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.