A Byzantine Iliad

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Nazí Nodarovna Paikidze
18th World Youth Chess Championship Girls U-10; Kallithea, October 31, 2003
Sicilian Defence B92

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 e5 7. Nb3 Be7 8. 0-0 Be6 9. Be3 0-0 10. Nd5 Bxd5 11. exd5 Nbd7 12. Qd3 Nc5 13. Bxc5. Critical is 13. Qd2!? Nfe4 14. Qb4 a5 15. Qb5 Qc7 16. Rfd1 b6 17. Qc4 f5 18. Bd3 Qd8 19. Nxc5 Nxc5 20. a3 Rc8 21. Qb5 e4 22. Bf1 Bf6 23. Rab1 Be5 24. b4 axb4 25. Rxb4 Nd7 26. Rc4 Rxc4 27. Qxc4 Qe8 28. Re1 Nf6 29. h3 Nd7 30. Qc7 f4 31. Bc1? (31 Bxb6 Nxb6 32. Qxb6 e3!? 33. fxe3 f3 34. gxf3 Qg6+ 35. Bg2 Qg3 36. Kf1 Rxf3+ 37. Bxf3 Qxf3+ ends with a draw by perpetual check) 31. ... e3! 32. Bb5 (32. fxe3 f3!−+) 32. ... exf2+ 33. Kxf2 f3! 0 : 1 Svidler – J. Polgár, 10th Torneo Ciudad de Dos Hermanas, Dos Hermanas 1999. On the other hand, American Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan very rightly regards 13. Nxc5 as a strategic imperative for White. 13. ... dxc5 14. Rad1 e4 15. Qe3 Qc7 16. Nd2 Bd6 17. Nxe4 Bxh2+ 18. Kh1 Nxe4 19. Qxe4 Rfe8 20. Qf3 Be5 21. b3 Qe7 22. Bd3 Rad8 23. g3 Rd6 24. Kg2 g6 25. Rfe1 Qd7 26. Qe2 Re7 27. c4 b6 28. Qd2 Rf6 29. f4 Bd4 30. Rxe7 Qxe7 31. Re1 Qd7 32. Qe2 Kg7 33. Qe7 Qg4 34. Be2 Qf5 35. d6 Re6 36. Bd3

36. ... Rxe7. Much simpler was 36. ... Qf6! forcing a liquidation to a drawish opposite-coloured Bishops endgame. By the text move Black gives up the Exchange for uncertain returns, probably overestimating his Queen-Bishop battery. 37. dxe7 Qxd3 38. e8=Q Qc2+ 39. Qe2 Qf5 40. Qe4 Qg4. Apparently safer was 40. ... Qc8 keeping a presence on the back rank. 41. Qb7. 41. Qd5 Bf6 42. Re8 was probably White’s best, threatening to mount an attack with Qd5-d6-f8+. 41. ... h5 (Δ ... h5-h4) 42. Qe7 Bf6 43. Qe2 Qd7 44. Rd1 Qc6+ 45. Rd5 Qc8

46. Rd6. 46. f5! was White’s last serious attempt at playing for the win. 46. ... Qc7 47. Rd5 h4 48. Qe4 hxg3 49. Kxg3 Qc8 50. Rd6 Qc7 51. Rc6 Qd8 52. Qd5 Qe7 53. Rxb6 Qe1+ 54. Kg2 Qe2+ 55. Kg3 Qe1+ 56. Kg2 Qe2+ 57. Kg3 ½ : ½.