Youth on the Move

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Tania Sachdev
24th World Junior Chess Championship Girls U-20; Yerevan, October 14, 2006
Sicilian Defence B43

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Bd3 Nf6 6. 0-0 Qc7 7. Nc3 b5 8. Re1 d6 9. a4 b4 10. Na2 e5 11. Nf3!? The theory continuation was 11. Nf5 Bxf5 12. exf5 Nc6 13. Bg5 with a safe edge for White, Bezgodov – Ozolin, Izhevsk 2005.
11. ... Nc6 12. Bg5 Be6!? Rather than continuing with 12. ... Be7, Sachdev goes for a risky strategy.
13. Bxf6 gxf6 14. c3 bxc3 15. Nxc3 Bh6 16. a5 Qb7 17. Nh4. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) doesn’t hesitate to sacrifice a Pawn for taking control of the board, being confident that the presence of opposite-coloured Bishops will favour her initiative.
17. ... Qxb2 18. Nd5 Bxd5 19. exd5 Ne7 20. Qh5 Qd2 21. Qf3 Bg5 22. Nf5 Nxf5 23. Bxf5 Ke7 24. Rec1 Ra7. The rest of the game must have been played with an eye stuck on the clock.
25. h4!? Bxh4 26. Rc2 Qb4 27. Qe3 Rb7 28. Rac1? This very natural move could actually dissipate White’s advantage. Best seems 28. g3 Bg5 (28. ... Rg8 29. Bc8 doesn’t look any better) 29. f4 Bh6 30. Rh2 winning material (due to the double threat of Rh2xh6 and Ra1-b1).

28. ... Qxa5! Perhaps 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) had envisioned something like 28. ... Bg5 29. Rc7+ Kf8 30. Rc8+ Kg7 31. Rxh8 Bxe3?? (but 31. ... Kxh8 32. Qh3 Qh4 holds everything together) 32. Rxh7+ Kf8 33. fxe3 with irresistible attack.
29. f4 Rg8!? There’s nothing wrong with it, but 29. ... Qb6!= might have been simpler.
30. Qh3 Bg3 31. Qxh7. With the threat of Bf5-e6.
31. ... Qb6+? This proves to be a fatal loss of time! Correct was 31. ... Rf8! defending everything: 32. fxe5 Bxe5 33. Be6!? Qb6+ 34. Kh1 f5! (threatening ... Rf8-h8) 35. Rc8 Qb2 36. R1c7+ Rxc7 37. Rxc7+ Ke8 38. Rc8+ with perpetual check.
32. Kh1 Qd8. Now it’s too late for 32. ... Rf8 because of 33. Rc6 Qd8 34. fxe5 Rh8 (or 34. ... fxe5 35. Rc8+−) 35. exd6+ Bxd6 36. Re1+ Be5 37. Rxe5+ fxe5 38. Re6+ Kd7 39. Rh6+ winning decisive material.
33. Rc8 1–0.

我要高飛 (Fame)

John van der Wiel – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
69th Corus Chess Tournament (C Group); Wijk aan Zee, January 15, 2007
Sicilian Defence B96

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Qc7 8. Bxf6 gxf6 9. f5 Nc6 10. fxe6 fxe6 11. Be2 Nxd4 12. Qxd4 Qf7!?TN 13. Na4 Bd7 14. Nb6 Rd8 15. 0-0 Be7 16. Nxd7 Rxd7 17. Qc4 Rg8 18. Rf4 Rg5 19. Bg4 Re5 20. Qc8+ Bd8 21. Raf1 Rc7 22. Qb8 Kd7 23. c4 Be7 24. Kh1 Qe8 25. Qa7 Qc8 26. Be2 b5 27. Qd4 bxc4 28. Rh4 f5. After putting up a tight defence almost in Steinitz’s style, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) is now ready to settle down. Apparently puzzled by Black’s stunning defence, however, van der Wiel melts himself into a mirage:

29. exf5?? White had to be content with 29. Rd1 Rxe4 30. Rxe4 fxe4 31. Qxe4 Qb7 with a dynamic balance.
29. ... Rxe2 30. f6 Qg8! 31. Rg4 Bxf6! The second zwischenzug puts the final nail in White’s coffin and well illustrates the remarkable tactical sensibility of the 12 year old 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán).
32. Qf4 Qd8! 33. Qf3 Re5 34. Rf4 Be7 35. Rf7 Rcc5 36. Qb7+ Qc7 37. Qa8 Rf5! 0–1.

Cover Story

Chess prodigy 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) takes on the 国际象棋杂志（2007年夏） | Chess Magazine Summer 2007 issue.

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