Spring Break

And, finally, Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk (centre), Valentina Evgenyevna Gunina (left), and Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk (right) took over the podium of the 1st IMSA World Masters Women’s Rapid Chess Championship, just a little richer than before. They will meet each other again pretty soon — at Women’s Candidates Tournament in Kazan, Russia. Photos: International Mind Sports Association.

One plus One

Antoaneta Stefanova – Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk

1st IMSA World Masters Women’s Rapid Chess Championship (15+10); 衡水 (Héngshuǐ), May 16, 2019

King’s Indian Attack A05

Even on the third day of the 1st IMSA World Masters Women’s Rapid Chess Championship Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk kept flying high above the cloudy skies of the Celestial Empire, and after beating in succession Anastasia Mikhailovna Bodnaruk and Irina Borisivna Krush, she finally drew her last round game with Antoaneta Stefanova, thus winning first prize by a 1-point margin. 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 b6 3. Bg2 Bb7 4. 0-0 e6 5. d3 d5 6. Nbd2 Be7 7. e4 dxe4 8. Ng5 0-0 9. Ndxe4 Nxe4 10. Nxe4 Nc6 Of course, they know each other quite well: 10. ... Qc8 11. h4 Nd7 12. Bg5 Bxg5 13. hxg5↑ Stefanova – Kosteniuk, 4th SportAccord World Mind Games, Women’s Blitz Event, 北京 (Beijīng) 2014. 11. f4 Rb8 12. Re1 Nb4 13. Qe2 Nd5 14. Bd2 c5 15. a3 Qd7 16. c4 Nf6 17. Bc3 Nxe4 18. dxe4 Rfd8 19. Rad1 Qa4 20. f5 Rxd1 21. Rxd1 exf5 22. exf5 Bxg2 23. Kxg2 Bf8 24. Rd2 Re8 25. Qg4 h5! 26. Qf4 Qc6+ 27. Qf3 Qh6 28. Re2 Rxe2+ 29. Qxe2 Qc6+ 30. Qf3 Qa4 31. Qe2 Qc6+ 32. Kg1 Qa4 33. Qd3

33. ... a6! 34. Kg2. Just a bit careless. 34. Qe2 at once seems safer, maintaining equality. 34. ... b5 35. cxb5 axb5 36. Qe2 b4 37. axb4 cxb4 38. Bd4 Qc6+ 39. Qf3 Qc2+. Black could still play for a win (though with little hope of success) by 39. ... Qc4(!) 40. Qe4 b3(!), but Kosteniuk didn’t need to, as by now a draw was worth a win. 40. Kh3 Qd2 41. Qe4 Be7 42. Bxg7 Kxg7 43. Qxe7 Qxb2 44. Qg5+ Kf8 45. f6 Qb3 46. Qc5+ Kg8 47. Qg5+ Kf8 48. Qc5+ Kg8 49. Qg5+ Kf8 50. Qc5+ ½ : ½.

12th Women’s World Chess Champion Kosteniuk just added another title to her palmarès. Photo: 樊璐璐 (Fán Lùlù).

A Sense of Duty

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk – 赵雪 (Zhào Xuě)

1st IMSA World Masters Women’s Rapid Chess Championship (15+10); 衡水 (Héngshuǐ), May 16, 2019

Alekhine Defence B03

At the end of the 1st IMSA World Masters Women’s Rapid Chess Championship Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk tied for third place with 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí), but actually finished third by the Sonnenborg-Berger points. Her ninth round win against 赵雪 (Zhào Xuě) made many things happen that otherwise never would have ended that way. 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 c6 5. c4 Nb6 6. exd6 exd6 7. Bd3 Be7 8. h3!? d5 9. c5 N6d7 10. 0-0 b6 11. cxb6. On 11. b4 a5 would be Black’s most natural rejoinder. 11. ... axb6 12. Re1 0-0 13. Nc3 Nf6 14. Ne5 c5. Not 14. ... Nfd7? on account of 15. Qh5! g6 16. Bxg6! with devastating attack. 15. Bg5↑ Bb7 16. Bc2 Nbd7. 16. ... Nc6 17. Nxc6 Bxc6 18. Qd3 g6 19. Qf3 was not appealing at all either. 17. Qd3 c4 18. Qf3 Ra5. That looks very artificial, but it’s hard to give Black good advices. 19. Re3 Nxe5 20. Rxe5 Bc8? 20. ... h6 21. Bh4 Qd7 (clearing the d8-square for the Bishop) seems the only way to go on, at least until it lasts. 21. Rae1 Be6. Probably due to time pressure they both now appear to take a breath: 22. Bf5? (22. Qg3!+−) 22. ... Nd7? (22. ... h6!) 23. Bxe7 Qxe7 24. R5e3 Qh4? Losing by force. However, if 24. ... Nc5 25. dxc5 d4 then 26. Nd5 Qxc5 27. Nf6+! Kh8 28. Re5 winning very easily. Comparatively best was 24. ... Qf6 25. Rxe6! fxe6 26. Bxe6+ Qxe6! 27. Rxe6 Rxf3 28. gxf3 leaving White with only a Pawn up and the better ending.

25. Rxe6! fxe6 26. Bxe6+ Kh8 27. Bxd7 Raa8 28. Qe3 Qf6 29. Re2 Rad8 30. Bg4 h6 31. Bf3 Qf7 32. Qe6 Qf4 33. Qe5 Qc1+ 34. Kh2 Rde8 35. Qxe8 Rxe8 36. Rxe8+ Kh7 37. Nxd5 Qxb2 38. Be4+ g6 39. Re7+ Kg8 40. Nf4 1 : 0.

15th Women’s World Chess Champion Muzychuk playing with 赵雪 (Zhào Xuě). Photo: 樊璐璐 (Fán Lùlù).

Counting Up, Counting Down

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk – Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk

1st IMSA World Masters Women’s Rapid Chess Championship (15+10); 衡水 (Héngshuǐ), May 15, 2019

1b2rk2/1P3p1p/5p2/8/6Q1/1q3N1P/6P1/2R4K w - - 15 37

Position after 36. ... Kg7-f8

After missing some easier wins earlier, Muzychuk’s focus finally slips into a melodramatic nemesis: 37. Nd4? Playing too naturally, without suspecting anything from her opponent. Instead after 37. Qd7! Back wouldn’t have had a good reply to the threat of Rc1-c8; for instance: 37. ... Qe6 38. Qxe6 fxe6 39. Rc8 Ke7 40. Nd4 winning easily if prosaically. 37. ... Qc3! What a turnaround! Objectively speaking, Kosteniuk’s flashy Queen sacrifice (Her Majesty being untouchable: 38. Rxc3?? Re1 mate) doesn’t lead to any forced win, but, from both a practical and psychological standpoint, it must have sounded to Muzychuk like a requiem. 38. Qd1! Qg3! 39. Nf3 Re3! 40. Rc8+ Kg7 41. Rc4! h5! 42. Kg1?? And suddenly White crashes down! Probably best was 42. Rc8! Rxf3 43. Rxb8! Rb3 (idem to say 43. ... Rf2 44. Qg1 Rb2) with a draw in sight. 42. ... Rxf3!−+ 43. Rc8. 43. Qxf3 Qe1+ 44. Qf1 Ba7+ is only a delay to the inevitable mate. 43. ... Qh2 mate.

The Flight of the Mind

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk – Zhansaya Daniyarovna Abdumalik

1st IMSA World Masters Women’s Rapid Chess Championship (15+10); 衡水 (Héngshuǐ), May 15, 2019

3r3r/1p4k1/1p2qp2/1PnRp3/PQ2P2p/2P2BP1/7P/5R1K w - - 0 35

Position after 34. ... h5-h4

After eight rounds (and two days) of the 1st IMSA World Masters Women’s Rapid Chess Championship a trio is leading comprised of Valentina Evgenyevna Gunina, Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk, and 赵雪 (Zhào Xuě). What was most impressive today was the comeback Kosteniuk mounted after drawing with 赵雪 (Zhào Xuě) in Round Five: she beat Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk, Zhansaya Daniyarovna Abdumalik, and Nana Dzagnidze, one after another! In the position of the diagram, with White to move, most engines play for position with 35. g4, but, given the format, Kosteniuk rightly goes for tactics: 35. Rg1!? Threatening g3xh4+ followed by Bf3-g4. 34. ... hxg3? Abdumalik has not time enough to assess the consequences of 35. ... Rxd5 36. exd5 Qf5 37. gxh4+ Kf7 which, in spite of the (temporary) material unbalance, would seem quite tenable for Black: 38. Qg4 Qxg4 39. Bxg4 (or 39. Rxg4 f5 40. Rg5 Kf6 41. Rh5 Ra8=) 39. ... Rxh4 40. d6 Nxa4 41. d7 Rh8 42. Bf5 Nc5 with good drawing chances. Now White’s attack spread its wings: 36. Rxg3+ Kf7 37. Bg4 Qe7 38. Qc4 Ne6. This loses dramatically, but there were no good moves: 38. ... Ke8? 39. Bh5+! leads to mate, whilst after 38. ... Kf8 39. Bf5 Rd6 40. Qa2! Black ends up in zugzawng. 39. Bxe6+ Qxe6 (39. ... Kxe6 40. Rxd8 mate) 40. Qc7+ Qe7 41. Rg7+! 1 : 0.

Kosteniuk deeply concentrating on her game. Photo: International Mind Sports Association.

One Time Blind

Valentina Evgenyevna Gunina – Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk

1st IMSA World Masters Women’s Rapid Chess Championship (15+10); 衡水 (Héngshuǐ), May 14, 2019

r5k1/p4pp1/2p2r2/3q1PQp/8/1P5P/P5P1/2R2R1K b - - 1 28

Position after 28. Qg3-g5

Thanks to her fourth round win over Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk, Valentina Evgenyevna Gunina managed to close the first day of the 1st IMSA World Masters Women’s Rapid Chess Championship tying for first place with Zhansaya Daniyarovna Abdumalik, Nana Dzagnidze, and Mariya Olehivina Muzychuk. However, she needed Kosteniuk’s help more than Caïssa’s blessing. After White’s 28th move, the position in the diagram was reached. No doubt Gunina’s last move (Qg3-g5) was a bad mistake that should have lost her the game immediately. Instead, Kosteniuk blindly returned the courtesy with 28. ... Re8?? dropping a Pawn (29. Qxh5) and eventually losing the game as well (Kosteniuk resigned on the 55th move). Under other circumstances, however, it would not seem too difficult to spot 28. ... Rg6! which forces the gain of the Queen with an easy win for Black.

Minding Minds

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk – 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié)

1st IMSA World Masters Women’s Rapid Chess Championship (15+10); 衡水 (Héngshuǐ), May 14, 2019

Scotch Game C45

The 1st International Mind Sports Association (IMSA) World Masters Open and Women’s Rapid Championships started today in 衡水 (Héngshuǐ), 河北省 (Héběi province), China. Particularly interesting is the participation — in the Women’s Rapid Campionship — of five out of eight challengers who will play the upcoming Women’s Candidates Tournament in Kazan, Russia; namely (in alphabetical order): Nana Dzagnidze, Valentina Evgenyevna Gunina, Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk, Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk, and 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí). 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. e5 Qe7 7. Qe2 Nd5 8. c4 Nb6 9. Nc3 g6!? Not so usual, but not at all bad. A recent game went 9. ... Bb7 10. Bd2 Qe6 11. 0-0-0 0-0-0 12. f4 g5!? 13. Ne4 (maybe White has to look for an improvement here) 13. ... gxf4 14. Bxf4 c5 15. Qc2 Bh6 16. Bxh6 Qxh6+ 17. Kb1 Bxe4 18. Qxe4 Qg6 with equality, M. O. Muzychuk – Kosteniuk, 2nd IMSA Élite Mind Games, Women’s Basque Event, 淮安 (Huái’ān) 2017. 10. Ne4 Bg7 11. Bg5 Qxe5?? It usually takes so little to lose a game, but in this case Black’s cooperation is really awesome! Correct is 11. ... Qb4+ 12. Qd2 Qxd2+ 13. Kxd2⩲ Feygin – Mikhalchishin, 27th Master Tournament, Dortmund 1999.

12. Bf6! And the curtain falls, even though Muzychuk took all her time to safely finish the game. Black finally resigned after about another fifty moves!

Muzychuk (centre foreground) playing her first round game with her countrywoman Anna Yuriyivna Ushenina. Photo: International Mind Sports Association.