Silk Road

The Chinese prodigy 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) won the ’İş Bankası Atatürk International Women Masters Chess Tournament in Istanbul, Turkey with 7 points out of 9, a clear point ahead of Sweden’s Pia Cramling. Leonard Barden, in his The Guardian column, enthusiastically wrote: “侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 14, has become the flag-bearer and promises to rival Hungary’s Judit Polgár as the best ever female player”.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Irina Borisivna Krush

’İş Bankası — Atatürk International Women Masters Chess Tournament; Istanbul, March 17, 2008

Sicilian Defence B33

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. Bd3 Be6 12. c4!? fxe4 13. Bxe4 Rc8 14. 0-0! This is much sharper than 14. cxb5 Nd4 15. bxa6? (Arndt – Gudaci, Ruhrgebiet 1999) and now 15. ... f5! would cause White insurmountable problems; for instance: 16. Bf3 Qa5+ 17. Nc3 Rxc3!−+ (Kavalek’s analysis). 14. ... Bg7 15. f4 Nd4 16. Qh5 b4? Krush does not hesitate to sacrifice a Pawn for the chimera of a discovered check. After 16. ... bxc4 17. f5 Bxd5 18. Bxd5 Qf6 19. Nxc4 White keeps an edge (Kavalek’s analysis). 17. Nxb4 Qb6 18. Nd5 Qxb2? An indigestible Pawn! Anyway, after 18. ... Bxd5 19. Bxd5 0-0 20. Kh1 White would have maintained a powerful initiative (20. ... Qxb2 21. f5+−), as usual enhanced by the presence of Bishops of opposite colours.

19. f5!+− Bxd5 If 19. ... Bd7 then 20. Qg5! Bf8 21. Rab1! Qxa3 22. Rb7 Rxc4 23. Nf6+ Kd8 24. Rxd7+ Kc8 25. Bb7+ Kb8 26. Nd5+− (Kavalek’s analysis). 20. Bxd5 0-0 21. f6! Naturally! 21. ... Bxf6 (20. ... Rf8 21. f6 Bxf6 22. Qh3 Rc7 23. Rab1 Qc3 24. Rxf6+−) 22. Be4! Rfd8 23. Qxh7+ Kf8 24. Qh6+ 1 : 0. For if 24. ... Bg7 then 25. Rxf7+! Ke8 (or 25. ... Kxf7 26. Bd5+ Kf8 27. Rf1+ Ke7 28. Qxg7+ Ke8 29. Qf7#) 26. Re7+! Kxe7 27. Qxg7+ Ke6 (27. ... Ke8 28. Bg6#) 28. Bd5+ Kf5 29. Rf1+ and mate in two moves.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) vs. Irina Borisivna Krush. Photo: awm2008.tsf.org.tr.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) at the awarding ceremony. Photo: awm2008.tsf.org.tr.

A Month in Manila with Bobby

On Thursday, October 4, 1973, The New York Times announced Bobby Fischer’s imminent trip (his first since he became World Chess Champion) to Manila, hired for $20,000 by the then President of the Philippines Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos to open the ceremonies of the 1st Philippines International Chess Tournamen. As survivors recall, “The first Philippine International chess tournament in 1973 marked the true take-off of Philippine chess. President Ferdinand E. Marcos and then world champion Bobby Fischer opened the event at the Araneta coliseum before a crowd of 25,000. The full 5 hours of each round was covered by national television”. Fischer then crossed swords (for the audience’s sake) with Marcos himself and the then President of the Philippines Chess Federation Florencio Campomanes. It was at that time that Fischer first knew Eugene Torre, as he himself recalled in a telephone interview from his Japanese detention cell in the summer of 2004.
For further insights on Fischer’s holiday trip in the Philippines, see the article by Casto Abundo, entitled “A Month In Manila with Bobby Fischer”, published on the FIDE web site on Thursday, March 6, 2008.

Near to

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Ivan Cheparinov
70th Corus Chess Tournament (B Group); Wijk aan Zee, January 26, 2008
Spanish Game C89

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 0-0 8. c3 d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. Rxe5 c6 12. Re1 Bd6 13. g3 Bf5 14. d4 Qd7 15. Be3 Rae8 16. Nd2 Bg4 17. Qc2 Bf5 18. Qd1 Bg4 19. Qc2 Re7 20. Bg5 Rxe1+ 21. Rxe1 h6 22. Be3 Re8 23. c4 Bf5 24. Qd1 Nb4 25. Nf1 Bg4. 25. ... Bf8! 26. c5 a5! seems to offer better opportunities for equality.
26. f3 Bf5 27. a3 bxc4 28. Bxc4 Nc2 29. Re2 Nxe3 30. Nxe3 Bg6

31. Bd3. Here White omits the most obvious move 31. Bxa6 which after, let’s say, 31. ... Bb8 32. Kg2 Ba7 33. Nc2 Rxe2+ 34. Qxe2 Bxc2 35. Qxc2 Qxd4 36. a4 would have yielded her a healthy extra Pawn with excellent winning chances.
31. ... Bxd3 32. Qxd3 Bc5 33. Nc2 Rxe2 34. Qxe2 Bxd4+ 35. Nxd4 Qxd4+ 36. Kg2 c5 37. b3 Kh7 38. a4 g6 39. Qc4 Qxc4 40. bxc4 g5 41. f4 gxf4 ½ : ½.

“Dear Prudence, won’t you come out to play”... Photo: ChessVibes.

The World Made Easy

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Christopher Heung
19th World Youth Chess Championship Under-10; Heraklion, November 12, 2004
Sicilian Defence B31

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. d3 Bg7 6. h3 e5 7. Be3 b6 8. Nbd2 Ne7 9. 0-0 0-0 10. a3 f5 11. exf5!?TN (11. Nc4⩲ Baklan – Shaw, 28th International Open, Cappelle-la-Grande 2002) 11. ... gxf5 12. Bg5 Qe8 13. Bxe7 Qxe7 14. Re1

14. ... Ba6? This costs Black a Pawn or more. Better was 14. ... Qc7 15. Nc4 Re8 (15. ... e4!? 16. dxe4 Ba6 17. Nd6 fxe4 18. Nxe4 Bxb2 19. Nfg5!⩲↑) 16. c3⩲ limiting White’s edge to acceptable proportions. 15. Nxe5 Bxe5? After 15. ... Qd6 16. Nec4 Qc7 17. Qe2 White comes out a Pawn ahead and much the better game. The text leads to a quick end. 16. Nf3 Qg7 17. Nxe5 f4 18. Qg4 Rf6 19. Re4 Bc8 20. Qxg7+ Kxg7 21. Rae1 Rb8 22. Nc4 Rb7 23. Re7+ Rxe7 24. Rxe7+ Rf7 25. Rxf7+ Kxf7 26. Nd6+ 1 : 0.

Großmeister-Remis

11th World Chess Champion Bobby Fischer (right) and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos (left) play a ceremonial game of chess during the opening of the 1st Philippines International Chess Tournament in Manila, October 16, 1973. In background, Marcos’s wife, Imelda Marcos, and Christina Ford. Others are unidentified. Photo: AP Photo.

High Stakes

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Mariam Danelia
18th World Youth Chess Championship Girls U-10; Kallithea, November 1, 2003
Sicilian Defence B52

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ Bd7 4. Bxd7+ Qxd7 5. 0-0 Nc6 6. c3 Nf6 7. Re1 e6 8. d4 cxd4 9. cxd4 d5 10. e5 Ne4 11. Re2 Be7 12. Ne1 h6 13. f3 Ng5 14. Nc3 0-0 15. f4 Nh7 16. Be3 Rac8 17. Nd3 Na5 18. f5 exf5 19. Nf4 Bg5. Very interesting is 19. ... Rxc3! 20. bxc3 Ng5 with more than enough compensation for the Exchange. 20. Nfxd5 Bxe3+ 21. Nxe3

21. ... Nc4? (21. ... Rfd8!=) 22. Nxc4 Rxc4 23. d5 Ng5 24. Qd3 Rfc8 25. Rd1 b5 26. d6± Kh8

27. h4? Too precipitate. Maybe 27. Rf2 is best, and if 27. ... f4 then 28. h4 Ne6 29. Nd5 with White still having the better of it. 27. ... Rxh4 28. Qxb5 Qxb5? This, quite inexplicably, simplifies into a hopeless ending. Black might have maintained the balance by 28. ... Qd8! (29. Qb7 f4⇄). 29. Nxb5+− a5 (29. ... Ne6 30. Nxa7 Ra8 31. Nb5 Rxa2? 32. d7 Ra8 33. Nc7!+−) 30. Na7 (30. d7 Rd8 31. Rc2+−) 30. ... Rd8 31. Rc2 Ne6 32. d7 Rg8 33. Nc6 g5 34. d8=Q Nxd8 35. Nxd8 Rg7 36. Rc7 Kg8 37. Rdd7 Re4 38. Ne6 Rxe5 39. Nxg7 Kxg7 40. Rxf7+ Kg6 41. Rg7+ Kh5 42. Rc6 Re1+ 43. Kf2 Rb1 44. Rb7 Rd1 45. Rbb6 Rd2+ 46. Kg3 f4+ 47. Kf3 Rd3+ 48. Ke2 Re3+ 49. Kf2 Rd3 50. Rxh6+ Kg4 51. Rhd6 Re3 52. Rb5 Kh5 53. Rxa5 Rg3 54. b4 Rc3 55. Rdd5 Rc2+ 56. Kg1 Rc1+ 57. Kh2 Rc2 58. Rxg5+ Kh6 59. Rgf5 Rf2 60. Ra6+ Kg7 61. Rc5 1 : 0.

La Princesse

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Nicholas Pert
800th Anniversary Summit Chess Match UK–China; Liverpool, September 6, 2007
French Defence C18

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Qg4 cxd4 8. cxd4 Qc7 9. Ra2 Nf5 10. Nf3 Nc6 11. Bd3 h5 12. Qf4 (12. Ng5 Ncxd4!) 12. ... Ncxd4 13. 0-0 Nxf3+ 14. Qxf3 Qxe5 15. Bb2 d4 16. Raa1 Nh4 17. Qh3 Qf4 18. Rae1 Qg4 19. Qxg4 hxg4 20. Bxd4

20. ... f6? (20. ... Kf8) 21. f3! Now Black’s Knight is in trouble (21. ... gxf3 22. g3+−). 21. ... Bd7. Likewise, after 21. ... e5 22. Bxe5 fxe5 23. Rxe5+ Kd8 24. fxg4 Bxg4 25. Rf4 Bd7 26. g3± White regains the piece with a Pawn ahead. 22. fxg4 0-0-0 23. Bxa7 Bc6 24. Rxe6 Bxg2 25. Rf2 Bd5 26. Re3 Rde8

27. Kf1? (27. Rh3) 27. ... Kc7 (27. ... Rxe3 28. Bxe3 Nf3) 28. Rfe2 Rxe3 29. Bxe3 g5 (29. ... Nf3 30. Bf4+ Kb6 31. Bg3 Bc6) 30. Bf2 Bg2+? (30. ... Nf3) 31. Kg1 Bc6 32. Bg3+ Kd7 33. Kf2 Ra8 34. Re3 Ra4 35. h3 Rd4 36. Ke2 Ng2 37. Bf5+ Kd8 38. Re6 Nf4+ 39. Bxf4 Rxf4 40. Rxf6 Bf3+ 41. Kd2 Bg2 42. Rg6 Bxh3 43. Rxg5 Ra4 44. Rg7 Bg2 45. Rd7+ Ke8 46. Rd3 Kf7 47. g5 Rf4 48. g6+ Kf6 49. Rg3 Rxf5 50. Rxg2 Kg7 51. Kc3 Rf1 52. Kb4 Rb1+ 53. Kc5 b6+ 54. Kc6 b5 55. Kb6 Rb2 56. Kc5 Rb1 57. c4 bxc4 58. Kxc4 Rc1+ 59. Kb5 Rb1+ 60. Ka5 Rb8 61. a4 Ra8+ 62. Kb5 Rb8+ 63. Kc6 Rc8+ 64. Kb7 Re8 65. a5 Re7+ 66. Kc6 Re6+ 67. Kd7 Rf6 68. Rg5 Rf1 69. Kc6 Ra1 70. Kb6 Re1 71. a6 Re6+ 72. Kb7 Re7+ 73. Kc8 Re8+ 74. Kd7 1 : 0.

Il Codice da Vinci

Interessantissimo articolo del Grande Maestro Raymond Keene dedicato all’arte (anche scacchistica) di Leonardo: “Renaissance chess master and the Da Vinci decode mystery”, Timesonline.co.uk, 10 marzo 2008.

Reunion

In the introduction that Albert Einstein wrote for Jacques Hannak’s posthumous biography of Emanuel Lasker, “Emanuel Lasker, The Life of a Chess Master” (Berlin, 1952), the Nobel Prize in Physics briefly sketched some of the composite and multifaceted personality of the “philosopher” Lasker and also replied, for the first time, to his objections to the theory of relativity. As Piergiorgio Odifreddi writes in his article “The Ideal Chessplayer”:

As might be expected of a man of such breadth of mind, Lasker’s interests extended as far as philosophy, with which even his chess books are imbued. In a critical essay aimed at refuting the relativity of time, he objected that it could not be excluded that the velocity of light in a complete vacuum was infinite, since no experiments could be done in a really complete vacuum. Einstein replied that, albeit sensible, the objection forced us to assume that the velocity of light was infinite in a vacuum, but finite and constant in the presence of any (even minimal) traces of matter. And he concluded, in his usual oracular way: a strong mind cannot take place of delicate fingers. Idem to say: speculative theories cannot be separated from practical experiments. Thus spoke the greatest physicist in the history.

The original hand-written text (in German language) of Einstein’s introduction is kept in the Albert Einstein Archives:

Homeric Rhythm

Arielle Le Bail – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
18th World Youth Chess Championship Girls U-10; Kallithea, October 24, 2003
Sicilian Defence B80

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. f3 e6 7. Be3 a6 8. Qd2 Be7 9. 0-0-0 Qc7 10. g4 b5 11. h4 Bb7 12. h5 Nd7 13. g5 Rc8 14. Bd3. Almost a week later, Noémi Szabó had no better luck with 14. Bh3 Nxd4 15. Qxd4 Ne5 16. f4 Nc4 17. Rh2 b4 18. Nb1 Qc5 19. Bg1 Qxd4 20. Rxd4 h6 21. b3 Na5 22. gxh6? (22. g6!) 22. ... Rxh6 23. Rxb4 Rxh5 24. Bxe6? Rxh2 25. Bxc8 Rh1 26. Bxb7 Rxg1+ 27. Kb2 d5−+ 28. Rb6 Nxb7 29. Rxb7 dxe4 30. Nc3 e3 31. Nd5 Bf6+ 32. Nxf6+ gxf6 33. Rb4 f5 34. Rb8+ Ke7 35. Rb7+ Kd6 0 : 1 N. Szabó – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 18th World Youth Chess Championship Girls U-10, Kallithea 2003. 14. ... Nxd4 15. Bxd4 b4

16. Nb1? Here White misses here her opportunity: 16. h6! bxc3 17. Bxc3 Rg8 18. hxg7 Ne5 19. Bxe5 dxe5 20. Rxh7 with three Pawns for the Bishop and plenty of great ideas. 16. ... Ne5 17. Qe2? Now Black loses a Pawn for nothing. 17. Bxe5 dxe5 18. g6 0-0! was unappealing but not disastrous. 17. ... Bxg5+ 18. Be3 Nxd3+ 19. Qxd3?? Blundering a piece. However, Black stands much better after 19. Rxd3 Bxe3+ (or 19. ... Bf6) 20. Rxd3 a5 — White can barely hope to hold it long. 19. ... Bxe3+ 20. Nd2

20. ... Qc4! 21. Qxc4 Rxc4 22. Rde1 Bf4 23. Rhg1 0-0 24. Rg4 Bxd2+ 25. Kxd2 Rfc8 26. e5 Rxc2+ 27. Kd3 Bxf3 28. Rd4 dxe5 29. Rxe5 Rxb2 30. Rc5 Re8 31. Rdc4 Be2+ 32. Kd4 Bxc4 33. Kxc4 Rc2+ 34. Kxb4 Rb8+ 35. Ka3 Rxc5 36. Ka4 Rc3 37. Ka5 Ra3 mate.

Autumn in Summer

Gundala Madanasri – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
18th World Youth Chess Championship Girls U-10; Kallithea, October 27, 2003
English Opening A36

1. e4 c5 2. c4 Nc6 3. Nc3 g6 4. g3 Bg7 5. Bg2 e6 6. Nge2 Nge7 7. 0-0 0-0 8. d3 d6 9. Be3 Nd4 10. f4 Nec6 11. Rb1 Rb8 12. Bf2. Usually White continues with 12. a3 followed by b2-b4. Now, as it goes on, Black shall soon get a very comfortable game. 12. ... a6 13. Nxd4 Nxd4 14. Ne2 b5 15. Nxd4 cxd4 16. b3 Bd7 17. Qd2 Qb6 18. Rfd1 bxc4 19. dxc4 e5 20. fxe5 dxe5 21. b4 Be6 22. Rdc1 Rfc8 23. c5 Qb5 24. Qc2 Bh6 25. Bf1 Qc6 26. Rd1 a5 27. a3 Ra8 28. Ra1 Bf8 29. Rdc1 Ra7 30. Be1

30. ... f5 (30. ... Qa8!∓) 31. Bc4 fxe4? (31. ... Rf7∞) 32. b5 Qe8 33. b6? White pushes the wrong Pawn. After 33. c6 Rf7 34. Bxa5 d3 35. Qb3 Bc5+ 36. Kg2 Bxc4 37. Qxc4 Bd4 38. Rab1 e3 39. Rf1 Black’s mass of centre Pawns is disarmed, while White’s Queenside Pawns roll on; for instance: 39. ... e2 40. Rf3 e4 41. Rf4 g5 42. Rf5 Be3 43. Qd5 d2 (43. ... h6 44. b6+−) 44. Rxg5+!+− and finis. 33. ... d3 34. Qb3 Bxc5+ 35. Kg2 Bxc4 36. Qxc4+ Rf7

37. Bxa5? Thus, White ends up losing the game. Correct was 37. b7 Rc7 38. Rab1 Qb8 39. Qxe4 Rxb7! 40. Rxb7 Qxb7 41. Qxb7 Rxb7 42. Rxc5 Rb2+ 43. Kh3 d2 liquidating to a book draw. 37. ... Qc6−+ 38. Rf1 (38. Bb4 e3+−+) 38. ... e3+ 39. Kh3 Qd7+ 40. g4 Kg7 41. Rxf7+ Qxf7 42. Qxf7+ Kxf7 43. Rb1 d2 44. Kg2 Bxb6 45. Rf1+ Ke6 46. Bxb6 e2 0 : 1.

Introspezione

The Steamroller and the Violin

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Maria Alexandrovna Butuk
18th World Youth Chess Championship Girls U-10; Kallithea, October 25, 2003
Caro-Kann Defence B13

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. c3 Qc7 6. h3 e6 7. Nf3 Bd6 8. 0-0 Nge7 9. b3!?TN Ng6 10. Na3 a6 11. c4 dxc4 12. bxc4

12. ... 0-0? 12. ... b6! was called for, with reasonable chances for equality.
13. c5± Be7 14. Nc4 Rd8 15. Be3 Nf4 16. Be4 Ng6 (16. ... Bxc5 17. Bxh7+ Kxh7 18. Qc2+ Kg8 19. dxc5±)
17. Qb3 Bf8 18. Rab1 Rb8 19. Rfd1 Na5 20. Nxa5 Qxa5 21. Rdc1 Qc7 22. Qb6 Qxb6 23. Rxb6 f5 24. Bd3. Black ended up totally crushed, and practically helpless against the threat of c5-c6.

24. ... e5? Black gets rid of the weakness on e6, but at too dear price. On the other hand, also 24. ... Ra8 25. Bc4 does not give any hope for recovery.
25. Bc4+ Kh8 26. Ng5 Rd7 27. c6 Rc7 28. Nf7+ Rxf7 29. Bxf7 exd4 30. Bxd4 Be7 31. Bxg6 hxg6 32. Be5 Ra8 33. cxb7 Bxb7 34. Rxb7 Bf6 35. Bxf6 gxf6 36. Rcc7 g5 37. Rh7+ Kg8 38. Rbg7+ Kf8 39. Rg6 Rb8 40. Rh8+ Kf7 41. Rxf6+ Kxf6 42. Rxb8 1 : 0.

That Little Something

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Viorel Iordăchescu
7th Aeroflot Open; Moscow, February 19, 2008
Caro-Kann Defence B19

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 Nd7 8. h5 Bh7 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 e6 11. Bf4 Qa5+ 12. Bd2 Bb4 13. c3 Be7 14. c4 Qc7 15. 0-0-0 Ngf6 16. Kb1 0-0 17. Rhe1 Rfd8 18. Qc2!?TN a5 19. a3 a4 20. Ne2 Ng4 21. Nf4 Ndf6 22. Bc1 Ra5 23. Qe2 Bf8⇆

24. Nh4 (24. g3 c5) 24. ... e5 25. dxe5 (25. Ne6?! fxe6 26. f3 e4! 27. fxg4 Qg3) 25. ... Rxe5 26. Qc2 Rxe1 27. Rxe1 Qa5 28. Re2 Nxh5 29. Nd3 Rd4 30. Nf3 Rd8 31. Nfe1

31. ... b5 32. c5 Ngf6? (32. ... Qa7! 33. f3 Ng3 34. fxg4 Nxe2 35. Qxe2 Bxc5) 33. Ne5 Rd5 (33. ... Qc7 34. g4 Rd5 35. N1d3 Nd7 36. Nxc6!) 34. N1d3 Nd7 35. Nxc6 Qc7 36. Ne7+ Bxe7 37. Rxe7 Qd8 38. Re1 Nhf6 39. c6 Nb6 40. Nb4 Rd4 41. Be3 Rc4 42. Rd1 Qb8 43. Qf5 Na8 44. Bxh6 1 : 0.