Quick 5-Minute Summary
The first game of round 3 of the Women’s World Championship was held earlier today. One of the first games to finish was Anna Muczychuk vs Antoinette Stefanova. The latter never really got out of the opening and was quickly crushed in 26 moves.
This game is definitely worth taking a look at:
gm Muczychuk,A – gm Stefanova,A Khanty-Mansiysk 9.11.2018 (1 – 0)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6{[#]<strong style="color: red;">A surprise! Stefanova has not played this opening since the year 2000! Unfortunately, her opponent is better prepared than she is…</strong>
} 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 {<strong style="color: red;">Muczychuk also varies. Recently she has preferred Nc3</strong>} d5 6.Bd3 Bd6{[#]<strong style="color: red;">A risky continuation, especially when you are not fully prepared. More solid is 6…Be7</strong>
} 7.O-O
O-O 8.c4 c6 9.Qc2{[#]<strong style="color: red;">All theory so far</strong> } Nf6$6{[#]<strong style="color: red;">Incredible! Stefanova plays a clearly inferior move and almost immediately gets a bad position. Na6 is theory, but Stefanova clearly did not do her homework.</strong> } 10.c5! Be7 ({<strong style="color: red;">Worse is</strong>} 10...Bc7 11.Bg5! h6 12.Bh4 {<strong style="color: red;">when the pin is very annoying.</strong>} )
11.Bf4{[#]<strong style="color: red;">This Bishop dominates and now it is very difficult for Black to develop normally. Perhaps Black is already strategically lost!</strong>} h6
( 11...Nbd7$5 12.Nc3 Re8 13.b4{<strong style="color: red;">is also unpleasant</strong>} )
12.h3 b6$5 {<strong style="color: red;">It is difficult to criticize Stefanova’s play, the position simply does not offer much better.</strong>} ( 12...Nh5
13.Bh2 ) 13.Nbd2{[#]} ({<strong style="color: red;">The computer prefers</strong>} 13.b4$5 a5 14.Bxb8 Rxb8 15.Ne5 Bb7 {<strong style="color: red;">but I prefer the move played by Anna</strong>} ) bxc5 14.dxc5
Qa5$5{[#]}
( 14...Ba6 15.Ne5 Bxd3 16.Nxd3 {<strong style="color: red;">does not solve any of Black’s problems either</strong>} )
15.Rac1{[#]} Nfd7$2{[#]<strong style="color: red;">The decisive error, but probably Stefanova had already given up hope of holding her game.</strong> }
( 15...Qxa2$2 16.Ra1 )
( 15...Ba6{<strong style="color: red;">had to be tried</strong>} )
16.Nb3! Qa4 17.Rfe1!{<strong style="color: red;">Muczychuk plays very strong and natural moves</strong>} Qxf4 ( 17...Bf6 18.Bd6 )
18.Rxe7{[#]<strong style="color: red;">Probably Stefanova had never had such a poor position so early in the game! Notice her 3 undeveloped pieces on the Queenside!</strong>} Rd8 ( {18…Nf6 19.Nbd4 <strong style="color: red;">and the Black Queen is almost trapped!</strong>} ) 19.Rce1{[#]} Nf8{[#]}
({<strong style="color: red;">Either Knight move changes nothing. The game is lost in anycase.</strong>} 19...Nf6 20.Bh7+!
Kf8 ( 20...Nxh7 21.Re8+ Rxe8 22.Rxe8+ Nf8 23.Rxc8 ) 21.Ne5! )
20.Re8$5 {[#]}
({<strong style="color: red;">Even faster is</strong>} 20.Bh7+! Kh8 21.Ne5 f5 22.Bg6 ) Qc7 {[#]} ( 20...Qf6 21.Bh7+
Kh8 22.Qc3 ) 21.R1e7{<strong style="color: red;">What an impressive looking postion for White!</strong>} Bd7 {[#]<strong style="color: red;">Resigns is a good alternative.</strong> } 22.Bh7+ Kh8 23.Ne5{[#]} Bxe8 24.Rxc7 Nxh7
25.Rxf7 Kg8 26.Qg6{[#]<strong style="color: red;">It is forced mate. A powerful performance by White.</strong> } 1-0
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Photo courtesy of tournament organizers. Table courtesy of ChessResuls.
