The Purple Rose of Cairo

Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno – Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk

Women’s World Chess Championship Knockout Tournament; tie-break game 1 (25+10); Khanty-Mansiysk, November 17, 2018

Spanish Game C83

Lagno neatly won both tie-break games with Muzychuk, thus qualifying for the 4-game Women’s World Chess Championship final against 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn). 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Nxe4 6. d4 Be7 7. Re1 b5 8. Bb3 d5 9. dxe5 Be6 10. c3 0-0 11. Nbd2 Nc5 12. Nd4 Nxd4 13. cxd4 Nd3 14. Re3 Nxc1 15. Rxc1 a5 16. Rec3 Rc8 17. Nf3 a4 18. Bc2 Bb4!?TN (18. ... g6 19. Bd3 b4 20. Rc6 Bd7 21. Qxa4 Ra8 22. Qb3 Bxc6 23. Rxc6 Ra5 24. h3 Qd7 25. Qc2 Rxa2 26. Rxc7 Qe6 27. Kh2 Raa8 28. Rc6 Qd7 29. Rc7 Qe6 30. Rc6 Qd7 31. Rc7 ½ : ½ Almási – Rapport, 10th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay 2012) 19. Rc6 Bd7 20. Qd3 g6 21. Qxb5. Whites sacrifices the Exchange for two Pawns, enjoying a good game at almost zero risk of losing it. 21. ... Bxc6 22. Qxc6 a3 23. bxa3 Bxa3 24. Rb1 Rb8 25. Rxb8 Qxb8 26. Bb3 Qb6 27. Qxd5 c5 28. h4. On 28. Ng5 Qb4! forces the Knight back to f3. 28. ... cxd4 29. Qxd4. If 29. Ng5 Black can reply with 29. ... Be7! 30. Nxf7 Qc5 31. Qd7 Qc1+ 32. Kh2 Qf4+ drawing by perpetual check. 29. ... Qxd4 30. Nxd4 Rc8 31. Nc2 Bc5 32. e6 f5 33. Kf1 Kg7 34. Ke2 Kf6 35. Ne1 Rd8 36. Nd3

36. ... Rxd3? Black inexplicably gives back the Exchange just to drift into a Bishop of opposite colour ending a Pawn down, in which her best possible result is a draw at most. Almost any Bishop move, even though far from bringing any objective advantage, would have at least maintained both the tensity and density of the position. 37. Kxd3 Bxf2 38. h5! gxh5 39. a4 Be1? With 39. ... Ke7 Black held drawing chances. 40. Bd5. 40. Kd4! eventually followed by Kd4-d5 seems a more convincing way to put Black on ropes. 40. ... h4 41. Ke2 Ba5 42. Bb3 Bb4 43. Ke3 h6? Muzychuk is becoming more and more demoralised and quickly collapses. 43. ... Ke7(!) 44. Kd4 Kd6 should have drawn the game quite easily. Furthermore, 43. ... Bc5+ 44. Kd3 Bb6 45. Kc4 f4 46. Kb5 Bd8 47. a5 Bxa5! 48. Kxa5 h3!= was another drawing line for Black — just a bit of pyrotechnic. 44. Kd4 Be1 45. Kd5 Bb4 46. Bd1 h3 47. gxh3 f4 48. Bg4 Ke7 49. Ke5 Bd2 50. Kf5 Kf8 51. h4 Ke7 52. h5 f3 53. Bxf3 Bc3 54. Bg4 Bb4 55. Ke5 Kd8 56. Kd5 Kc7 57. a5 Kb7 58. Be2 Kc7 59. a6 Be7 60. Ke5 Bc5 61. Kf6 Kd8 62. Kf7 1 : 0.

Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lahno vs. Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk. Photo © Press service of the Women’s World Championship 2018.

Beyond the Crown

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – Alexandra Konstantinvna Kosteniuk

Women’s World Chess Championship Knockout Tournament; match game 2; Khanty-Mansiysk, November 16, 2018

Sicilian Defence B40

Thus, all along her way, 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) reached the final of the Knockout World Championship Tournament easily and smoothly, but only time will tell whether it is an advantage or a disadvantage. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. Nf3 cxd4 4. Nxd4 b6!? 5. Nc3 Bb7 6. f3 Nc6 7. e4 e6 8. Be3 Bb4 9. Be2 0-0 10. 0-0 Qb8 11. Nxc6!? 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) presents her plain and simple novelty. After 11. a3? Bd6! (Pomar Salamanca – Jansson, 18th Chess Olympiad, Lugano 1968) White seems not to have anything better than 12. g3 (in which case there might follow 12. ... Bxg3 13. hxg3 Qxg3+ with at least a draw by perpetual check). More recent theory, instead, was concerned with 11. Rc1 Bd6 12. f4 Nxd4 13. Qxd4 e5 14. Qd2 Bb4 15. fxe5 Qxe5 16. Bd4 ½ : ½ Vallejo Pons – Comas Fabrego, Zonal Tournament 1.1, Mondariz 2000. 11. ... Bxc6 12. Qd3 a6 13. a3 Bd6 14. f4 Bc7 15. Rad1 Qb7 16. Bf3 d6 17. a4. White is content with a typical Hedgehog position, in which she will do anything but prevent any of Black’s possible breaks. 17. ... Rad8 18. Qc2 Rc8 19. Rd2 Bb8 20. Qb1 Qc7 21. Rc1 Bb7 22. b3 Nd7 23. g3 Rfd8 24. Bg2 Nf6 25. h3 Rd7 26. Rcd1 Rcd8. Kosteniuk is desperately seeking for some controversial counterblow in the centre, along the lines of what happened, for instance, in the game Karpov – U. Andersson, International Chess Tournament, Milan 1975. Of course, 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) won’t allow her to move a leaf. 27. Qd3 Bc6 28. Qe2 Ba7 29. Kh2 Ne8 30. Qf2 Rb8 31. Qe2 Rdd8 32. Qf2 Rdc8

33. f5. By now 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) felt confident enough to deliver a blow first. 33. ... Rb7 34. Bd4 Bb8 35. Rc2 Qe7 36. Re1 Qd8 37. Rf1 e5 38. Be3 b5 39. cxb5 axb5 40. Rfc1. No waste of imagination. White plays safely for a draw, which ensures her the final. 40. ... bxa4 41. bxa4 Bc7 42. Bf1 Ra8 43. Bb5 Bxb5 44. Nxb5 Qd7 45. Rc4 Bd8 46. Qc2 g6 47. fxg6 hxg6 48. Rc8 Ra6 49. Qc4 Kg7 50. Rc2 Nf6 51. Nc3 Ra5 52. Qc6 Qxc6 53. Rxc6 d5 54. exd5 Nxd5 55. Nxd5 Rxd5 56. R6c5 Rxc5 57. Bxc5 e4 58. Bd4+ Bf6 59. Bxf6+ Kxf6 60. a5 Ra7 61. Ra2 Ra6 62. Kg2 Ke5 63. Kf2 g5 64. g4 Kf4 65. Ra4 f6 66. Ra2 f5 67. gxf5 Kxf5 68. Ra4 Kf4 69. Ra3 Ke5 70. Ra4 Kf5 71. Ra2 Kf4 72. Ra3 Ke5 ½ : ½. “I had White in the second game, so it was easier to hold a draw. Alexandra Kosteniuk is a great chess player and she has a very good result against me in the previous games. I was really lucky to win and to qualify for the final”, 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) eventually said.

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn). Photo © Press service of the Women’s World Championship 2018.

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk. Photo © Press service of the Women’s World Championship 2018.

Yet Another Day

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk – Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno

Women’s World Chess Championship Knockout Tournament; match game 1; Khanty-Mansiysk, November 15, 2018

Spanish Game C67

Muzychuk postponed everything to tomorrow. That’s not necessarily a matter of superstition. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. 0-0 Nxe4 5. Re1 Nd6 6. Nxe5 Be7 7. Bf1 Nxe5 8. Rxe5 0-0 9. d4 Bf6 10. Re1 Re8 11. c3 Rxe1 12. Qxe1 c6. A recent game continued: 12. ... Ne8 13. d5 c6 14. Nd2 cxd5 15. Nf3 d6 16. Be3 Nc7 17. Qd2 Bd7 18. g3 Bc6 19. Bg2 Ne6 20. Rd1 Qa5 21. a3 h6 22. Nd4 Nxd4 23. Bxd4 Bxd4 24. Qxd4 Re8 25. Bxd5 Bxd5 26. Qxd5 Qxd5 27. Rxd5 Re2 28. b4 Rc2 29. Rxd6 Rxc3 30. Rd8+ Kh7 31. Rd7 Rxa3 32. Rxb7 ½ : ½ Giri – Caruana, 43rd Chess Olympiad, Batumi 2018. 13. Bf4 Nf5 14. Nd2 d5 15. Nf3 h6!? Let’s call that a novelty — but indeed it is just another brick in the wall: 15. ... Nd6 16. Bd3 Bf5 17. Bxf5 Nxf5 18. Qe2 Qe7 19. Qd3 Nh4 20. Nxh4 Bxh4 21. g3 Bf6 ½ : ½ Smeets – Kramnik, 73rd Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2011. 16. Bd3 Be6 17. Qd2 Nd6 18. Qc2 Qd7 19. Re1 Bf5 20. Ne5 Re8 21. Kf1 Bxd3+ 22. Qxd3 Bxe5 23. Rxe5 Rxe5 ½ : ½. For after 24. Bxe5 Nc4 25. Qg3 g5 the game is equal.

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk vs. Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili/Russian Chess Federation.

Steady On

Alexandra Konstantinvna Kosteniuk – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)

Women’s World Chess Championship Knockout Tournament; match game 1; Khanty-Mansiysk, November 15, 2018

French Defence C07

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. exd5 Qxd5 5. dxc5 Qxc5 6. Ngf3 Nf6 7. Bd3 Be7 8. 0-0 Nbd7 9. a4 Qc7 10. Nb3 b6 11. a5 Bb7 12. a6!? A novelty of dubious theoretical quality, which hardly improves on 12. axb6 axb6 13. Rxa8+ Bxa8 14. Qe2 0-0= Rogić – Palac, 4th Marko Jarić Menorial (Blitz Chess Tournament), Stari Mikanovci 2011. 12. ... Bd5 13. Nbd4 Rd8 14. Qe2 0-0 15. c4 Ba8 16. Nb5 Qb8 17. Nfd4? 17. Bc2 Nc5 18. b4 Nce4 19. Rb1 seems a sounder way for White to proceed. 17. ... Nc5 18. Bc2

18. ... Nxa6! Kosteniuk seems to have been surprised by 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)’s take, which is grounded on obvious tactics (19. Rxa6!? Qb7! 20. Nc6! Bc5!? would be quite unbalanced, but certainly favourable to Black). On the other hand, White’s move turns out to be much worse: 19. Be3? Rd7 20. f3 Nb4 21. Ba4 Bc5 22. Rad1 Rfd8 23. Qf2 Qc8. Also good was 23. ... Qe5! 24. Rfe1 a6! winning material. 24. Nc3 Nc6. Like in most of her other games, 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) prefers to play safely, relying upon her remarkable technique. Even here, 24. ... Rxd4! 25. Rxd4 Bxd4 26. Bxd4 Nd3 appeared a neat solution to cash in on her own positional superiority. 25. Nxc6 Bxc6 26. Bxc5 bxc5 27. Rxd7 Bxd7 28. Bc2 Be8 29. Rd1 Rxd1+ 30. Bxd1 h6. In the end, facts bear 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) out in her aims. 31. Qe3 Qc7 32. Bc2 Qd6 33. Ne2 Bc6 34. Nc3 Nd7 35. b3 a5 36. Ne2 Bb7 37. Qc3 Qc7 38. Qd3 Nf6 39. Nc3 Bc6 40. Qe3 Qd6 41. Ne2 Bd7 42. Nc3 Qd4 43. Kf2 Kf8 44. Ne2 Qxe3+ 45. Kxe3 Ke7 46. Nc3 Kd6 47. g3 Bc6 48. Bd1 Nd7 49. f4 f5 50. g4 Nf6 51. h3 Bg2 52. gxf5 Bxh3 53. fxe6 Bxe6 54. Bf3 Bf5 55. Kd2 h5 56. Nb5+ Kd7 57. Nc3 h4 58. Ke3 Ke6 59. Bd1 g6 60. Na4 Kd6 61. Nc3 Nh5 62. Bf3 h3 63. Nd5 h2 64. Kf2 Bc2 65. Kg2 Bxb3 66. f5 Bxc4 67. Ne3 Bf7 68. fxg6 Nf4+ 69. Kxh2 Nxg6 70. Bd1 Ke5 71. Kg3 Kd4 72. Kf2 Ne5 73. Nf5+ Kc3 74. Nd6 Bd5 75. Nb5+ Kd2 76. Ba4 Bc6 77. Kg3 Bxb5 0 : 1. “The position after the opening was very unclear and complicated. Somehow she missed 18. ... Nxa6 and I after that am just a Pawn up. Eventually she didn’t hold it, and I won”, 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) said afterwards.

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn). Photo © Press service of the Women’s World Championship 2018.

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk. Photo © Press service of the Women’s World Championship 2018.

A Board With a View

Yesterday 17th Women’s World Chess Champion 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) (pictured above, right) has been spending a goodly part of her day off next to Grandmaster Pavel Vladimirovich Tregubov (pictured above, left), one of the two commentators (together with Alexander Sergeyevich Morozevich) of the Women’s World Chess Championship Knockout Tournament, supporting him to provide live coverage of the two tie-breaks. And given that Tregubov is also the husband of Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk — who was playing the tie-break against Anna Olehivna Muzychuk — such a help cannot but be regarded as a noble treasury of Chinese kindness. Photo © Press service of the Women’s World Championship 2018.

A Day On

Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)

Women’s World Chess Championship Knockout Tournament; match game 2; Khanty-Mansiysk, November 13, 2018

Russian Defence C42

And finally 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), the last pro tempore Women’s World Chess Champion, who, regardless of how well she will do, has today earned a semi-final place, a day off on tomorrow, and, dulcis in fundo, a wild card for the “coming soon” Women’s Candidates Tournament. In short, she was offered a forfeitable refund for damage in case she loses her title at the Wheel of Fortune. Today she played stranger than usual. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Nc3 Nxc3 6. dxc3 Be7 7. Be3 Nd7 8. Qd2 0-0 9. 0-0-0 c6 10. h4 Re8 11. c4!? The alternative is 11. Bd3 d5 12. Kb1 Bc5 13. Bd4 Bxd4 14. cxd4 Nf6 15. Rde1 Ne4 16. Qf4 Qf6 with a solid defence, Karjakin – Giri, 4th Grand Chess Tour, Rapid YourNextMove, Leuven 2018. 11. ... a6!? 11. ... Nc5 12. Bd3 Nxd3+ 13. Qxd3 Qa5 was also fine for Black, Korbut – Lagno, 12th European Women’s Chess Club Cup, Kemer 2007. 12. h5 h6 13. Bd3 Nf6 14. Bd4 b5 15. Rde1 Be6

16. Nh4? A terrible mistake that loses almost at once. Best was 16. g4! bxc4 17. g5! cxd3 18. gxh6! with quite an unclear play. 16. ... bxc4 17. Bf5 Nd5! 18. Bxe6 Bg5. Game over. 19. f4? This is clearly a serious miscalculation, but there were no good moves. 19. ... Bxf4 20. Bxf7+ Kxf7 21. Ref1 Re1+! This refutation has been probably overlooked by Tokhirjonova. 22. Rxe1 Bxd2+ 23. Kxd2 Qg5+ 24. Kd1 Qxh5+ 25. Kc1 Kg8 26. Kb1 c5 27. g4 Qxg4!? 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) initiates her own ordeal, which will drive her to disperse in a cupio dissolvi most of her material plusses. 28. Bxg7 Kxg7 29. Rhg1 Qxg1? Of course, 29. ... h5(!) was the best way to keep playing in the moonlight. 30. Rxg1+ Kh7 31. Nf5 Rf8 32. Nxd6 c3 33. bxc3 Nxc3+ 34. Kb2 Ne2 35. Rg2 Nf4 36. Rd2 Rd8 37. Kc3 h5 38. Kc4 Ne6 39. Kd5 Ng5 40. Rh2 Nf7 41. Kxc5 Rxd6 42. Rxh5+ Kg6 43. Rd5 Re6 44. a4 Kf6 45. c4? 45. Rd7 Ng5∓ would have made it harder and harder for 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) to say good bye to her opponent. Now she may labour long, but not in vain 45. ... Ke7 46. Rd1 Ne5 47. Rh1 Nd7+ 48. Kb4 Kd6 49. Rh5 Kc7 50. Rh7 Rc6 51. Rg7 Kc8 52. Rg8+ Kb7 53. Rg5 Rc7 54. Rh5 Nb8 55. Rh4 Nc6+ 56. Kc5 Na5+ 57. Kb4 Kb6 58. Rg4 Nc6+ 59. Kb3 Re7 60. Rg3 Kc5 61. Kc3 Re4 62. Rg5+ Ne5 63. Rh5 Rxc4+ 64. Kb3 Re4 65. Kc3 a5 66. Rf5 Re3+ 67. Kd2 Kd4 68. Rf8 Nc4+ 69. Kd1 Kc3 70. Rc8 Kb3 71. Rb8+ Kxa4 72. Kc2 Na3+ 73. Kd2 Rh3 74. Rg8 Kb4 75. Rb8+ Nb5 76. Kc2 a4 77. Kb2 a3+ 78. Ka2 Rh2+ 79. Ka1 Ka4 80. Rc8 Kb3 81. Rc1 Nc3 0 : 1.

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn). Photo © Press service of the Women’s World Championship 2018.

A Snow Day Off

Zhansaya Abdumalik – Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk

Knockout Women’s World Chess Championship Tournament; match game 2; Khanty-Mansiysk, November 13, 2018

Sicilian Defence B84

Once again, the younger Muzychuk sister did her “comeback” second day’s show, this time taking many risks to leave her half chair to Abdumalik. Instead, they will play the tiebreaker tomorrow. 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be2 Nf6 7. 0-0 Bb4 8. Ndb5 Qb8 9. Be3 a6 10. a3 Be7 11. Nd4 0-0 12. f4 d6 13. Kh1 Bd7 14. Bf3 Rc8. 14. ... Nxd4 15. Bxd4 Bc6 might have been worth considering. 15. Qe1 b5 16. Qg3. Or 16. Rd1 Nxd4 17. Bxd4 e5 (17. ... Bc6 17. Qg3 produces similar themes, Pergel – Ilić, 25th European Chess Club Cup, Ohrid 2009) 18. Be3 Be6 19. Qg3 with a typical Scheveningen duel, Hossain – Maga, 6th Asian Chess Championship, Cebu City 2007. 16. ... b4 17. axb4 Qxb4 18. e5!? Abdumalik plays for a material stake, probably with a draw in mind. The most sure way to do was perhaps to play for a win: 18. Rfd1! Nxd4 19. Bxd4 Bc6 20. e5! Ne8 21. Ne4 with powerful initiative. 18. ... Nxd4 19. Bxd4 Qxd4 20. exf6 Bxf6 21. Bxa8 Rxa8. Black’s two Bishops compensate for the Exchange. 22. Qd3. A quick passage to the “draw mode”. 22. ... Qxd3 23. cxd3 d5 24. Ra3 g6 25. Rb3 a5 26. Ra1 Kg7 27. Kg1 a4 28. Rb7 Bc6 29. Rc7 Be8 30. Kf1 h5 31. Ra2 Bd8 32. Rb7 Bc6 33. Rb4 Ra6

34. Ke2? I suspect now White could have missed her golden chance to make her dream come true, as after 34. Nxa4(!) Be7 35. Nc3 Rxa2 36. Nxa2 Bxb4 37. Nxb4 the endgame appears to be drawable. 34. ... Be7 35. Rd4 Bc5 36. Rdxa4 Bxa4 37. Nxa4 Bd4 38. b4 Ra8. Instead, now the ending is winning for Black. 39. Ra3 h4 40. Kf3 f5 41. g4 Kf6 42. Ra2 Rb8 43. g5+ Ke7 44. Nb2 Rxb4 45. Nd1 Bb6 46. Rc2 Kd7 47. Nc3 Rd4 48. Rd2 Ba5 49. Ne2 Rxf4+ 50. Kxf4 Bxd2+ 51. Ke5 Ke7 52. Nf4 Bxf4+ 53. Kxf4 Kd6 54. d4 e5+ 55. dxe5+ Ke6 56. Kf3 Kxe5 57. Kg2 Kf4 58. Kh3 Kxg5 0 : 1.

Zhansaya Abdumalik vs. Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk. Photo © Press service of the Women’s World Championship 2018.

Silent Footsteps

雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) – Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno

Knockout Women’s World Chess Championship Tournament; match game 2; Khanty-Mansiysk, November 13, 2018

Spanish Game C78

Lagno won quite convincingly her quarter-final match with 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié), so earning a day off and a semi-final place. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 b5 6. Bb3 Bc5 7. a4 Rb8 8. Nxe5. 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) apparently challenged her opponent on familiar grounds; for instance: 8. axb5 axb5 9. Nxe5 Nxe5 10. d4 Bxd4 11. Qxd4 d6 12. f4 Nc6 13. Qc3 Ne7 14. e5 Ne4 15. Qe1 Nc5 16. f5 Nxb3 17. cxb3 dxe5 18. Qxe5 f6 19. Qc5 Qd5 20. Qa7 Bb7 21. Qf2 0-0 22. Nc3 Qxb3 23. Qc5 Rfe8 24. Re1 Qc2 25. Re2 Qxf5 26. Qxb5 Qxb5 27. Nxb5 Nd5 28. Rxe8+ Rxe8 29. Kf2 Nb4 30. Ra3 Re5 31. Nd4 Rc5 32. Bd2 Rc4 33. Ne2 Be4 34. b3 Nc2 35. Ra5 Rc6 36. Nc3 f5 37. Ra4 Rb6 ½ : ½ 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Lagno, 4th North Urals Cup, Krasnoturinsk 2006. 8. ... Nxe5 9. d4 Bxd4 10. Qxd4 d6 11. Bf4 0-0 12. f3 Ng6 13. Bg5 Be6 14. Nc3 c5 15. Qd2 c4 16. Ba2 b4 17. Ne2 h6 18. Be3 b3 19. cxb3 cxb3 20. Bb1 d5 21. exd5 Nxd5 22. Bd4 Qd6 23. Be4 Rfd8 24. Rad1 f5 25. Bb1 Nb4 26. Qe3 Nc2 27. Bxc2 bxc2 28. Rd2 Bc4

White obtained almost nothing, but, having to win, must now play all out: 29. Rc1? A most unfortunate way of putting it. 29. Bc3 Qc7 30. Rxc2 Re8 31. Qf2 Nf4 32. Nxf4! Bxf1 33. Nd5 Qf7 34. Qg3! f4! 35. Nxf4 Rbd8∞ seems good enough to keep fighting. 29. ... Re8? (29. ... Rb3!−+ Δ 30. Bc3 Qxd2−+) 30. Ba7? Qb4!−+ 31. Qd4 Rxe2! 32. Rxe2 Bxe2 33. Qd5+ Kh7 34. Bxb8 Qb6+ 35. Kh1 Qe3 36. Bf4 Qxf4 37. Rxc2 Qxa4 38. Rc1 Qf4 39. Re1 Bb5 40. g3 Qb4 41. Rb1 f4 42. Kg2 Qe7 43. Qd2 Qe3 44. Qf2 Ne5 45. gxf4 Qxf4 46. Qg3 Qd2+ 47. Qf2 Be2 48. Kg1 Nxf3+ 49. Kh1 Nd4 50. Ra1 Bf3+ 51. Kg1 Qg5+ 52. Kf1 Be2+ 0 : 1.

雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) vs. Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno. Photo © Press service of the Women’s World Championship 2018.

Magic Minutes

Anna Olehivna Muzychuk – Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk

Knockout Women’s World Chess Championship Tournament; match game 2; Khanty-Mansiysk, November 13, 2018

Spanish Game C88

In their second quarter-final game, Muzychuk paid Kosteniuk back in her own coin: a quiet “book” draw, thus postponing any decision to tomorrow’s high noon tie-break. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 0-0 8. a4 b4 9. d4 d6 10. dxe5 Nxe5 11. Nxe5 dxe5 12. Qe2 Bc5 13. Be3 Bd4 14. Bxd4 Qxd4 15. Rd1 Bg4 16. Rxd4 Bxe2 17. Rd2 Rfd8 18. f3 Rxd2 19. Nxd2 Rd8

20. Nf1!? Wandering under a big umbrella: 20. Nc4 Bxc4 21. Bxc4 a5 22. Rc1 Kf8 23. c3 b3 24. Rb1 Rb8 25. Ra1 Rd8 26. Ra3 Rd1+ 27. Bf1 Nd7 28. Rxb3 Nb6 29. Kf2 Nxa4 30. Rb8+ Ke7 31. Rb5 Kd6 32. Be2 Rd2 33. Rxa5 Nxb2 34. Ke3 Rc2 35. Rd5+ Ke6 36. Rc5 Kd6 37. Rd5+ Ke6 38. Rc5 ½ : ½ Caruana – Matlakov, 80th Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2018. 20. ... Bxf1 21. Kxf1 a5 22. Ke2 Kf8 23. Rc1 Nd7 24. Bc4 c6 25. c3 b3 26. Rd1 ½ : ½.

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk vs. Anna Olehivna Muzychuk. Photo © Press service of the Women’s World Championship 2018.

Twelve Moons in One Night

Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno – 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié)

Knockout Women’s World Chess Championship Tournament; match game 1; Khanty-Mansiysk, November 12, 2018

Russian Defence C42

The icy Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno crushed the pop 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) in the first game of their quarter-final. But tomorrow never dies, so revenge may be on the way. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Bd3!? Nf6 6. 0-0 Be7 7. Re1 0-0 8. Bf1 Re8 9. d4 c6!? Or 9. ... Nbd7 10. c4 (Grischuk – Giri, 4th Grand Chess Tour, Blitz YourNextMove, Leuven 2018) and now, perhaps, 10. ... d5 should have been considered. 10. c4 Bg4 11. h3 Bh5 12. Nc3 Na6 13. g4 Bg6 14. g5 Nd7 15. Nh4 Qa5? 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) appears to have been surprised by Lagno’s 5th move, and, as a consequence, she suffered all along the game. Given the Philidorian character of her position (claustrophobia from lack of space), it’s possible there was no any other way to stay in it but by moves such as 15. ... Nf8 (and if 16. f4 she could reply with 16. ... Qd7 17. Qg4 f5). 16. Nxg6 hxg6 17. Qg4 Qf5 18. Bd2 Qxg4+ 19. hxg4 Nc7 20. f4 Ne6 21. Be3 f6

22. d5! Sooner or later it had to happen. The rest is inexorably written on the board. 22. ... Nd8 23. dxc6 bxc6 24. gxf6 Bxf6 25. Rad1 Bxc3 26. bxc3 Nf7 27. Bg2 Rec8 28. Rb1 g5 29. fxg5 Nde5 30. Bd4 Nxc4 31. Re7 Nce5 32. Rbb7 g6 33. c4 Rab8 34. Rxa7 Rb1+ 35. Kh2 Nxg4+ 36. Kg3 Nge5 37. c5 Rd1 38. Bxe5 Nxe5 39. cxd6 Nc4 40. Rac7 Rd8 41. Bh3 Rd3+ 42. Kh2 Rd2+ 43. Kg1 Rd1+ 44. Kg2 Rd2+ 45. Kf1 Rd1+ 46. Ke2 R1xd6 47. Be6+ Rxe6+ 48. Rxe6 Ra8 49. Rxg6+ Kf8 50. Rf6+ Kg8 51. Kd3 Ne5+ 52. Ke4 Ng4 53. Rfxc6 1 : 0.

雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié). Photo © Press service of the Women’s World Championship 2018.

Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno. Photo © Press service of the Women’s World Championship 2018.

Queenkeeping

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova

Women’s World Chess Championship Knockout Tournament; match game 1; Khanty-Mansiysk, November 12, 2018

Queen’s Pawn Game A40

In spite of her lively play, 17th Women’s World Chess Champion 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) did not succeed — at least today — in breaking the resistance put up by the young Uzbekistani Woman Grandmaster Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova. 1. d4 e6 2. c4 b6 3. e4 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 Bxd2+ 5. Qxd2 d5 6. Bd3 Ba6 7. cxd5 Bxd3 8. Qxd3 exd5 9. Ne2. If 9. Qg3 then 9. ... dxe4 10. Qxg7 Qf6 11. Qg4 Nc6 12. Nc3 Qg6 13. Qxe4+ Qxe4+ 14. Nxe4 Nxd4 15. 0-0-0 0-0-0= Girya – van Foreest, 80th Tata Steel GpB, Wijk aan Zee 2018. 9. ... Ne7 10. e5 c5 11. 0-0 0-0 12. Nbc3 Nbc6 13. f4 Qd7 14. b3 Rac8 15. Rad1 Rfd8 16. dxc5 bxc5. A typical position with hanging Pawns has suddenly arisen. 17. Ng3. 17. Ne4(!) seems a little more intriguing. 17. ... Qe6 18. Rfe1 c4! 19. bxc4 Nb4 20. Qe2 dxc4!? Maybe there’s nothing wrong with it, but 20. ... Qb6+ 21. Kh1 dxc4 seems safer.

21. Rd6! 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) puts all her energy in the exploitation of her plusses, but — quite unfortunately — she won’t be able to produce a forced win. 21. ... Rxd6 22. exd6 Ned5 23. Nxd5. Interesting also was 23. Qxe6 fxe6 24. f5!, but after 24. ... e5! (24. ... Nxc3 25. fxe6 may well turn into a nightmare) 25. Rxe5 Nxc3 26. d7 Rf8 27. Rc5 Rd8 28. Rc8 Nc6 29. Rxc6 Rxd7 30. Rxc4 Nxa2 it takes much imagination to figure that Black can’t eventually save herself. 23. ... Nxd5 24. Qxe6 fxe6 25. f5! e5! (25. ... exf5?? 26. d7+−) 26. Rxe5 Nf6 27. Ne4 Rd8 28. Kf1 Nxe4 29. Rxe4 c3 30. Rc4 Rxd6 31. Rxc3 Ra6 32. a3 Kf7 33. Kf2 Kf6 34. g4 h5 35. gxh5 Kxf5 36. Rg3 Ra4 37. Kg2 Kf6 38. Kh3 Ra5 39. Kh4 Ra4+ 40. Kh3 Ra5 41. Kh4 Ra4+ 42. Kh3 Ra5 ½ : ½.

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) vs. Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova. Photo © Press service of the Women’s World Championship 2018.

From Day to Day

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk – Anna Olehivna Muzychuk

Knockout Women’s World Chess Championship Tournament; match game 1; Khanty-Mansiysk, November 12, 2018

Sicilian Defence B33

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bf4 e5 8. Bg5 a6 9. Na3 b5 10. Nd5 Be7 11. Bxf6 Bxf6 12. c4 b4 13. Nc2 0-0 14. Be2. Curiously, Kosteniuk chose a line which is well known also by her opponent: 14. g3 Be6 15. Bg2 Bg5 16. 0-0 a5 17. Qd3 Bxd5 18. cxd5 Nb8 19. a3 Na6 20. axb4 Nxb4 21. Nxb4 axb4 22. Qc4 b3 23. Qxb3 ½ : ½ A. Muzychuk – Gelfand, 4th Gideon Japhet Cup (25+10), Jerusalem 2018. 14. ... a5. Or 14. ... Rb8 15. Qd3 Bg5 16. 0-0 Be6 17. b3 a5 18. Rad1 Kh8 19. f4 exf4 20. Nxf4 Qb6+ 21. Qe3 Qxe3+ 22. Nxe3 Rfd8 23. Nf5 Bxf5 24. exf5 Ne7 25. Nd5 Nxd5 26. Rxd5 Be3+ 27. Kh1 Bc5 28. Bf3 Re8 29. Rd3 Re5 30. g4 Kg8 31. Kg2 Kf8 32. Rfd1 Rbe8 ½ : ½ A. Muzychuk – Šarić, 76th Tata Steel Chess Challengers Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2014. 15. 0-0 Bg5 16. b3 Be6 17. a3. If 17. Qd3 then 17. ... Ne7 18. a3 bxa3 19. Rxa3 f5!?∞ Kosteniuk – Harika, 1st World Mind Sports Games, Individual Blitz Women, 北京 (Běijīng) 2008. 17. ... bxa3 18. Nc3!?TN Qb8 19. Nxa3 Bd8 20. Nab5 Bb6 21. Qxd6 Qxd6 22. Nxd6 Nd4!

23. Rab1. Pavel Vladimirovich Tregubov and Alexander Sergeyevich Morozevich, the official commentators on the Women’s World Championship, argued that, from a morphological point of view, 23. Rfb1 would have been more to the point, but the differences are not substantial. Kosteniuk apparently was happy with a draw, and, given her long experience in such races, probably not without a reason. 23. ... Rfd8 24. Ndb5 Nxe2+ 25. Nxe2 a4 26. bxa4 Bxc4 27. Nbc3 Bc5 28. Rfd1 Rxd1+ 29. Rxd1 Bxe2 30. Nxe2 Rxa4 31. Rd8+ ½ : ½.

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk. Photo © Press service of the Women’s World Championship 2018.

Anna Olehivna Muzychuk. © Press service of the Women’s World Championship 2018.

Pin-up model

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk – Zhansaya Abdumalik

Knockout Women’s World Chess Championship Tournament; match game 1; Khanty-Mansiysk, November 12, 2018

Sicilian Defence B41

Kazakhstani Woman Grandmaster Zhansaya Abdumalik, 18, won the first game of her quarter-final against Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk in elegant style, thus booking in advance half a chair for the “coming soon” Women’s Candidates Tournament. 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. c4 Nf6 6. Nc3 Bb4 7. Qd3 0-0 8. e5 Ne8 9. Bf4. There are no secrets in the family wardrobe: 9. Be2 Qc7 10. Nf3 Nc6 11. Ng5 f5 12. exf6 Nxf6 13. 0-0 d6 14. a3 Bxc3 15. Qxc3 e5 16. Be3 h6 17. Nf3 Be6 18. Rac1 Ng4 19. Bd2 d5 20. cxd5 e4 21. Ne5 Ngxe5 22. dxe6 Qd6 23. Qe3 Rae8 24. Rfd1 Qd4 25. Qg3 Qxb2 26. Rb1 Qa2 27. Rxb7 g6 28. Qc3 Qxe6 29. Bxh6 Rf7 30. Rxf7 Kxf7 31. Bxa6 g5 32. Bxg5 Qg4 33. Qb3+ Kg7 34. Be3 Rb8 35. Qc2 Nf3+ 36. Kh1 Rh8 37. gxf3 Qxf3+ 38. Kg1 Qg4+ 39. Kf1 Rxh2 40. Ke1 Rh1+ 41. Kd2 Qd7+ 42. Kc1 1 : 0 A. Muzychuk – Dzagnidze, 34th European Women’s Chess Club Cup, Porto Carras 2018. 8. ... Qc7!?TN 9. a3 Bxc3+ 11. Qxc3 f6 12. Nf3 Nc6 13. Bg3 fxe5 14. Nxe5 Nxe5 15. Bxe5 d6 16. Bg3 Qc6 17. f3 e5 18. c5! White temporarily gives up a Pawn in order to open lines and diagonals. 18. ... dxc5 19. Bc4+. Of course, also good was 19. Bxe5 b5 20. Bd3 followed by long castling. 19. ... Be6 20. 0-0-0 b5 21. Bxe6+ Qxe6 22. Rhe1 b4!? 23. Rxe5 Qa2 24. axb4 cxb4 25. Qxb4. In the end it is White who has a Pawn more as well as a powerful position, counterbalanced only (but probably not enough) by her King’s exposed position. 25. ... Rc8+ 26. Rc5 a5 27. Qb5? This mistake leads to a curious reversal. White ought to have played 27. Qd4! maintaining her edge and eventually preparing to consolidate with Rd1-d3-a3.

27. ... Rf5! The c5-Rook is pinned both verically and horizontally. 28. Bf2 Qe6 29. Rd3? This second error will prove to be fatal. Comparatively best was 29. Rd2 Rfxc5+ 30. Bxc5 Nc7! 31. Qxa5 Qe1+ 32. Kc2 Nd5 with Black having more than enough compensation for the two minus Pawns. 29. ... Rfxc5+! This simply wins a piece and liquidates into an easily won ending. 30. Bxc5 Qe1+ 31. Kc2 Qf2+ 32. Kb3 Qxc5 33. Qxc5 Rxc5 34. h4 Rb5+ 35. Ka3 Kf7 36. Rd7+ Ke6 37. Ra7 h5 38. g4 hxg4 39. fxg4 Rb4 40. Rxa5 Rxg4 41. Rh5 g6 42. Rh8 Ng7 43. b4 Nf5 44. b5 Rxh4 45. Rg8 Rg4 46. b6 Nd6 47. Rc8 Rg5 48. Rb8 Kd7 49. Kb4 Kc6 50. Kc3 Nb7 51. Kd4 Kxb6 52. Re8 Kc6 53. Re5 Rg4+ 54. Ke3 Nc5 55. Kf3 Rg1 56. Re8 Kd6 57. Rc8 Ne6 0 : 1.

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk vs. Zhansaya Abdumalik. Photo © Press service of the Women’s World Championship 2018.

And Then There Were Seven

Antoaneta Stefanova – Anna Olehivna Muzychuk

Women’s World Chess Championship Knockout Tournament; tie-break match game 2 (25+10); Khanty-Mansiysk, November 11, 2018

Queen’s Pawn Game D00

The eight quarter-finalists are finally decided. They are (in alphavetical order): Zhansaya Abdumalik, 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk, Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno, Anna Olehivna Muzychuk, Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk, 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié), and Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova. 1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nf6 3. e3 Bf5 4. c4 e6 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Qb3 Nc6 7. a3 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 Na5!? A sensible novelty by Muzychuk that may improve on 8. ... 0-0 9. Nf3 (more critical seems to be 9. Qxb7 to which Black can reply with both 9. ... e5!? or 9. ... Qe8!?) 9. ... Na5 10. Qb4 b6! 11. Be2 c5! with great play for Black, Stefanova – Koneru, 3rd SportAccord World Mind Games, Women’s Blitz Event, 北京 (Běijīng) 2013. 9. Qa4+? The erratic manoeuvres of White’s Queen will promptly cause Stefanova serious discomfort. A little better seems 9. Qb4 (9. ... b6!?). 9. ... c6 10. c5 b5 11. Qd1. Too much back-and-forth. 11. ... Ne4! 12. Rc1 g5! 13. Bg3 h5! Black already took the offensive. 14. f3 Nxg3 15. hxg3 Nc4 16. Bxc4 bxc4 17. g4

17. ... Bd3! 18. gxh5 Rb8 19. Qd2 Qa5 20. e4 f6? An unnecessary precaution, which does give White time to counterattack. Simply 20. ... Qxa3 21. Qxg5 Rb2 (and if, for instance, 22. Qe5 then 22. ... Rg8−+) would have won right off. 21. e5! Qxa3 22. exf6 Rb2 23. Qxg5?? But Stefanova misses her last chance to give Muzychuk a bit of overtime work by 23. Qe3 Kf7 24. Qe5 (24. Qxg5?? Rxg2!−+), though after 24. ... Rb7 25. Ne2! Qb2! Black should still maintain an encouraging advantage. 23. ... Rxg2!−+ 24. f7+ Kxf7 25. Qf4+ Kg8 26. h6 Qb2 27. Qe3 Kh7! Now White is in a deadly zugzwang and cannot avoid mate. 28. Qf4 Qf2+ 0 : 1.

Anna Olehivna Muzychuk and Anotaneta Stefanova riding on the rollercoaster. Photo © Press service of the Women’s World Championship 2018.

Magic Spells

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk – Mobina Alinasab

Women’s World Chess Championship Knockout Tournament; match game 2; Khanty-Mansiysk, November 10, 2018

Queen’s Gambit Accepted D20

Today Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk got confirmation that superstition existed before FIDE. 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 e5 4. Nf3 exd4 5. Bxc4 Nc6 6. 0-0 Be6 7. Bb5 Bc5 8. b4 Bb6 9. a4 a6 10. Bxc6+ bxc6 11. a5 Ba7 12. Bb2 Qd6 13. Na3 Qxb4? This way to keep the extra Pawn seems very dangerous. Probably safer is 13. ... Rd8 14. Nc2 Bg4 15. h3 Bxf3 16. Qxf3 Ne7 17. Rfd1 d3 18. Ra3 d2 19. Bc3 0-0 ½ : ½ Shishkin – Nyzhnyk, 8th Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov Memorial, Kiev 2010. 14. Qc1 Ne7 15. Nc2 Qc4 16. Ncxd4 c5!? Alinasab introduces her novelty, which, however, makes life even easier for the younger Muzychuk, while the other Muzychuk had had to struggle alone for her own livelihood: 16. ... Bxd4 17. Nxd4 Rb8 18. Qd2 c5 19. Nf5 Nxf5 20. exf5 Bxf5 (20. ... Qd5! might have been worth considering) 21. Rac1 Qg4 22. Rc3 Be6 23. Rg3 Qb4? (23. ... Rd8) 24. Bc3 Qc4 25. Rd1 Qa2 26. Qc1 (Black is doomed) 26. ... Rg8 27. Bxg7 Qe2 28. h3 Qh5 29. Qd2 Ke7 30. Rg5 Qh4 31. Qe3 Qb4 32. Qe5 Qxa5 33. Bf6+ 1 : 0 A. Muzychuk – Kalinina, 74th Ukrainian Women’s Chess Championship, Lviv 2014. 17. Nxe6 Qxe6 18. Bxg7 Rg8 19. Be5 0-0-0 20. Bg3 Nc6 21. Qf4 Rd7 22. h3 f6 23. Rfd1 Re7 24. Kh2 Rgg7. Not 24. ... Qxe4? because of 25. Qxf6 Kb7 27. Re1 with overwhelming preponderance. If, instead, 24. ... c4 there might follow 25. Rac1 Nxa5 26. Nd4 with great advantage to White. 25. Nh4 Rd7 26. Nf5 Rgf7

27. Ne3! Rxd1 28. Rxd1 Nxa5? A little better seems 28. ... Ne5, though even then 29. Nd5 c6 30. Nc3 c4 31. Na4 Rd7 32. Rc1 leaves White in full command of the board. 29. Nd5 Bb8. If 29. ... c6 then 30. Nc7 Qb3 31. Qg4+ Kb7 32. Ne6 winning easily. 30. Qe3 Ba7 31. Rb1 f5 32. Qc3 Nc6 33. Qh8+ Nd8 34. Rd1 Rd7 35. exf5 Qf7 36. Qe5 Nc6 37. Qe4 Kd8 (37. ... Kb7 38. f6+−) 38. Nxc7. Another finish would have been 38. Bh4+ Kc8 39. Ne7+! Nxe7 40. Qa8+ Bb8 41. Rb1 with mate coming. 38. ... Rxd1 39. Qxc6 Rd4 40. Ne6+ Ke7 41. Nxd4 cxd4 42. f6+ 1 : 0.

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk. Photo © Press service of the Women’s World Championship 2018.

Storytime

Dinara Saduakassova – Antoaneta Stefanova

Women’s World Chess Championship Knockout Tournament; tie-break game 1 (25+10); Khanty-Mansiysk, November 8, 2018

Two Knights Game C55

Today Caïssa wanted to save all her Queens, including Antoaneta Stefanova (10th Women’s World Chess Champion). 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 h6!? 5. 0-0 d6 6. c3 g5!? 7. Be3. Dogmatically speaking, 7. d4 should be regarded as a strategic imperative; for instance: 7. ... g4 8. Ne1 Bg7 (8. ... Nxe4 9. f3!?) 9. d5 Ne7 10. Bd3 Ng6 11. c4 h5 12. Nc3 Kf8 13. g3 with advantage to White, Dolmatov – Vasiukov, Moscow 1987 — but, of course, Black definitely could have played better. 7. ... Bg7 8. Nbd2 0-0 9. d4 Qe7!? Given the format and significance of the game, Stefanova plays for tactics. In a recent game Black went for the Bishop pair advantage by 9. ... exd4 10. Nxd4 Ne5 11. Be2 Neg4! with very comfortable play, Fossan – Hammer, Norwegian Team Chess League 2017/2018, Oslo/Stavanger 2018. 10. Qc2 Kh8 11. dxe5 dxe5 12. b4 b6 13. a4 a5 14. b5 Nd8 15. Nb3. White’s Queenside campaign won’t be fast enough to oppose Black’s initiative on the Kingside. The text seems quite insensitive to the issue, if nothing else because it also gives Black a tempo. 15. ... Bb7 16. Bd3 Nh5 17. c4? And perhaps here White misses her last chance to defend; 17. Rfe1(!) appears to be much more advisable, so as to prevent ... f7-f5 and make room for the Bishop on f1. 17. ... f5! 18. Bc1 (Δ Bc1-a3) 18. ... c5! Neutralising any of White’s velleities on the Queenside. 19. Re1? Too late. Good or bad, White had to play 19. bxc6 Nxc6 20. Ba3 Nb4, though with a powerful advantage to Black. 19. ... g4 20. Nfd2 f4. Black’s attack plays itself. 21. Nf1 (21. f3 Qh4−+) 21. ... Ne6 22. Bb2 Qh4 23. Rad1 g3 24. fxg3 fxg3 25. hxg3. If 25. h3 then 25. ... Rf2 finis. 25. ... Nxg3 26. Nxg3 Qxg3 27. Bc1 Nf4 28. Bxf4 Rxf4 29. Bf1 Raf8. With the final threat of ... Rf4-h4 followed by ... Qg3-h2 mate. 30. Rd3 Qxe1 0 : 1.

Dinara Saduakassova vs. Antoaneta Stefanova. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili/Russian Chess Federation.

Behind the Beyond

Mobina Alinasab – Monika Bobrowska-Soćko

Knockout Women’s World Chess Championship Tournament; match game 2; Khanty-Mansiysk, November 7, 2018

Pirc Defence B09

Iranian Woman International Master Mobina Alinasab keeps on winning and being in the limelight. Of course one must always believe a little of everything. 1. e4 g6 2. d4 d6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. f4 Nf6 5. Nf3 0-0 6. e5. A radical commitment. 6. ... dxe5 7. fxe5 Nd5 8. Nxd5. It seems a strange way to handle the opening. 8. Bc4 is regarded here as the critical continuation. 8. ... Qxd5 9. Be2 c5 10. c4!? If 10. c3 then 10. ... cxd4 11. Qxd4 Qa5= Opočenský – Plater, Bratislava 1957. 10. ... Qe4. 10. ... Qd8 11. d5 b5!? is another interesting option, Oganisjn – Peralta, 22nd Open, Montcada i Reixac 2014. 11. dxc5 Nc6 12. Qd5 Qg4 13. Ng5 Qd4 14. Nf3 Qg4 15. Ng5 Qf5! Of course, Bobrowska-Soćko must play to win only. 16. Rf1 e6 17. Qe4 Qxe5 18. Qxe5 Bxe5 19. Ne4 f5! 20. Nd6 Bxh2. Something went wrong in White’s opening, and now it is Black who is a Pawn ahead. 21. Bg5 Bg3+ 22. Kd2 Be5. Perhaps Black should have looked for a safe way to develop her Queenside by 22. ... Rb8 23. Bf3 Bd7. 23. Rab1 Bf6? That doesn’t seem necessary at all, and badly delays an answer to the Queenside issue — 23. ... a5(!) seems better suited to claim an edge. 24. Bxf6 Rxf6 25. Bf3 Bd7? This is Bobrowska-Soćko’s decisive mistake. 25. ... Ne5(!) was Black’s last and best chance to fight for holding the game. 26. b4! Rb8 27. b5 Na5. 27. ... Nd8 28. Kc3 makes little difference since White’s Queenside preponderance is anyway overwhelming. 28. Kc3 e5 29. Rbd1! Threatening Kc3-b4. 29. ... Be6 30. Kb4 b6 31. c6. The d6-Knight is defended. 31. ... Kg7 32. Bd5 Bd7 33. c5 bxc5+ 34. Kxc5 Rb6 35. cxd7 Rfxd6 36. Ba8 Rxd1 37. Rxd1 1 : 0.

Mobina Alinasab (seated) vs. Monika Bobrowska-Soćko (standing). Photo © Press service of the Women’s World Championship 2018.

On a raft in storm on Volga

Ekaterina Atalik – Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk

Knockout Women’s World Chess Championship Tournament; match game 2; Khanty-Mansiysk, November 7, 2018

Benkö Counter-Gambit A57

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina didn’t succeed in getting a chance to save herself in tomorrow’s tie-breaks, while two former Women’s World Chess Champions, Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk (the twelfth Queen) and Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk (the fifteenth Queen) seriously risked being eliminated. The younger Muzychuk sister, in particular, needed all her coolness and courage to keep believing in a tomorrow. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5!? In a win–win situation, Muzychuk decides to challenge her fate with the Benkö Counter-Gambit, thus renouncing her usual and much favoured Grünfeld. 4. Qc2 Na6 5. a3 bxc4 6. e4 g6 7. Bxc4 Nc7 8. Nf3 Bg7 9. 0-0 d6 10. h3 0-0 11. Nc3 Rb8 12. Rb1 Nd7!? Muzychuk introduces her new idea. Previous theory gave 12. ... e6 13. dxe6 Bxe6 14. Bxe6 Nxe6 15. Be3 d5 16. exd5 Nxd5 17. Nxd5 Qxd5 18. b4 cxb4 19. axb4 a5 20. Rfd1 Qb5 21. bxa5 ½ : ½ Kállai – Adrian, French Team Chess Championship (Group A1), Strasbourg 1997. 13. Bf4 Nb6 14. Ba2 Ba6 15. Rfd1 Qd7 16. e5 Nb5 17. Ne2 Rfc8 18. e6 fxe6 19. dxe6 Qb7 20. Qd2 c4!? 21. Bh6 Bf6 22. Ng5 d5 23. Qf4 Nd6 24. Ng3 Qc7 25. Qg4

25. ... c3! 26. bxc3 Qxc3? Objectively this can’t bring anything but disaster, but by now Muzychuk had no other chance than to transfer the duty to win to her opponent, who was short of time already. After the correct 26. ... Bc4! 27. Bxc4 Qxc4 there would have arisen a position of uncertain balance, and it’s very likely Atalik would have gone through to 1/8 final. 27. Nf7!+− Qxa3. Not 27. ... Nxf7 because of 28. exf7+ Kxf7 29. Ne4! with irresistible attack. 28. Nh5! It’s quite clear that Atalik has all intentions to deliver a brilliant mate. 28. ... Ne4. Spes ultima dea, as 28. ... Qxa2 29. Nxf6+ loses right off. 29. Nf4?? Lured by a mirage of mate, Atalik falls in a terrible miscalculation. Simply 29. Bb3 would have left Black alone in her drama. 29. ... Qxa2! 30. Nxg6 Qxf2+ 31. Kh1. Likewise, 31. Kh2 Qg3+! leads to a shocking reversal, which White probably saw when playing 29. Nf4. What she probably overlooked, instead, is Black’s next move, which tragically opens a black hole in her previous calculations. 31. ... Qe1+! Tables turned. 32. Rxe1 Nf2+ 33. Kh2 Nxg4+ 34. hxg4 hxg6 35. g5 Bc3 36. Re3 d4 37. Rh3 d3 38. Rf1 d2 39. Rf6 exf6 40. gxf6 Bxf6 0 : 1. “Today I played with the Black pieces and I had to win today so therefore I chose the Volga Gambit to make the game complicated. In the beginning I liked everything but then something went wrong”, Muzychuk eventually told the press service of the Women’s World Chess Championship 2018.

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk in yesterday’s game. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili/Russian Chess Federation.

Over–under

朱锦尔 (Zhū Jǐn’ěr) – Natalia Andreevna Pogonina

Knockout Women’s World Chess Championship Tournament; match game 1; Khanty-Mansiysk, November 6, 2018

Vienna Game C26

The knockout format offered today a telling display of its potentialities, with lots of unexpected results, so much and so many that Alisa Mikhailovna Galliamova, who defeated the much favoured Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina, chivalrously declared: “The current system of determining the champion is nonsense. Everybody is on edge, everybody can lose a single game and get eliminated. I don’t think such competitions deserve the World Championship status. I am happy that we are coming back to a former system”. In the meantime, waiting for Godot (and Beckett), one cannot but tell about the chilling thrills of the last swansong in the snow, such as the win of Iranian Woman International Master Mobina Alinasab against Polish Grandmaster Monika Bobrowska-Soćko, and the fulminating victory of Chinese Woman International Master 朱锦尔 (Zhū Jǐn’ěr) over two-time Russian Women’s Chess Champion Natalia Andreevna Pogonina. Of course tomorrow is just another day. 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. g3 Be7 4. Bg2 0-0 5. Nge2 c5 6. d3. Or else 6. h3 d6 7. g4 Nc6 8. Ng3 Nd4 9. d3 b5∞ Zichichi – Wagman, 18th International Festival, La Spezia 1971. 6. ... d6 7. h3 Nc6 8. f4 Rb8 9. a4 a6 10. f5 h6 11. 0-0 b5 12. axb5 axb5 13. Nd5 Nxd5 14. exd5 Nd4 15. c3 Nxe2+. 15. ... Nxf5 may lead to dangerous rhythms after 16. Be4 g6 17. Bxf5 gxf5 18. Bxh6 Re8 19. Nf4!? exf4 20. Qh5 — whatever it is, Pogonina didn’t like it. 16. Qxe2 Bb7? A unhappy move which loses control of the diagonal c8-h3, thus leaving White with free hands on the Kingside (Qe2-g4, f5-f6). The immediate 16. ... Bf6 appears more to the point, with the aim to get counterplay on the Queenside as soon as possible. 17. Be4 Bf6 18. h4 Re8 19. Qh5. Threatening 20. g4! Bxh4 21. f6! Bxf6 22. g5! hxg5 23. Bh7+ Kf8 24. Bxg5! with devastating attack. 19. ... Ra8. If 19. ... Qe7 (defending f7) then 20. Kh2! with continuations similar to those of the game. 20. Rxa8 Bxa8

21. Kh2! With the trivial threat of g3-g4-g5. Out of desperation Pogonina makes a diversion on the Queenside: 21. ... c4 22. dxc4. White gives a bit of satisfaction to her opponent, even if just for a moment. 22. g4 followed by g4-g5 would have forced matters toward a prompt conclusion. 22. ... bxc4 23. Kh3. Of course, g3-g4-g5 was still a convincing argument. 23. ... Qa5 24. Qf3 Rb8 25. g4. Finally! 25. ... Rb5. 25. ... Qd8 26. Qg3 followed by g4-g5 makes no difference. 26. g5 hxg5 27. hxg5 Bd8 28. Rd1! Really merciless! 28. ... Qa7 29. Kg3 Qb7 30. Qh5 Rxb2 31. f6 gxf6 32. Qh7+ Kf8 33. g6! Rb3 34. g7+ Ke7 35. g8=Q Rxc3+ 36. Kh2 1 : 0.

First row, second table from left: 朱锦尔 (Zhū Jǐn’ěr) (right) vs. Natalia Andreevna Pogonina (left). Photo © Press service of the Women’s World Championship 2018.

上海话 (Shànghǎinese)

Natalia Oleksandrivna Zhukova – 倪诗群 (Ní Shīqún)

Knockout Women’s World Chess Championship Tournament; tie-break game 3 (10+10); Khanty-Mansiysk, November 5, 2018

Emglish Opening A11

It was a day of tie-breaks in Khanty-Mansiysk and there were no particular surprises in results. The only exception — especially to some commentators — appears to have been the hard-fought win of 倪诗群 (Ní Shīqún) over Natalia Oleksandrivna Zhukova, with the Chinese giving a display of strategic understanding and refined endgame technique. 1. c4 c6 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 d5 4. Qc2 g6 5. Be2 Bg7 6. 0-0 0-0 7. d4 b6 8. b3 Bb7 9. Bb2 Nbd7 10. cxd5 cxd5 11. Nc3 Rc8 12. Rfc1 Ne4. The interpolation of 12. ... a6 13. a4 Ne4 might even make sense, Glavina – Cifuentes Parada, 9th Memorial Santiago Tejero Lamana, Zaragoza 2017. 13. Qd1 Nxc3 14. Bxc3 e6 15. a4 Qe7 16. a5 Rc7 17. a6 Ba8 18. Qd2 Rfc8 19. Ne1 Bf8 20. Rc2 Qd8 21. b4 Nf6 22. f3 Bc6 23. b5 Be8. The immediate 23. ... Bd7 could well lead to the same ending of the game after 24. Rac1 Qe7 25. Bb4 Qxb4 26. Qxb4 Rxc2 27. Qxf8+ Kxf8 28. Rxc2 Rxc2 29. Nxc2 Ne8 30. Na3 Nd6 which is easier for Black to play — but probably nothing more than that. 24. Bb2? Zhukova usually favoures semi-static strategies, which, however, may be particularly bad-suited for fast games. White had to play 24. Rac1 with an approximate equilibrium.

24. ... Bd7! 25. Rac1 Ne8! 26. Bd3 Nd6 27. Qe2 Rxc2 28. Rxc2 Rxc2? 倪诗群 (Ní Shīqún) contents herself with a slightly more pleasant ending, but there were solid arguments for preferring 28. ... Qe8(!) in order to cash in the b5-Pawn. 29. Nxc2 Qc8 30. Na3 Bh6 31. Kf2 Qd8 32. g3 Qc8 33. Kg2 Bf8 34. e4 dxe4 35. fxe4 Bg7 36. e5 Ne8 37. Qe4 Bf8 38. Qb7 Qc7 39. Nb1 Bc8 40. Qxc7. 40. Qa8(!) Bb4(!)∞ is quite uncertain. 40. ... Nxc7 41. Ba3 Bxa3 42. Nxa3 Bd7. Black’s ending is certainly easier to play — due to White being tied to the defence of the a6- and b5-Pawns — but, if correctly followed, not necessarily mathematically winnable. 43. Kf2 Kg7 44. Ke2. The King’s journey to the Queenside seems serious bad judgment. 44. ... f5 45. Kd2 g5! 46. Kc3 h5! 47. Kb4? Maybe only now White makes the step of no return. 47. Bc4(!) was called for, in order to quickly bring back the King to the Kingside; for instance: 47. ... h4 48. Kd3 followed by Kd3-e3. 47. ... Nd5+ 48. Kb3 Nc7. It was time already for 48. ... g4! immediately forcing matters on the Kingside. 49. Bc4? Good or bad, White had to play 49. Kc2 (idem to say 49. Kc3), desperately running back towards the East, though after 49. ... g4 50. Kd2 h4! 51. Ke2 h3 52. Kf2 Nd5 it’s hard to imagine that she could have saved the game. 49. ... h4! 50. Kb4. On 50. gxh4 g4 wins outright. 50. ... hxg3. Another way to win was 50. ... g4! followed by ... f5-f4, but in substance it is almost the same: Black’s win is easy. 51. hxg3 f4 52. gxf4 gxf4 53. Kc3 Kg6 54. Kd3 Kg5 55. Ke4 Kg4 56. Be2+ Kg3 57. Bf1 f3 58. Ke3 f2 59. Be2 Kg2 60. Kf4 f1=Q+ 61. Bxf1+ Kxf1 62. Kg5 Nxb5 63. Nc2 Ke2 64. Kf6 Kd2 65. Nb4 Kc3 0 : 1.

倪诗群 (Ní Shīqún). Photo © Press service of the Women’s World Championship 2018.

Natalia Oleksandrivna Zhukova. Photo © Press service of the Women’s World Championship 2018.