Nurz Shazwani Zulkafli - IM Mariya Muzychuk : 1-0 !

WCM Nur Shazwani Zulkafli (2014) create a sensation  last Monday when she beat the first seed- IM Mariya Muzychuk ( 2469) from Ukraine   in round 1 of The 26th Summer Universiade (Individual Women). Shazwani (photo right) is 455 rating points lower then her opponent!

Mariya older sister is WGM Anna Muzychuk who current  rating is 2542.

Below is the game with annotation.


WCM  Nur Shazwani Zulkafli,  (2014) - IM Mariya Muzychuk  (2469) 
 Round 1, 15.8.2011,  The 26th Summer Universiade

Analyzed by centaur (Hairulov+Houdini)

1.e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. a3 Qc7 7. Be2 Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. Kh1 d6 10. f4 Bd7 11. Be3 a6 12. Qe1  Rac8 12... b5 is the recommended theory in this Sicilian Scheveningen variation.   



13. Qg3 Rfe8 14. Rad1 Bf8 15. f5
   

15...Kh8?!  This looks too slow. Probably black should play the standard idea of exchanging the knight on d4 with 15... Nxd4 16. Bxd4 and push 16... e5 with the idea of Bc6-Rd8 and d5 push later.    

16. Bg5 Be7 17. Nxc6 Bxc6 18. Bd3 b5 19. Rf3 e5 20. Qh4 Ng8 21. Qg3 Nf6 22. Qh4 Ng8 23. Rh3 h6 24. Bxe7 Rxe7  Probably better is to trade the queen with 24... Qxe7 25. Qxe7 Rxe7 and white's attack is less dangerous.

25. Rf1 Nf6 26. Rff3 Qd8
   

27. g4  Much stronger is 27. Rfg3! ( white is threatening 28.Qxf6!! gxf6 29.Rxh6++ checkmate! ) after 27.Rfg3! let see what happens if black plays:-

a) 27...Qf8 28. Rxg7! Qxg7 29. Rg3 Qf8 30.Qxf6+ winning

b)  27...Ng8 28.Nd5! Bxd5 (if 28... Ra7 29. f6) 29. f6 Be6 30. Qg5!! Qf8 31. fxg7+

c) 27... Rcc7 28. Qxf6 gxf6

IM Mariya Muzyuchuk. Photo from chessbase.com

27... d5? This is the main culprit. Black should strengthen her defense with 27... Ng8 although white still have the initiative for e.g 28.f6 Re6 ( not 28...Nxf6?? 29.Rxf6! with a winning attack.)    

28. g5 White tear apart black's defense.  

28...Ng8?  Black crumbles in face of a dire situation. Lesser evil is 28... Nh7 29. gxh6 f6 30. Rfg3 However white is still winning here.

29. gxh6 gxh6 30. f6! White create a mating net!  

30...dxe4 Of course black can't safe the rook for e.g 30...Rec7 31.Qxh6+! Nxh6 32.Rxh6+ Kg8 33.Rg3+ Kf8 34.Rh8++ checkmate.

Now it's a force mate in 4.

31. Qxh6+ Nxh6 32. Rxh6+ Kg8 33. Rg3+ 1-0 Black resign because it's checkmate next. 33... Kf8 34. Rh8# checkmate.