Control Room

Anna Olehivna Muzychuk – Dinara Ramazanovna Saduakassova
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2019–20; 4th stage; Catalan Bay, May 29, 2021
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. Nbd2 Nc5 10. c3 Be7 11. Bc2 d4 12. Nb3 d3 13. Bb1 Nxb3 14. axb3 Bf5 15. Re1 (15. Be3 0-0 16. Re1 Qd5 17. Bd4 Rfd8 18. Re3 Nxd4 19. cxd4 c5 20. Bxd3 cxd4 21. Re2 Qe6 22. h3 Bg6 23. Ne1 a5 24. Kh2 h6 25. Bxg6 Qxg6 26. Qd3 Qxd3 27. Nxd3 a4 28. Rc2 axb3 29. Rcc1 Ra4 30. Kg3 f6 31. exf6 Bxf6 32. Re1 Rc8 33. Rad1 Kf7 34. Kf4 Rc2 35. Kf3 Ra7 36. Re4 Rac7 37. g3 R7c6 38. h4 Re6 39. Ra1 Rxe4 40. Kxe4 Re2+ 41. Kd5 Rd2 42. Ra7+ Ke8 43. Ke4 Re2+ 44. Kd5 Rd2 45. Ke4 ½ : ½ Smeets – Saduakassova, 82nd Tata Steel Challengers Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2020) 15. ... 0-0 16. Bf4. Another way is 16. Be3 Qd5 17. Bd4! Rfd8 18. h4! Bg6 (18. ... Nxd4 19. Nxd4 d2 20. Bxf5 dxe1=Q+ 21. Qxe1 Kf8 22. Rd1 Qc5 23. Bxh7 Bxh4 24. Qe4 Be7 25. Rd3 Qd5 26. Qf4 g5 27. Qh2 Bc5 28. Qh6+ Ke8 29. Nc6 Qxd3 30. Bxd3 Rxd3 31. e6 Rd1+ 32. Kh2 Bd6+ 33. g3 1 : 0 Sethuraman – Saduakassova, 45th Sunway Open, Sitges 2019) 19. b4! d2 20. Qxd2 Bxb1 21. Raxb1 Bxb4 22. Qf4 Be7 23. e6! fxe6 24. Qg4 Nxd4 25. Nxd4 Bf6 26. Nxe6 Rd7 27. Re3 h5 28. Qg6 Rf7 29. Rbe1 Rc8 30. Nf4 Qd7 31. Qxh5 Re7 32. Nd5 Rf7 33. Rd1 Qc6 34. Nf4 Rd7 35. Re8+ 1 : 0 Caruana – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 3rd Gashimov Memorial, Şəmkir (Shamkir) 2016. 16. ... Qd7 17. b4 Rfd8 18. h3 a5 19. g4 (19. bxa5 Rxa5 20. Rxa5 Nxa5 21. e6 Bxe6 22. Ne5 Qd5 23. Qxd3 Qxd3 24. Bxd3 b4 25. Ra1 g5 26. Bg3 Nb3 27. Ra7 Nc5 28. Nc6 Rxd3 29. Nxe7+ Kf8 30. Nc6 Ne4 31. Nxb4 Rd1+ 32. Kh2 Nd2 33. Bxc7 Nf1+ 34. Kg1 Nd2+ 35. Kh2 Nf1+ 36. Kg1 Nd2+ ½ : ½ Mammadzada – M. O. Muzychuk, 24th Turkish Chess League, Ankara 2018) 19. ... Bg6 20. bxa5 Rxa5 21. Ba2 Rf8 22. e6 (22. b4 Ra4 23. Qd2 Nd8 24. Bg5 c5 25. Bxe7 Qxe7 26. bxc5 Qxc5 27. Nh4 Ne6 28. Bb3 Rxa1 29. Rxa1 Qxe5 30. Nxg6 hxg6 31. Bxe6 fxe6 32. Qxd3 b4 33. Rc1 Qf4 34. Rf1 b3 35. Qxg6 Qc4 36. Re1 Rf6 37. Qe8+ Kh7 38. Qh5+ Rh6 39. Qe5 Rxh3 40. Qxe6 Qxe6 41. Rxe6 Rxc3 42. Rb6 Rc4 43. Rxb3 Rxg4+ ½ : ½ Caruana – Giri, 3rd Norway Chess, Stavanger 2015) 22. ... Qd8 23. exf7+ Kh8

24. Bd2!? Finally, the novelty comes. A little-known game continued 24. Qd2 Qa8 25. b4 Ra4 with more or less equality, Warmerdam – Geirnaert, 1st Wachtebeke Winter Round Robin (WWRR), Wachtebeke 2016. 24. ... Rxa2! (24. ... Bxf7 25. Bxf7 Rxa1 26. Qxa1 Rxf7 27. Ng5!±) 25. Rxa2 Bxf7. Despite material minus, Black’s powerful Bishop pair and Kingside pressure compensate for the Exchange.

26. Ra6? A “threatening” mistake which proves catastrophic. 26. ... Bd5! 27. Ne5? After a long thought, Muzychuk ends up disintegrating. Probably she was not happy about 27. Re3 Bc5! 28. Rxd3 Bxf2+! leaving Black with a very powerful attack — but indeed that was her comparatively best chance. 27. ... Bc5! 28. Rxc6 (28. Nxd3 Qh4!−+) 28. ... Bxf2+ 29. Kh2

29. ... Qh4! 30. Nf7+. If 30. Re3 then 30. ... Bg3+! 31. Rxg3 Rf2+ followed by mate in two. 30. ... Kg8 0 : 1.

A radiant Saduakassova is being interviewed after her first win in the tournament. Photo © David Llada.

The Pathway to Reality

Dinara Ramazanovna Saduakassova – Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2019–20; 4th stage; Catalan Bay, May 23, 2021
Catalan Opening E04

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. g3 dxc4 5. Bg2 a6 6. 0-0 Nc6 7. Be3 Nd5 8. Bg5 Be7 (8. ... f6 9. Bd2 Be7 10. e4 Nb6 11. Bc3 0-0 12. Nbd2 Bb4 13. Qc2 Bxc3 14. Qxc3 e5 15. d5 Na7 16. a4 Bd7 17. Qc2 Qe8 18. a5 Nbc8 19. Nxc4 Nb5 20. Rfc1 Qh5 21. Qd1 Bg4 22. Ne3 Ncd6 23. Nxg4 Qxg4 24. Ne1 Qg6 25. Ra4 Rae8 26. Nf3 Qh6 27. Qd2 Qh5 28. Re1 Re7 29. Raa1 f5 30. exf5 Rxf5 31. Nh4 Rff7 32. Qd1 Qh6 33. Nf3 Qf6 34. Qd2 e4 35. Nh4 g5 36. Bh3 gxh4 37. Be6 Nd4 38. Bxf7+ Rxf7 0 : 1 Saduakassova – Smirnov, 82nd Tata Steel Challengers Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2020) 9. Bxe7 Ncxe7 (9. ... Ndxe7 10. e3 0-0 11. Nbd2 b5 12. b3 c3 13. Ne4 Nd5 14. a3 f5 15. Nc5 a5 16. h4 Rb8 17. Re1 h6 18. e4 fxe4 19. Rxe4 b4 20. axb4 Rxb4 21. Nxe6 Bxe6 22. Rxe6 Qd7 23. Re1 Qf5 24. Ra2 Rd8 25. Bf1 Nb6 26. Re3 Nd5 27. Re1 Qf7 28. Ne5 Qf6 29. Bc4 Rxc4 30. bxc4 Ndb4 31. Nxc6 Qxc6 32. Rxa5 Qxc4 33. Qg4 Qf7 34. Re2 Re8 35. Rf5 Qd7 36. Rxe8+ Qxe8 37. Re5 Qf7 38. Qe4 c2 39. Re8+ Qxe8 40. Qxe8+ Kh7 41. Qe3 Kg8 42. Qc3 1 : 0 Eljanov – Sethuraman, 4th World Rapid Chess Championship, Berlin 2015) 10. Ne5 b5 11. b3 cxb3 12. Qxb3 0-0 13. Rc1 Rb8 14. Nd2 Bb7 15. Qb2!?TN (15. e3 Nf6 16. Bxb7 Rxb7 17. Qa3 Qd6 18. Rc5 Rb6 19. Rac1 Nfd5 20. Qa5 f6 21. Ne4 Qd8 22. Nd3 Nc8 23. Nc3 Nde7 24. Ne2 Nd6 25. Qa3 Nc4 26. Qc3 Nf5 27. Nef4 Qd7 28. Nb2 Nfd6 29. Qc2 Re8 30. Nfd3 Rc6 31. a4 Rxc5 32. Nxc5 Qc6 33. Nxa6 bxa4 34. Qxa4 Qxa4 35. Nxa4 Re7 36. Nb4 Kf7 37. Nc5 Nb6 38. Nca6 Ndc4 39. Kg2 Rd7 40. Nc5 Rd6 41. Nb7 Rd7 42. Nc5 Rd6 43. Nbd3 Rd5 44. Na6 Rd7 45. Ndc5 Re7 46. e4 c6 47. Nb8 Rc7 48. Nd3 Ke7 49. e5 Rc8 50. Na6 Rd8 51. Nab4 Rc8 52. f4 fxe5 53. dxe5 Nd5 54. Kf2 Ndb6 55. Nc5 Ra8 56. Nxc6+ Kf7 57. Nd4 Ra2+ 58. Rc2 Rxc2+ 59. Nxc2 Nd5 60. Nd4 Nc7 61. Ne4 Ke7 62. Ke2 Nb6 63. Nc5 Nc4 64. Kd3 Nb6 65. Ke4 g6 66. Nc6+ Ke8 67. Kd4 Nc8 68. Ne4 h6 69. Nd6+ Nxd6 70. exd6 Nb5+ 71. Ke4 1 : 0 Deac – Gavrilescu, 85th Romanian Chess Championship, Iași 2021) 15. ... Nb6 16. Bxb7 Na4 17. Qc2 Rxb7 18. Nb3 Qd6 19. Qe4 Ra7 20. Nc6 Nxc6 21. Rxc6 Qa3

22. Qe3?! Probably White’d do better to regain her Pawn with 22. Qc2 Nb6 23. Rxc7 Rxc7 24. Qxc7, however leaving Black — say, after 24. ... Nc4 — with an “easier” balance and better coordination. 22. ... Nb6 23. Qc1 Qxc1+ 24. Raxc1 Nc4 25. a4?! Here White, who is a Pawn down, could perhaps think about an easier way to carry her cross. 25. ... bxa4

26. Na1? Of course White ought to take the Knight (and no matter with which Rook), since after 26. R1xc4 axb3 27. Rb4 a5 28. Rxb3 a4 29. Ra3 Rfa8 Black’s extra Pawn is hardly convertible into a win. 26. ... Nd6 27. Rxc7 Rxc7 28. Rxc7 Rc8! Forcing a Knight ending with a Pawn ahead which is technically won. 29. Rxc8+ Nxc8 30. Kf1 Nd6 31. e3 Nb5 32. Ke2 Kf8 33. Kd3 Ke7 34. Kc4 Kd6 35. Nc2 e5 36. dxe5+ Kxe5 37. f3 f5 38. Kc5 a3 39. Kc4 g5 40. Nb4 g4 41. fxg4 fxg4 42. Kb3 Ke4 43. Nxa6 Kxe3 44. Nc5 Kf3 45. Nd7 Kg2 46. Nf6 Kxh2 0 : 1.

Unsurprisingly, after over a year of exile behind liquid crystals, no one appears to be looking further ahead than the next move. Photo © John Saunders.

The Sound of Silence

Dinara Ramazanovna Saduakassova – Gawain Christopher B. Jones
34th GAMMA Reykjavík Open; Reykjavík, April 9, 2019
King’s Indian Defence E62

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 0-0 5. Nc3 d6 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. 0-0 e5 8. dxe5 dxe5 9. Bg5 Be6 10. Nd5 Bxd5 11. Bxf6 Bxf6 12. cxd5 Ne7 13. e4 Qd7 (13. ... c6 14. dxc6 Nxc6 ½ : ½ Adorjan – Kupreichik, 10th European Team Chess Championship, Debrecen 1992) 14. Qb3 c6 15. Rfd1!?TN (15. dxc6 Nxc6 ½ : ½ Berkes – Naiditsch, 16th Hungarian Team Chess Championship, Budapest 2016) 15. ... cxd5 16. exd5 Nf5

17. d6 Nxd6 18. Qd5 Rad8 19. Nxe5 Qf5 20. Nd3 Qxd5 21. Bxd5 Rfe8 22. Rac1 Re7 23. Kf1 Nf5 24. Bb3 Nd4 25. h4!? Probably in order to prevent a future ... Bf6-g5, but saving the Bishop by 25. Ne1 followed by Bb3-c4 (and Bc4-d3 in case of ... b7-b5) seems safer. 25. ... Nxb3 26. axb3 a5!? Who knows, perhaps Black could put up some sort of an initiative with 26. ... Rd6!? 27. b4 Kg7 — now, in any case, White draws quite easily. 27. Rc5 b6 28. Rc6 Bd4 29. Nf4 Red7 30. Ne2 Bxb2 31. Rxd7 Rxd7 32. Rxb6 Ba3 33. Rb5 Rd1+ 34. Kg2 Bb4 35. Nf4 Rb1 36. Nd5 Rxb3 37. Ne7+ Kg7 38. Nc6 Rc3 39. Nxb4 axb4 40. Rxb4 h5 ½ : ½. A honourable result for Kazakhstani International Master against the top seed in the GAMMA Open.

Saduakassova in Reykjavík’s magnificent Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre. Photo: szacharnia.blogspot.com.

Saduakassova is one of the only two female chess players named in the “Entertainment & Sports” category of this year’s Forbes “30 Under 30 Asia” list. Screenshot: Forbes.

Where the entertainment ends and the choir sings the national anthem

Two female chess players were featured in the “Entertainment & Sports” category of this year’s Forbes “30 Under 30 Asia” list: they are four-time Women’s World Chess Champion and Rhodes Scholar 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) from China, and International Master Dinara Ramazanovna Saduakassova from Kazakhstan.