Strobilus

Mariya Muzychuk – Boris Franzevich Gulko
6th Snowdrops vs Oldhands; Poděbrady, November 30, 2013
Sicilian Defence B22

1. e4 c5 2. c3 e6 3. d4 d5 4. exd5 exd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. Bb5 Bd6 7. dxc5 Bxc5 8. 0-0 Nge7 9. Nbd2 0-0 10. Nb3 Bb6 11. Re1 Nf5 12. Bd3 Qd6 13. Bxf5 Bxf5 14. Be3 Bg4. For 14. ... Bxe3 15. Rxe3 Rfd8 16. h3 a5 17. a4 Qc7 18. Nbd4 see Deviatkin – Mickiewicz, 5th AMPLICO AIG Life Chess Tournament, Warsaw 2005. 15. Bxb6 axb6 16. Qd3 Bxf3 17. Qxf3 Rfe8 18. a3 Ne5 19. Qe2 Qd7 20. Nd4 Nc4 21. Qc2 g6 22. h3 Rxe1+ 23. Rxe1 Re8 24. Rd1 Re5

25. b3. A temporary Pawn sacrifice, that Mariya performs in the (vain) hope of cashing in her slight advantage. 25. ... Nxa3 26. Qd3 Re8 27. Ne2 Nb5 28. Qxd5 Qxd5 29. Rxd5 Rxe2 30. Rxb5 Re6 31. Rd5 Kf8 32. Rd8+ Re8 33. Rd7 Re7 34. Rd6 Re6 35. Rd7 Re7 36. Rd6 Re6 37. Rxe6 fxe6. Usually there are less chances for a draw in a King and Pawn ending than in a Rook ending, but this is not the case. 38. Kf1 Ke7 39. Ke2 Kd6 40. Kd3 b5 41. Ke4 e5 42. h4 Ke6 43. f3 Kd6 44. f4 exf4 45. Kxf4 h6 46. Ke4 Ke6 47. g4 Kd6 48. Kd4 h5 49. g5 b6 50. b4 Ke6 51. c4 Kd6 52. cxb5 Ke6 53. Ke4 ½ : ½.

Mariya Muzychuk vs. Boris Franzevich Gulko
Photo: Anežka Kružíková

Smažený sýr

Boris Franzevich Gulko – Mariya Muzychuk
6th Snowdrops vs Oldhands; Poděbrady, December 5, 2013
Queen’s Gambit Declined D10

Notes by Grandmaster Robert Cvek

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. cxd5. This is a favorite move of GM Gulko. I remember his old games where he played exactly the same moves. 3. ... cxd5 4. Bf4 Nc6 5. e3 Bf5 6. Nc3. In positions like this it seems to me that Black has no problems with compensation, but you need to know this and have to have the temperament to play such positions. That is not easy at all, especially for the aggressive Snowdrop. 6. ... e6 7. Qb3 Bb4 8. a3!? GM Plachetka proposed this move during analysis, as a possible improvement for White, and that was exactly what happened. 8. ... Bxc3+ 9. bxc3. Taking back with the Queen: 9. Qxc3 would just help Black, especially after 9. ... Rc8. 9. ... Qd7 10. Nf3 Nge7 11. a4! Nice strategic move. To be honest, after a first look at the position I thought that Black is okay. She would play 11. ... b6, then move her Knight to a5 with a blockade. However the White Bishops would be strong. That is an instructive strategic lesson. 11. ... b6 12. Ba6! Yes, he took control of the square c8, so the plan for Black is not that clear anymore. 12. ... 0-0 13. 0-0 Na5 14. Qa2 Nec6 15. Nd2 Nb8 16. Bb5 Qb7 17. Rfe1! This is a nice move, with an idea of playing e3-e4 after preparing f2-f3. Now, we can see that the position of White is a bit better. 17. ... Rc8 18. Rac1 a6 19. Bf1 b5

20. Qb2?! 20. axb5!, recommended by the GM Plachetka, is the key to lock in the advantage: 20. ... axb5 21. Qb2 Nc4 22. Nxc4 dxc4 23. f3 with a better game. 20. ... bxa4. The ending is better for the White, but it is still is not too clear. 21. Qxb7 Nxb7. The Pawns on the a-file are complicating life for White. 22. c4 Nc6 23. Rc3 Nb4! The correct activity of the Knight. 24. Ra1 Bc2! 25. Rc1. It would be good to consider 25. c5 but Black has a nice square for the Knight after 25. ... Na5 and ... Na5-c6!. 25. ... dxc4? Unnecessarily complicated. Black did not have too much time and she thought that the position was not too good for her. That is why she went for tactic complications. However, if she moved her Bishop back she would be okay. 26. R3xc2 Nxc2 27. Rxc2 Na5 28. Bd6 c3 29. Ne4 Nb3 30. g4! This is really good move – it creates space and also controls the square f5. After 30. g4 Rc6 31. Rxc3 Rac8 32. Bc5 White has a clear advantage. But he offered a draw, which Black gladly accepted. ½ : ½.

Mariya Muzychuk
Photo: Anežka Kružíková