxb2? 24. Qh6!+−). 21. fxe6 f6. Black must cede the Pawn, as 21. ... fxe6?? would be annihilated by 22. Bxh7+. 22. b3 Nd6 (22. ... Nxe3 23. Nxe3 Qxd4 24. Nxd5+−) 23. Qf2 b4 24. Ne2 Bb5 25. Rxc7 Qxc7. 25. ... Bxd3 26. Rd7 is no better. 26. Bxb5 Nxb5 27. h4 Bh6. Or 27. ... h5 28. hxg5 hxg4 29. Nf4 and Black can resign. 28. Nxh6+ gxh6 29. Qg3+. Now it becomes a mere cat and mouse play. 29. ... Qxg3 30. Nxg3 Nc3 31. Nh5 Ne4 32. Rf5! Re8

33. Rxf6! Nc3 34. Rxh6 Re7 35. Nf4 Kg7 36. Rh5 Nxa2 37. Rg5+ Kf8 38. Rxd5 Nc1 39. Rf5+ Ke8 40. d5 1 : 0.

Mariya Muzychuk
Photo: ukrinform.ua

Alpha Girl

Betül Cemre Yıldız – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
16th European Women’s Chess Club Cup; Rogaška Slatina, September 26, 2011
Sicilian Defence B27

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Bd3?! Bg7 6. c4 Nc6. As a consequence of her uninspired opening play, White got herself into an unfavorable Maróczy Bind. 7. Ne2 Ne5 8. Nbc3 d6 9. 0-0 0-0 10. b3 Bd7! A cool novelty. An earlier game between two dei minores continued, in Benkö’s style, 10. ... Nxd3 11. Qxd3 b5!? 12. cxb5 a6 13. Bb2 axb5 14. Nxb5 Ba6 15. a4 Qb8 with controversial claims for compensation, Schwab – Hölzl, 47th Austrian Chess Championship, Hartberg 2004. 11. Kh1 a6

12. Nd4? The beginning of the end. 12. a4! was called for, and after 12. ... b5!? 13. axb5 axb5 14. Rxa8 Qxa8 15. cxb5 Rb8 Black should regain her pawn with comfortable equality. 12. ... b5! 13. cxb5. Of course White cannot take the Pawn with neither of the two Knights because of 12. ... Nxe4! with overwhelming effect. 12. ... Nxd3 14. Qxd3 axb5 15. Bb2 b4 16. Nd5. This loses a Pawn (even if not by force), but 16. Nd1 Ra5! eventually followed by ... Qd8-a8 is also hopeless. 16. ... Nxd5 17. exd5 Ra5 18. Qe4 Re8 19. a3 bxa3 20. Rxa3 Rxa3 21. Bxa3 f5 22. Qe3 Qa5 23. Bb2 Qxd5 24. Rc1 e5 25. Nf3 Be6 26. Nd2 Qb7 27. Ra1 Rc8 28. Qd3 Bd5 29. f3

29. ... e4! 0 : 1.