Monday, March 10, 2008

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.