Quick 1-minute Summary
FIDE has made a complete mess of the Women’s World Championship cycle in recent times (last year alone there were 2 separate women’s ‘world championships’!) but Dvorkovich is now trying to change that and bring some stability to the rules.
The Kazan tournament is being held between the 31st of May and the 17th of June. A 8-player double round robbin, 200k dollars in prizes, with the winner earning the right to challenge the current female World Champion Ju Wenjun.
Two rounds of play have taken place so far, and so it is way too early to talk of any ‘favourite’ at this point. Never the less, there has been some good fighting chess and no doubt this will continue.
gm Muzychuk,A – gm Dzagnidze, N1.6.2019 (0-1)
[Event "FIDE Women's Candidates"]
[Site "Kazan RUS"]
[Date "2019.6.1"]
[Round "2.4"]
[White "Muzychuk, Anna"]
[Black "Dzagnidze, Nana"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Eco "B31"]
[Annotator ""]
[Source ""]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.O-O Bg7 5.c3 Nf6 6.Qe2$5{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Not the mainline according to ‘theory’, but quite possibly the best line! The Muzychuk sisters are always on the leading edge of new ideas in the openings</strong>} O-O 7.d4
d5 8.e5 Ne4 9.Rd1!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">According to my database, a new move. I like it.</strong>} cxd4 10.cxd4 f6 11.Nc3! Nxc3 12.bxc3 fxe5
( {<strong style="color:black;"> After</strong> } 12...Bg4 13.Bxc6 bxc6 14.e6$5 Qd6 15.Re1 Rab8 16.h3 Bxf3 17.Qxf3{<strong style="color:black;"> the White Bishop will soon find an excellent post on a3. </strong> } )
13.Nxe5{[#]} ({<strong style="color:black;"> In my opinion it was stronger to play</strong> } 13.dxe5! Bg4 14.Rxd5! Qc7! 15.Rc5 Bxf3 16.gxf3 Bxe5 17.Bh6 {<strong style="color:black;">when White’s initiative can be quite unpleasant for Black </strong> } )
Qc7 ({<strong style="color:black;">Missing </strong> } 13...Nxe5! 14.dxe5 Qc7!{<strong style="color:black;">when the worse is behind Black </strong> } ) 14.Nd3!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Not giving Black a second chance! White has emerged from the opening with a pleasant game.</strong>} Bf5 15.Bf4 ( {<strong style="color:black;">Missing the strongest continuation: </strong> }15.Nf4! Rad8
16.Ne6 Bxe6 17.Qxe6+ Kh8 18.Rb1 Rd6 19.Qe3{<strong style="color:black;">when it is not easy to play Black’s game. </strong> } ) Qa5 16.Bxc6 bxc6{[#]}
( 16...Bxd3 17.Qe6+ Kh8 18.Bxb7 ) 17.Nb4 ( {<strong style="color:black;">Around here Muzychuk seems to lose objectivity. She should play less complicated with </strong> }17.Nc5$5 Qxc3 18.Rac1
Qa3 19.Ne6 Bxe6 20.Qxe6+ Kh8 ( 20...Rf7 21.Qxc6 ) 21.Be5{<strong style="color:black;">when White is not the least bit worse. </strong> } Rac8
22.Re1 Qxa2 23.f3 ) Rac8 18.Rac1 Be4! 19.Bg5 c5!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Now Black takes the initative and gets the edge. Muzychuk’s imprecise play has backfired on her.</strong>} 20.dxc5 Qxc5 21.Be3{[#]}
d4!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">A strong move taking advantage of White’s weak back rank</strong>} 22.Bxd4 Bxd4 23.Qxe4 ( 23.Rxd4$2 Qxd4! ) Bxf2+ 24.Kh1 Qe3! 25.Qc2$2
({<strong style="color:black;">It was still not too late to stay in the game with the correct </strong> } 25.Qxe3 Bxe3 26.Rc2 e6 27.g3{<strong style="color:black;"> when White will suffer a bit but still be able to count on a draw.</strong> } ) Rc5!{[#]} 26.Nd3 ( {<strong style="color:black;"> Perhaps White was originally planning on playing</strong> } 26.Nd5 {<strong style="color:black;"> but after </strong> } Rxd5! 27.Rxd5
Be1!{<strong style="color:black;"> Black would win immediately</strong> } ) Rg5 27.Qb3+ Kg7 28.Nxf2 {[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} Rxg2$3{[#] <strong style="color:red;">A brilliant move that quickly leaves White helpless</strong>} 29.Qb7 ( 29.Kxg2 Rxf2+ ) Rxh2+{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Strong, but not the only way to win</strong>}
( 29...Rgxf2! 30.Re1 Re2 31.Rxe2 Qxc1+ 32.Kg2 Qg5+ ) 30.Kxh2 Rxf2+
31.Qg2 h5 32.Re1 Qd2 33.Qxf2 Qxf2+ 34.Kh1 e5{[#] <strong style="color:red;">White is helpless to prevent the Black Kingside pawns advancing, and with his King so exposed it is not long before mating threats force White to throw in the towel.</strong>} 35.c4 g5 36.c5 g4
37.Rf1 Qh4+ 38.Kg1 Qg3+ 39.Kh1 Qh3+ 40.Kg1 Qe3+ 41.Kh1 Qe4+ 42.Kg1
g3{[#] <strong style="color:red;">It is impossible to defend against the coming Queen to the second rank. White resigns.</strong>} 0-1
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