WGP Geneva: Muzychuk joins Lahno in the lead

[Event "Fondation Neva Women's Grand Prix"] [Site "Geneva"] [Date "2013.05.08"] [Round "5.5"] [White "Muzychuk, Anna"] [Black "Hou, Yifan"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B52"] [Annotator "MIKHALCHISHIN"] [PlyCount "75"] [EventDate "2013.??.??"] [WhiteClock "0:03:28"] [BlackClock "0:00:35"] {A very important game between the number 1 and 2 seeded players in the tournament. Anna said that she had not beaten Hou Yifan for a long time - the last win was in Krasnoturjinsk in 2007! In this round she decided not to play main openings but to chose a side line which has promised White good results recently. Even World Champion Anand lost twice against it.} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ {The World Champion plays this line regularly, and just once played a sharper move:} Bd7 (3... Nd7) 4. Bxd7+ Qxd7 5. c4 Nf6 6. Nc3 g6 7. d4 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Bg7 9. f3 O-O 10. Be3 Nc6 11. O-O a6 $5 {Kasparov,G. The logical plan is to try to control the black squares.} (11... Qd8) 12. a4 e6 13. Nxc6 $1 $146 { A very logical novelty.} bxc6 ({Clearly worse would be} 13... Qxc6 14. Rc1 Qxc4 $2 15. Nd5 Qa2 16. Ra1 Qxb2 17. Bd4 Nxd5 18. Bxb2 Bxb2 19. exd5) 14. a5 ({It is necessary to keep the d6 pawn weak.} 14. c5 d5 15. e5 Ne8 16. f4 Rb8 {with very serious counterplay.}) ({Muzychuk considered here} 14. b4 {but decided that} Ng4 {was very unpleasant.}) 14... Qc7 ({Safer it would be to go to the other side with} 14... Qe7) 15. Bb6 ({Sharper and probably equally good was} 15. Na4 d5 16. Bb6 Qf4 17. g3 Qg5 18. f4 Qh6) ({Anna said that she did not want to allow her opponent to build a strong structure.} 15. Qd2 c5) 15... Qb8 ({It was still not late to go other way} 15... Qe7) 16. Na4 ({Very unclear developments would follow after the rook transfer} 16. Ra3 Nd7 17. Rb3 Nxb6 18. Qd3 Qd8 19. Rxb6 Qg5) 16... Nd7 17. Be3 {Anna said that she must had to return with her bishop as it was threated to be cut off with c6-c5.} c5 18. Qd2 Qc7 ({ Black has problem with the d6 pawn, which could be solved in a slightly unusual way} 18... Rc8 19. Rfd1 Rc6) 19. Rfd1 Ne5 20. Nb6 Rad8 21. Ra3 { Typical rook transfer to increase the attacking power.} Nc6 ({An aggressive approach could lead to many weaknesses} 21... f5 22. Bg5 Rde8 23. exf5 (23. Qxd6 $2 Qxd6 24. Rxd6 Nf7) 23... Rxf5 24. Bh4 Bf8 25. Bg3) 22. Rd3 Rfe8 23. Bg5 ({A positional trap here was} 23. Rxd6 Bd4 24. Rxd8 Rxd8 25. Bxd4 Rxd4 26. Qe1 Qd6 {and although a pawn down Black creates huge pressure on the open file.}) 23... Rb8 ({White keeps a serious advantage after} 23... f6 24. Bf4 Nd4 25. b4) 24. Rxd6 Nd4 ({Another way did not work either} 24... Bd4+ 25. Rxd4 Nxd4 26. Bf6 Qd6 27. Qh6 Qf8 28. Qxf8+ Rxf8 29. b4 Rfe8 30. Bxd4 cxd4 31. Rxd4 {and White would have total control over most important files for the sacrificed exchange.}) 25. Rd7 Qc6 26. Ra7 Rxb6 {After the game Hou Yifan said that she did not see any other way, as activity does not help:} (26... f5 27. b4 fxe4 28. bxc5 Qxc5 29. Rxg7+) 27. axb6 Qxb6 28. Rd7 Qb3 29. Kh1 ({There was possible a sharper way of cashing in on the material advantage.} 29. Qd3 Qxb2 30. Rb1 Qa2 31. Rbb7) 29... Qxc4 30. Qf4 Rf8 ({Slightly better was} 30... e5 31. Qc1 Qb5 32. Ra7 Rb8 33. Qa1) 31. Rb7 Qa4 32. Re1 Nc2 $2 {Bad move, but the World Champion said she has not seen anything else to continue serious resistance.} 33. Rc1 Nb4 34. Qd2 Nc6 35. Qd7 h6 36. Be7 Ra8 37. Bxc5 Kh7 38. Bg1 1-0