Reply #8: Muzychuk - Olarasu, 3rd Szeged Cup, Szeged (Hungary)

[Jack Rabbit]

Anna Muzychuk
Photo: ChessBase.de (Germany)

Anna Muzychuk vs. Gabriella Olarasu
3rd Szeged Cup, Round 3
Szeged, Hungary, September 2006

King's Gambit: Fischer Defense

1. e4 d6 2. Nc3 e5 3. f4!?

Ms. Olarasu (Black) appeared to be intent on playing the Sardinian Rat (Philidor) Defense, a solid if somewhat passive positional game. Ms. Muzychuk simply pops that bubble by transforming the opening into a King's Gambit.

3. -- exf4 4. Bc4 Qh4+

This move has certain advatages and disadvantages, both on display in this game. Black succeeds in depriving White of her castling priviledge, but at the same time the Queen often becomes the target of attack, forcing her to take refuge through a cumbersome escape route.

Other lines of development include:

• 4. -- Nf6 5. Nf3 c6 6. d4 Qe7 7. 0-0
• 4. -- g5 5. d4 Bg7 6. Qh5 Qe7 7. Nd5 Qd7
• 4. -- Nc6 5. d4 Be6 6. Ne2 d5 7. exd5 Bxd5 8. Nxd5 Qxd5 9. Bf3

5. Kf1 Be6 6. Bb3 a6 7. d4 Nf6 8. Nf3 Qh6

Fritz says the present position is a slightly advantagous for Black; I say it's equal. To me, White is compensated for the pawn with space in the center. I asked Fritz to elaborate on his view, but all he dpes is blink his cursor.

9. Qd2 Nh5!?

Black can get a more than satisfactory game from 9. -- g5 10. Nd5 Bxd5 11. exd5 Ne4, when she has considerably more mobility owing to White;s doubled pawns in the center.

10. Kf2 Be7

10. -- Nd7 11. Nd5 0-0-0 12. Nxf4 Nxf4 13. Qxf4 Nf6 and Black still has the gambit pawn and a solid position.

11. Ne2 g5 12. d5 Nf6 13. Qd3 Bd7 14. h4!

White moves to challenge Black's space on the kingside.

If 14. Qc4 Bd8 15. Re1 then:

• 15. -- b5 16. Qd3 c5 17. c4 0-0 and Black has a clear advantage in space and piece activity, as well as retaining an extra pawn.
• 15. -- Bb5 16. Ba4 c6 17. Bxb5 axb5 18. Qd3 and Black clearly has better command of open lines ans still has the gambit pawn.

After the text, White recovers the gambit pawn.

14. -- Ng4+ 15. Kg1 Ne5

If 15. -- c5 then:

• 16. dxc6 Nxc6 17. Bd5 Rc8 18. Qb3 and White has slightly better placed pieces.
• 16. Qd2 gxh4 17. Qxf4 Qg6 18. Nxh4 Bxh4 and Black's pieces are better placed.

16. Qc3 Nxf3+ 17. Qxf3 Qg7?!

Black is right to get the Queen away from the masked attack by White's Rook, but this is a dubious way of going about it.

Better is 17. -- gxh4! 18. Qc3 Qf6 19. Bd2:

• 19. -- Rg8 20. Nxf4 Qxc3 21. Bxc3 Bg5 22. Nh3 Be3+ and Black has better command of open lines, but White has some compensation in her central space.
• 19. -- f3 20. gxf3 Rg8+ 21. Kf2 Qxc3 22. Bxc3 with a balanced position.

18. hxg5 Bxg5 19. Nxf4 Qd4+?

We have just seen that one feature that must exist in all decisive chess game, the blunder, otherwise known as the losing move. From here on, Black will need White's cooperation to get back in the game, and there is nothing in any moral code that says White has to be at all cooperative in that respect.

It is true that some blunders are more subtle than others. This one is subtle. Normally, a centralized Queen is a wonderful thing to have, but, as in all things chess, there are some big ifs that go with that. Is the Queen going to be able to spearhead an attack? Is she going to maintain her ground in the center?

All the Queen is accomplishing here is giving a useless check. She will be immediately driven from the center.

Correct is 19. -- Bxf4 20. Qxf4 Rg8 21. Qf2 Bg4 22. Be3 Nd7 with an equal game.

Black: Gabriella Olarasu
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White: Anna Muzychuk
Position after Black's 19th move
(19. -- Qf7d4+)

20. Be3!

The Bishop bounces the party-crashing Queen from the premises. White, by activating her Bishop, has a better position as a result of Black's last move than she would have had otherwise.

Other moves are less effective:

• If 20. Kh2 Rg8 21. c3 Qf6 22. Nh5 Qe5+ 23. g3 Bh4 24. Bf4 and White has only a small edge with more active pieces; or
• 20. Qf2 Qxf2+ 21. Kxf2 a5 22. a3 h6 23. Be3 Rg8 and Black has equalized.

20. -- Qf6 21. Rf1 a5

If after the text move Black plays 20. -- Qxb2 then 21. Rf1 Bxf4 22. Qxf4 Qg7 23. Qf2 f6 24. Bh6 and White has a significant edge in piece activity.

21. -- Qxb2 22. Qf2 Qa3 23. Bd4 f6 24. Ng6 and White has more active pieces while Black's queenside is difficult to disentangle.

22. Qd1

Also good is 22. Ne6 and:

• 22. -- Qxf3 23. Nxc7+ Kf8 24. Rxf3 Bxe3+ 25. Rxe3 Ra7 26. a4 and White is a pawn to the good.
• 22. -- Bxe6 23. Qxf6 Bxf6 24. dxe6 Bxb2 25. Rxf7 a4 26. Bc4 and Black will not be able to hold out much longer.

22. -- c5 23. dxc6 Nxc6 24. Nd5

If 24. Bd5 Qe7 25. Bd4 Ne5 26. Bb3 then:

• 26. -- Bg4 27. Ba4+ and White is attacking with more active pieces.
• 26. -- Bxf4 27. Rxf4 a4 28. Bd5 and White's active, centralized peices give her a winning edge.

24. -- Bxe3+ 25. Nxe3 Qe5 26. Rh5

Even better is 26. Bxf7+! Kd8 27. Nc4 Qxe4 28. Nxd6 Qe3+ 29. Rf2:

• 29. -- Qe7 30. Re2 Qf6 31. c3 and White has a powerful attack.
• 29. -- Kc7 30. Nb5+ Kd8 31. Rh5 and White's attack will soon converge her pieces on Black's King.

26. -- Qxe4 27. Nc4 Qd4+ 28. Qxd4 Nxd4 29. Nxd6+ Ke7

• If 29. -- Kd8 30. Nxf7+ winning at least the exchange.
• 29. -- Kf8 30. Rxf7+ Kg8 31. Rg5#

30. Nxf7 Rhf8 31. Rxh7 Bf5 32. Rh5 Be6

If 32. -- Bxc2 33. Re5+ Kd7 34. Bxc2 Nxc2 35. Rd1+ Kc7 then:

• 36. Re7+ 36. -- Kb6 37. Rd6+ Ka7 38. Rdd7 and Black's game is in its last throes.
• 36. Rc5+ Kb6 37. Rxc2 Rxf7 38. Rd6+ and White is approaching a won Rook and pawn ending.

33. Bxe6 Nxe6 34. Rh7 Nd4 35. c3 Ne2+ 36. Kh2 Kd7 37. Rd1+

37. Nd8+ Ke8 38. Rxf8+ Kxf8 39. Nxb7 and White's extra pawns assure her of victory.

37. -- Kc7 38. Ne5+ Kc8

38. -- Kb6 39. Nd7+ Kc6 40. Nxf8 Rxf8 41. g4 White, with pawns majorities on both flanks and an exchange up, has an easy win.

39. Rdd7 Ra6 40. Rc7+ Kb8

40. -- Kd841. Rhd7+ Ke8 42. Rc8#.

41. Rxb7+ Ka8 42. Rbc7 1-0