Muzychuk Leads At Women's World Championship Final Halfway

On Friday IM Mariya Muzychuk grabbed the lead in the Women's World Championship's final. The Ukrainian player defeated WGM Natalija Pogonina with the white pieces after a draw in the first game.

Photo Eteri Kublashvili.

If WGM Natalija Pogonina will be crowned world champion in two or three days from now, she will be the ultimate comeback queen indeed. She needs to win at least one of the remaining two classical games in the final, after losing the second.

But first things first: game one. It was a rather quiet, but tense start of a final that is played over four classical games, and if necessary a playoff on Monday.

IM Mariya Muzychuk faced 1.d4, Pogonina's regular move, which she used against all opponents except Pia Cramling. In an Anti-Meran Black equalized comfortably, but as long as that c-pawn was still on c6, White could hope for an advantage.

The critical moment was on move 27, when Pogonina could have maneuvered her knight to f5. A knight on f5 is a strong concept known from e.g. the Ruy Lopez, and Pogonina certainly noticed it. “I saw that move but evaluated the resulting position incorrectly,” she said after the game.

Muzychuk: “I was short on time. After 27.Nd4 I planned to play 27...Qd7, but cannot say I studied it deeply, because it was unclear what move Natalia chooses. My idea was to carry out ...Bb6 and ...с5.”

The second game was truly a fantastic battle between the two ladies. In a Breyer Ruy Lopez, Muzychuk played the sideline 11.a4!? which resulted in a rather normal Breyer middlegame, except that Black's kingside was less weakened with her h-pawn still on h7.

White went for the typical f4-break, which makes the d4-square available but gives up e5 for Black. Normally Black would like to put a knight there, but Pogonina used it for her heavy pieces instead.

White kept a slight advantage, which became bigger after a risky pawn sacrifice on the queenside by Pogonina. Muzychuk played a strong exchange sacrifice, then won it back and then decided everything with a killing knight sac on h5. 

Here's the game annotated by GM Dejan Bojkov:

2015 Women's World Championship | Final

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The third game of the final will be played on Saturday and, if Muzychuk doesn't win, the fourth on Sunday. If necessary, a playoff follows on Monday.

The Women's World Championship takes place March 17-April 7 in Sochi, Russia. World Champion GM Hou Yifan is not defending her title; she took part in the Hawaii Chess Festival instead.

The total prize fund of the championship is U.S. $450,000. Every player gets $3,750, those who make it to round two get $5,500, for round three it is $8,000, round four $12,000, round five (semifinals) $20,000, the silver medalist $30,000, and the winner $60,000.