1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Bg5 O-O 6. Qd2 Na6 7. f4

A rare continuation, continuing Zenyuk's current trend for this tournament.

7... c6 8. Bd3

GM Varuzhan Akobian tried 8. Nf3 against Seth Homa at the 2007 Chicago Open 8... Nc7 9. Bh4 d5 10. e5 Ne4 11. Qe3 Nxc3 12. bxc3 f6 13. Bd3 dxc4 14. Bxc4+ Nd5 15. Qd2 Bf5 16. O-O Kh8 17. a4 Qa5 18. Be1 Bh6 19. g3 Rad8 20. Bd3 fxe5 21. Nxe5 Nf6 22. Rb1 Nd7 23. Bxf5 Rxf5 24. Ng4 Bg7 25. Ne3 Rff8 26. Qc2 c5 27. c4 Qa6 28. d5 Bd4 29. Bf2 Nb6 30. Rfc1 Rd7 31. Ng4 Qxa4 32. Bxd4+ cxd4 33. Qe4 1-0 Akobian,V (2574)-Homa,S/Oak Brook 2007

8... Nc7 9. Nf3 Bg4 10. Bc2 Ne6

Black is doing ok from the opening as white's pawns may have over-reached a little.

11. O-O-O Nd7 12. Qf2

A move like 12. Ne2 would have secured the pawns a little more but I feel Zenyuk had already seen the pawn sacrifice coming and felt it possibly offered more.

12... Bxf3 13. gxf3 h6 14. Bh4 Nxf4

Melekhina accepts the pawn. White has active pieces and an open g-file in compensation.

15. Qd2 g5

15... Ne6 and black gets some counterplay against the d4 pawn with 16. Ne2 c5

16. Bf2 Nh3 17. Be3 e5

Melekhina thought this was worth putting her knight on the h3 square and rerouting the white bishop from h4 to e3. I'm not so sure.

18. Ne2 b5 19. cxb5 cxb5 20. Bb3 Nb6 21. Kb1 Qf6 22. Rhf1 Rfd8 23. Ng3 a5?!

Black's attack comes too slow. It was imperative to cut off the white bishop's scope with 23... Nc4 24. Bxc4 bxc4 25. Nf5 Rab8

24. dxe5 dxe5 25. Nh5!

Black's queen is trying to protect too many pieces.

25... Qg6 26. Qxd8+! Rxd8 27. Rxd8+ Kh7 28. Ng3 a4 29. Bxf7 Qxf7 30. Bxb6 Qf6?!

30... Nf4 Black has to bring the wayward knight back into the game although defending this position may prove difficult.

31. Ba5 b4 32. Rd7 Qa6 33. Bc7?!

33. Bxb4 was simplest 33... Qb5 34. Rfd1! Qxb4 35. Nf5

33... Qb5 34. Re7?

Zenyuk throws away any advantage she had in time trouble 34. Rfd1 Nf4 35. Nf5 Nh5 36. Re7 still leaves white with a winning advantage.

34... b3?

In mutual time trouble Melekhina misses her chance to fight back in the game 34... Qd3+! 35. Ka1 Kg6 and Zenyuk would have had to play accurately to secure the draw with 36. Re6+ (36. Bxe5?! Bxe5 37. Rxe5 a3 38. Re6+ Kf7! 39. Rc6 Nf2! 40. Rfc1 axb2+ 41. Kxb2 Nd1+ 42. Rxd1 Qxd1) 36... Kf7 37. Rd6 Qc2 38. Nf5 a3 39. Rd7+ Kf6 40. Rd6+ Kf7 41. Rd7+=

35. Bxe5

After black missed the chance to equal the game, the rest is fairly easy for white and the game is finished off in just a few more moves.

35... bxa2+ 36. Ka1 Kg8 37. Rxg7+ Kf8 38. Bc3 a3 39. Rd1 axb2+ 40. Bxb2 Qb6 41. Nf5 Nf4 42. Ba3+ Ke8 43. Nd6+ 1-0 [Bird C.]