Reply #6: Muzychuk - Ushenina, Ukrainian National Championships, Odessa

[Jack Rabbit]

Anna Ushenina
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Maria Muzychuk vs. Anna Ushenina
Ukrainian Championships, Round 7
Odessa, December 2006

Spanish Sicilian Game: Rossolimo Opening (Lutikov Gambit)

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. 0-0 Bg7 5. c3 Nf6 6. d4?!

• This gambit cannot be recommended. White's results from it are not promising.
• A better alternative is 6. Re1 0-0 7. d4 when:
• 7. -- cxd4 8. cxd4 d5 9. e5 Ne4 10. Nc3 Nxc3 11. bxc3 Na5 12. Bg5 a6 13. Bd3 Qc7 14. Rc1 b5 yields an equal game (Moshina-Rybenko, World University WCh, Ulan Batar 2002).
• 7. -- d5 8. e5 Ne4 9. Bxc6 bxc6 10. Nbd2 cxd4 11. cxd4 c5 12. dxc5 Nxc5 13. Nb3 Nxb3 14. Qxb3 d4 15. Qd3 Bb7 the position is balanced (Grischuk-Leko, FIDE Grand Prix, Dubai 2002).

6. -- cxd4

• If 6. -- Nxe4 7. d5 Nd6 8. Bd3 Ne5 9. Nxe5 Bxe5 then:
• after 10. Re1 Bg7 11. Bf4 0-0 12. Bxd6 exd6 13. a4 b6 14. Bc4 Bb7 15. Qd3 Qg5 16. Nd2 Rae8 17. g3 a6 the players agreed to a draw (Evdokimov-Korotylev, Pripes Mem, Moscow 1999).
• after 10. Bh6 f5 11. Re1 Bf6 12. Nd2 Nf7 13. Bf4 d6 14. Nf3 0-0 15. Qd2 Bd7 16. Re2 Kg7 17. h4 h6 18. Rae1 Rh8 19. c4 Qf8 20. Qc1 Re8 21. Bd2 Nd8 22. b4 e5 a draw was agreed (Smirin-Vyzmanavin, Norilsk 1987).

7. cxd4

• After 7. Nxd4 Nxe4 8. Bd3 Nxc3 9. Nxc3 Nxd4 Black is two pawns up.

7. -- Nxe4 8. d5 Nd6 9. Ba4

• This retreat is one of White's better choices here.
• Among other choices are:
• 9. Na3 defends the Bishop, but runs the risk of offsiiding pieces: 9. -- a6 10. Qa4 Ne5 11. Nxe5 Bxe5 and now:
  • If 12. Re1 Bf6 then:
  • 13. Bh6 Nf5 gives White, in spite of offsided pieces, greater activity (Barlov-Matulovic, Kragujevac 1977).
  • 13. Bf4 Qb6 14. Bd3 0-0 15. Rab1 Qc5 16. Qb3 b5 gives Black edge with a possible queenside attack looming.
  • If 12. Nc4? 12. -- Nxc4 13. Bxc4 0-0 14. Bh6 Re8 gives Black much better piece placement (Aghabekian-Harika, World Jr Ch (Girls), Yerevan 2006).
• If 9. Bd3? puts White in serious trouble: 9. -- Nb4 10. Nc3 then:
• after 10. -- 0-0 11. Re1 b6 12. Bb1 Bb7 13. Bf4 Bxc3 14. bxc3 Nxd5 15. Bxd6 exd6 16. Qd4 Qf6 Black, up by two pawns, forces an exchange of Queens and challenges White control of the e-file (Felgaer-Pavasovic, Pinamar 2002).
• 10. -- Nxd3 11. Qxd3 0-0 12. Re1 b6 13. Bg5 Re8 14. h4 a5 15. Rad1 Ba6 Black will have White's forward isolated pawn stopped, will gain time harrassing the White Queen and remains a pawn to the good (Naylor-Cherniaev, 4NCL, Birmingham 2001).
• If 9. Bxc6 dxc6 10. dxc6 bxc6 11. Re1 0-0 12. Bg5 Re8 13. Nc3 Rb8 Black threatens to win another pawn on b2 (Fritz).

9. -- b5 10. Bc2?

• This isn't the first time this Bishop retreat has been played. It lost the other time, too.
• Correct is the general liquidation: 10. dxc6 bxa4 11. Re1 dxc6 12. Qxa4 0-0 13. Nc3 Qd7 14. Bg5 f6. Black still has the upper hand, but White's game is playable.

10. -- Na5!?

• White varies from the older version of this position in case Black has an improvement prepared.
• If 10. -- Nb4 11. Bb3 0-0 12. Nc3 Na6 13. Bf4 Nc5 then:
• after 14. Be5? Bxe5 15. Nxe5 f6 16. Nd3 Nxb3 17. axb3 Qb6 Black remains a pawn up with superior pawn structure and an active Queen (Minasian-Vyzmanavin, World TCh, Lucerne 1993).
• 14. Bxd6 exd6 15. Nxb5 Ba6 16. a4 Bxb2 17. Rb1 Bg7 Black remains a pawn up, albeit with a less satifactory pawn structure than the red variation, with an active Bishop.

11. Nc3

• If 11. Re1 Nac4 12. Bg5 f6 then:
• 13. Bc1 Bb7 14. a4 bxa4 then:
• 15. Rxa4 0-0 16. Qd3 Nb6 17. Ra5 f5 -/+
• 15. b4 axb3 16. Bxb3 0-0 -+
• 13. Bh4 Bb7 14. b3 Nb6 15. Bg3 0-0 -+
• If 11. a4 then:
• 11. -- bxa4 12. Rxa4 Nac4 13. b3 Nb6 14. Ra5 Bb7 15. Bf4 0-0 -/+
• 11. -- b4 12. Re1 Nac4 13. Bg5 f6 14. Bf4 g5 15. Bxd6 Nxd6 =/+

11. -- 0-0 12. Re1 Nac4

• 12. -- Bb7 13. Bg5 Re8 14. Qe2 b4 15. Ne4 Qc8 16. Nxd6 exd6 -+

13. Rb1 Bb7 14. Ne2

• 14. Qe2 b4 15. Ne4 Bxd5 16. Nxd6 Nxd6 17. Qxe7 Qxe7 18. Rxe7 Bxa2 19. Ra1 Be6 -+

14. -- Rc8 15. Nf4 e5

• If 15. -- Nb6 16. Re2 a5 then:
• 17. b3 e6 18. dxe6 dxe6 then:
• 19. Ne5 Ne4 20. Bb2 Nc3 -+
• 19. Rd2 Bxf3 20. Qxf3 e5 -/+
• 17. b4 a4 18. a3 Nbc4 19. Nd2 e5 20. dxe6 dxe6 -+

16. b3

• If 16. dxe6 dxe6 17. Nd2 Qg5 18. Nxc4 Nxc4 19. Qe2 Rfd8 20. Rd1 Rxd1+ 21. Bxd1 Be5 -+
• If 16. Nh3 Qa5 17. b3 Nb6 then:
• 18. a3 Nxd5 19. Bb2 f6 20. Rc1 b4 21. axb4 Qxb4 22. Ra1 Nc3 -+
• 18. Bb2 Qxa2 19. Re2 Bxd5 20. Nxe5 Rfe8 21. f4 f6 -+

16. -- exf4 17. bxc4 Rxc4 18. Ba3

• 18. Bd3 Rc5 19. Bxf4 Rxd5 20. Bxd6 Rxd6 21. Rxb5 Ba6 -+

18. -- Qb6 19. Bd3 Rcc8 20. Qd2 Rfe8

• 20. -- a5 21. Qxf4 b4 22. Bb2 Bxb2 23. Rxb2 Qc5 -+

21. Qxf4 21. Nc4?

• Ms. Ushenina and Ms. Muzychuk both embark and a streak of chess blindness in which each blunders on two consecutive turns before Black finds the winning move.
• Correct is 21. -- Rxe1+ 22. Rxe1 Nc4 23. Bxc4 bxc4 24. d6 f5 25. Rc1 Qa6 after which White must evacuate her Bishop and Black advances her c-pawn.

22. Bxc4?

• Correct is 22. Rxe8+! Rxe8 23. Bxc4 a6 24. d6 Rf8 25. Ng5 Qc6 26. Bxf7+ when:
• 26. -- Kh8 27. Qg4 Qc2 28. Rf1 gives White some serious threats against Black's position; for example: if 29. -- Bc6 then 29. Bb3 gains time for an attack on the King or if 28. -- h6 then 29. Qxd7 wins a pawn.
• after 26. -- Rxf7 27. Qxf7+ Kh8 28. Qe8+ White deliveers mate on the nect move

22. -- bxc4?

• Correct is to divert the Queen's Rook away from attacking the Black Queen.
After22. -- Rxe1+! 23. Rxe1 bxc4 24. d6 f5 25. Rc1 Qa6 26. Bb4 Qxa2 Black's superior piece activity generates multiple threats.

23. Be7?

• After 23. Rxe8+! Rxe8 24. Rxb6 axb6 25. Qxc4 Rc8 26. Qb5 White is threatening to take the d-pawn; Black's only defense is to threaten the Bishop in order to drive it away and alowing a snap mate on the back rank, but these all fail:
• after 26. -- Bf8 27. Bb2 Bg7 28. Qxb6! Bxd5 29. a4! Black must conted with therats against her loose pieces and the advance of White's a-pawn.
• 26. -- Rc3 27. Wxd7 Rxa3 28. Ng5 Bxd5 29. Qxd5 gives White a Queen against Black's Rook.
• after 26. -- Ra8 27. Bb4 Bc8 28. Qxb6 White continues to tighten the noose


Black: Anna Ushenina
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White: Maria Muzychuk
Position after

23. -- Qa6!


• Black finally puts the game on a decisive track with an effective move that both removes her Queen from attack and overprotects the c-pawn.
• If 23. -- Bb2!? 24. Qh6
• 24. -- Bg7 25. Rxb6 Bxh6 26. Rxb7 c3 27. Ba3
• 27. -- c2 28. Rxd7 Rxe1+ 29. Nxe1 c1Q! 30. Bxc1 Rxc1 31. Kf1 leaves the position balanced.
• after 27. -- Rxe1+? 28. Nxe1 c2 29. Nxc2 Rxc2 30. Rb8+ Kg7 31. Bf8+ Kf6 32. Bxh6 White has an extra piece.
• 24. -- f6 25. Re2 c3 26. Rbe1 Ba3 27. Bxa3 Rxe2 28. Rxe2 Qb1+ 29. Bc1
• 29. -- Bxd5 30. Re7 Bf7 31. Rxd7 Qxa2 32. Qe3 leaves Black with only two pawns for a minor piece.
• 29. -- Qb4 30. Qh3 Qd6 31. Bf4 White has time to stop the c-pawn and conjur up kingside threats.
24. Nd4


• After 24. d6 c3 25. Ne5 Bxe5 26. Qxe5 c2 27. Ra1 Qc4 28. h3 Qd5 29. Qxd5 Bxd5 Black is still a pawn up and it's knocking at the door with a Rook behind it.
24. -- Bxd5 25. Nb5 Rb8 26. Nc7 Rxb1 27. Rxb1 Qxa2 28. Rc1


• If 28. Rf1 Rxe7 29. Nxd5 Re8 then:
• after 30. Qd6 Qa4 31. Ne7+ Kh8 32. Re1 Rf8 Black holds her own position and continues advancing her passed pawns.
• 30. Qc7 Qa4 31. Qd6 c3 32. Ne7+ Kh8 33. Re1 Rf8 differs from the red variation only in that the c-pawn is closer to its goal.
28. -- Rxe7 29. Nxd5 Re8 30. g3


• After 30. h3 h6 31. Nf6+ Bxf6 32. Qxf6 d5 33. Ra1 Qb3 34. Qf4 c3 35. Qxh6 d4 Black's strong passed duo guarantee a win.
30. -- c3 31. Nxc3 Bxc3 32. Rxc3 Qa1+ 33. Rc1 Re1+ 34. Rxe1 Qxe1+


• Black's plan is now simple: force an exchange of Queens after which she has an easily won King and pawn ending.
35. Kg2 Qa1 36. Qd6


• If 36. Qb8+ Kg7 37. Qd6 a5 then:
• after 38. Qxd7 a4 39. h4 a3 40. h5 gxh5 41. Qb5 Qf6 42. Qxh5 a2 there is no satisfactory way for White to stop the a-pawn.
• 38. h4 a4 39. h5 gxh5 40. Qxd7 a3 41. Qb5 h6 42. Qxh5 Qd4 gives Black a winning edge, but White could play on hoping for an opportunity to force a draw on repetition.
36. -- Kg7 37. g4 a5 38. h4 a4 39. h5 gxh5 40. gxh5 Qf6 41. Qg3+


• 41. Qxd7 a3 42. Qa4 Qg5+ 43. Kf1 Qc1+ 44. Kg2 Kh6 gives Black better chances of forcing an exchange of Queens than White chances of stopping the a-pawn.
41. -- Kh6 42. f4 Qg7 43. 0-1


• White cannot prevent the exchange of Queens.
• Ms. Muzychuk resigns.