BATUMI CHESS OLYMPIAD 2018 ROUND 11 – ZATONSKIH vs MUZYCHUK

After Ana Muzuchuk sealed victory for Ukraine in the final round match against the United States. Then was hours of nervous waiting for the result of Kosteniuk vs Ju. The Chinese player converted with Black and denied Ukraine the Gold. This was truly a case of so close and yet so far.

This game is from round 11 of the 2018 Batumi Chess Olympiad. It features Anna Zatonskih with White against Anna Muzychuk with Black.

Today’s game features a Grunfeld Defence.

Zatonskih,Anna (2431) - Muzychuk,Anna (2555)

43rd Olympiad Batumi 2018 Women Batumi (11.1), 05.10.2018

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.d4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 d5 5.0–0 0–0 6.c4 c6 7.Nbd2 a5 8.b3 a4 D78: Fianchetto Grünfeld: 6 0–0 c6 [8...Ne4 9.Bb2 a4 10.bxa4 (10.Qc1 a3 11.Bxa3 Nxd2 12.Nxd2 Bxd4 13.Bb2 dxc4 14.Nxc4 Be6 15.Rd1 Bxb2 16.Qxb2 Qc7 17.Rac1 Nd7 18.b4 Rfd8 ½–½ Vukic,M (2481)-Ruck,R (2563)/Banja Luka 2007/CBM 119 ext) 10...Nc5 11.a5 Rxa5 12.Nb3 Nxb3 13.axb3 Rxa1 14.Qxa1 Na6 15.Rc1 Bf5 16.Nh4 Bg4 17.cxd5 cxd5 18.Bf3 Bxf3 19.Nxf3 Qb6 20.Qa4 Bf6 21.Ne5 Nb8 22.b4 Rd8 23.b5 Ljubojevic,L (2566)-Leko,P (2745)/Monte Carlo 2001/CBM 081 ext/½–½] 

9.Ba3 

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9...Bf5N [9...Re8 10.Qc1 (10.Re1 Nbd7 11.Bb2 a3 12.Bc3 Ne4 13.Nxe4 dxe4 14.Ng5 e3 15.fxe3 Bh6 16.Nf3 Bxe3+ 17.Kf1 Nf6 18.b4 Ng4 19.Qb3 Be6 20.h3 Qd6 21.Reb1 Bxc4 22.Qxc4 Qxg3 23.Be1 Nh2+ 24.Nxh2 Qxh2 Bacrot,E (2613)-Joachim,S (2445)/Germany 2001/CBM 082 ext/1–0 (44); 10.e3 Bg4 11.h3 Bxf3 12.Nxf3 Nbd7 13.Qc2 e6 14.Rfb1 axb3 15.axb3 Bf8 16.Bxf8 Rxf8 17.Nd2 Qe7 18.Qc3 Rfc8 19.b4 e5 20.cxd5 Nxd5 21.Bxd5 cxd5 22.Rxa8 Rxa8 23.Nb3 exd4 24.Qxd4 Nf6 Smejkal,J (2565)-Schmidt,W (2505)/Dubai 1986/TD/1–0 (39)) 10...Ne4 11.Rd1 Nxd2 12.Rxd2 Nd7 13.e3 Nf6 14.Ne5 Bf5 15.Rd1 axb3 16.axb3 Ng4 17.Nf3 Be4 18.h3 Nf6 ½–½ Hort,V-Uhlmann,W/Monte Carlo 1968/MCD] 

10.Nh4 Be6 11.e3 Re8 

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12.h3 Secures g4 [Inferior is 12.bxa4 dxc4 13.Bb4 Na6µ] 

12...Ne4 13.Nxe4 dxe4 14.f4 f5 15.Rf2 Nd7 16.Bf1 axb3 17.axb3 c5 

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18.b4?? forfeits the advantage.  [18.Bb2 cxd4 19.Bxd4 Bf6=] 

18...Nb6 [¹18...cxd4 with excellent chances for Black 19.exd4 Nb6–+] 

19.bxc5³ Nxc4 20.Bxc4 Bxc4 Black has the pair of bishops 

21.Ng2 b5 22.cxb6 Qxb6 23.Rb2 Qa5 24.Qc1 Bd3 25.Qd1 Rec8 26.Ne1 White threatens to win material: Ne1xd3 

26...Bc4 27.Kf2 White king safety dropped 

27...Bf6 28.Rbb1 Qd5 29.Bb4 Rcb8 30.Rxa8 Rxa8 31.Ra1 Rb8 32.Qd2 

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32...Bxd4! Deflection: d4 

33.exd4? [33.Qxd4 Rxb4 Deflection(33...Rxb4 Overloading) ; 33.exd4 Rxb4 Decoy] 

33...e3+ 34.Qxe3 Rxb4 35.Qe5?? the position is going down the drain [35.Kg1 Rb3 36.Qe5 Qxe5 37.dxe5 Rxg3+ 38.Kh2 Rb3–+] 

35...Rb2+ [35...Qh1 36.Nd3 Qh2+ 37.Kf3 Rb3 38.Rd1 Bxd3 39.Qb8+ Rxb8 40.Re1 Be4+ 41.Rxe4 fxe4+ 42.Kxe4 Qc2+ 43.Kf3 Rb3+ 44.Kg4 Qf5+ 45.Kh4 Qh5#] 

36.Kg1µ Rd2 Attacking the isolated pawn on d4. Black threatens to win material: Rd2xd4 

37.Rc1 Rxd4 [Worse is 37...Qxd4+ 38.Qxd4 Rxd4 39.Nf3²] 

38.Qxe7?? causes even greater problems. .  [¹38.Qxd5+ Bxd5 39.Kf2µ] 

38...Re4–+ 39.Qb4 [39.Qa7 is the last straw 39...Qd2 40.Qa8+ Kf7 41.Rb1 Rxe1+ 42.Rxe1 Qxe1+ 43.Kh2 Qd2+ 44.Qg2 Qxg2+ 45.Kxg2–+] 

39...Qd4+ 40.Kh1 Rxe1+! Mate attack 

41.Qxe1 [41.Qxe1 Bd5+ Mate attack; 41.Rxe1 Qf2 Decoy(41...Bd5+ Mate attack) ] 

41...Bd5+ 42.Kh2 Qb2+ [42...Qb2+ 43.Rc2 Qxc2+ 44.Qd2 Qxd2+ 45.Kg1 Qg2#]  0–1