Skype coaching session, 12 April 2015. 

The following game was examined, the game 22 moves) is given with annotations and then again without annotations. A 2nd game started and reached a rook and pawn ending which will be completed on 19 April. 

Paul Benson. 

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Annotated game. 

White: Mariya Muzychuk, 2526. 
Black: Yuanling Yuan, 2257. 
Event: FIDE Womens World Championship ?Round 1, Sochi 2015. 
Result: 1-0 in 22 moves. 
Opening: Dutch Defence, Leningrad Variation, A85. 

| In game 1 of this 2 game mini-match, white lost to her lower rated opponent. In order to force a play-off white must win. A draw here will give black victory with a fine rating upset. || 

1. d4 f5 
2. c4 Nf6 
3. Nc3 g6 

| Perfectly natural but perhaps, 3. ... d6, might be safer. Black is almost certainly going to play, pawn d6, so this move is not out of place. The idea is to hold back, pawn g6, for a move or two, waiting for white to commit the g1 knight, probably to the f3 square, after which the game continuation is avoided. White will find it difficult to find useful options on move 4 to keep the intended game idea possible. || 

4. h4 

| A comment from the 70s, possibly by Mike Basman playing the Modern Defence, ran something like: "Some players will wield their h-pawn at you like a madman swinging an axe". Difficult to disagree. || 

4. ... Bg7 
5. h5 Nxh5 

| Black chooses not to allow white to change from axe-wielder into Boa Constricter with, 6. h6, pushing the bishop back to f8, when usual development patterns and middlegame strategy must be re-thought, not desirable at all. || 

6. e4 

| Probably the most accurate continuation for white. Axe-wielders, mad or otherwise, might have gone for the obvious hack here. || 

6. ... fxe4 

| Instead, 6. ... Nf6, and white must choose between opening up with, 7. exf5, or keeping it closed with, 7. e5, both acceptable lines for white. Now comes the hacker's delight. || 

7. Rxh5 

| The unsubtle point of the advancing h-pawn is revealed. White will have a lead in development and inflict poor coordination onto black for the relatively small investment of the exchange. The initiative will be with white for a while, but if black gets developed and begins challenging the white position, then white is simply an exchange down. Easier said than done black, easier said than done. || 

7. ... gxh5 
8. Qxh5+ Kf8 
9. Bh6 

| Counter intuitive. Surely white should avoid giving black the chance to reduce material? This is usually so after sacrificing for a speedy attack, but this position seems to be an exception. The black g7 bishop could prove to be a potent attacker in the middlegame as well as offering the black king some defensive cover. So white prepares to remove it. || 

9. ... e6 

| Instead, 9. ... Bxh6 10. Qxh6+, seems to give white good attacking chances against the black king. || 

10. Nxe4 Qe7 

| Threatening an annoying check with, Qb4+, and, Qxb2, disrupting. The next white move is not critical but needs some thought on how to get at black in the most efficient manner. || 

11. Bxg7+ Kxg7 
12. O-O-O 

White has removed a black piece defender, achieved king safety and now has a potential rook lift and then across to the kingside. All the good attacking ideas are with white, all the headaches of how to defend are with black. Difficult positions need great care, white has taken the fight to black with some fairly simple chess. Now the white game must be handled with care, just because the position looks good does not mean all plans will work. Accurate thinking is important now for white to maintain the pressure. || 

12. ... d6 
13. Rd3 Rf8 

| Clearing the h8 square for the black king. The alternative, 13. ... Rg8, was also to be considered. Now white must choose where to target in the black camp and keep hammering at it. || 

14. Ng5 

| The target is the h7 pawn, if that goes then black should soon collapse. || 

14. ... Kh8 
15. Rh3 Rf5 

| Pinning and doubly attacking the white g5 knight. If black had placed the rook on the g-file earlier then, 15. ... Rg7, would be possible. Again, if white can successfully organise, Nxh7, it will soon be over. || 

16. N1f3 Nd7 

The black knight must get kingside as quickly as possible. White must think carefully here, there is better than the immediately obvious move. || 

17. g4 

| Hitting the important rook with a pawn, much better than, 17. Bd3, which only threatens to win back an exchange, and black might just let the bishop take the rook. Allowing the g-pawn to capture on f5 would be effectively going a piece down, black is now struggling as the pieces fail to coordinate. || 

17. ... Nf6 

| White must play accurately here, fail to find this move for white and all the previous hard work will be undone, always a risk when the tension escalates. || 

18. Qg6 

| Maintaining the very important pin up the h-file, keeping a triple attack on the black h-pawn with the queen now allowing the h3 rook to attack as well, and still threatening, Nf7+, which would force black to give up queen for that knight. And there is still that black f5 rook under threat. Black is in trouble. || 

18. ... Rxg5 

Forced, the threat of, Nf7+, was just too strong. If, 18. ... Qg7 19. Qxg7+ Kxg7 20. gxf5, black is a piece down. Yet again white needs accuracy here, start thinking. || 

19. Qxg5 

| Much better than, 19. Nxg5 Qg7 20. Qxg7+ Kxg7, when the danger for black is passed. Now the b1-h7 diagonal is open for the lazy white f1 bishop, and when that hits the black h-pawn black will be defenceless. || 

19. ... Qg7 
20. Bd3 Bd7 

| White to play and force resignation in 2 moves. || 

21. Qxg7+ Kxg7 
22. g5 
Black resigns, 1-0 

| The black f6 knight must move, 22. ... Ng4 23. Rxh7+ Kg8 24. Rxd7+, white is a piece up. White went on to win the play-off, and successfully advanced through each subsequent Round to reach the 4 game final, where a 2.5 - 1.5 match score resulted in her being crowned the 15th Womens World Champion. || 

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## Unannotated game. 

White: Mariya Muzychuk, 2526. 
Black: Yuanling Yuan, 2257. 
Event: FIDE Womens World Championship ?Round 1, Sochi 2015. 
Result: 1-0 in 22 moves. 
Opening: Dutch Defence, Leningrad Variation, A85. 

1. d4 f5 
2. c4 Nf6 
3. Nc3 g6 
4. h4 Bg7 
5. h5 Nxh5 
6. e4 fxe4 
7. Rxh5 gxh5 
8. Qxh5+ Kf8 
9. Bh6 e6 
10. Nxe4 Qe7 
11. Bxg7+ Kxg7 
12. O-O-O d6 
13. Rd3 Rf8 
14. Ng5 Kh8 
15. Rh3 Rf5 
16. N1f3 Nd7 
17. g4 Nf6 
18. Qg6 Rxg5 
19. Qxg5 Qg7 
20. Bd3 Bd7 
21. Qxg7+ Kxg7 
22. g5 
Black resigns, 1-0 

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