Hair Matters

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Elena Kairatovna Tairova
3rd China–Russia Women’s Summit Match; 额尔古纳市 (É’ěrgǔnà), August 19, 2006
Sicilian Defence B93

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. f4 e5 7. Nf3 Nbd7 8. a4 Be7 9. Bd3 0-0 10. 0-0 exf4 11. Bxf4 Qb6+ 12. Kh1 Qxb2 13. Nd5 Nxd5 14. exd5 Nc5 15. Qe2 Nxd3 16. Qxd3 Qb6. Another story is 16. ... Qb4 17. c4 (17. Bg5 Bxg5 18. Nxg5 Qh4 19. Ne4 Rd8 20. Qe3 f5 21. Nxd6 Qf6 22. Nc4 Bd7 23. Nb6 f4 24. Qb3 Rab8 25. Rae1 Bg4 26. h3 Bh5 27. c4 f3 28. c5 Re8 29. d6 Kh8 30. Rxe8+ Rxe8 31. gxf3 Qh4 32. f4 Re1 33. Rxe1 Qxe1+ 34. Kg2 Bg6 35. f5 Bxf5 36. Qb2 Be4+ 37. Kh2 Qh1+ 38. Kg3 Qf3+ 39. Kh2 Qf4+ 40. Kg1 Qg3+ 0 : 1 Lékó – Gelfand, 4th “Investbank” Tournament, Belgrade 1995) 17. ... Re8 18. Nd2 Bf6 19. Rac1 Bb2 20. Rce1 Bd7 21. Rb1 Qc3 22. Qxc3 Bxc3 23. Rxb7 Bxa4 24. Nb1 Bf6 25. Bxd6 Bc2 26. Nd2 Bd3 27. Rd1 Be2 28. Rdb1 Bc3 29. Bb4 Bxd2 30. Bxd2 Bxc4 31. d6 Bd5 32. R7b6 h6 33. Ba5 Red8 34. Rd1 Be6 35. Kg1 Rd7 36. Rc1 Kh7 37. Rcc6 Rda7 38. Rc7 Rxc7 39. dxc7 Rc8 40. Rxa6 Kg6 41. Kf2 Kf5 42. Rd6 Ra8 43. Bb6 Ra2+ 44. Ke3 Rc2 45. Kd3 Rc1 46. Rd8 Rc6 47. Rb8 h5 48. Ba5 Rc5 49. Bb6 Rc6 50. Rb7 Bc8 51. Rb h8 Be6 52. Kd4 Rc4+ 53. Ke3 Rc3+ 54. Kd4 Rc4+ 55. Kd3 Ke5 ½ : ½ 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 诸宸 (Zhū Chén), 5th North Urals Cup, Krasnoturinsk 2007.
17. Rae1 Qd8 18. Qe4 Bf6 19. Qb4 a5 20. Qa3. After 20. Qxd6? Bf5 the power of Black’s Bishop pair would tell.
20. ... Ra6 21. Nd2 Bg5 22. Qe3 Bxf4 23. Qxf4 Bd7 24. Re3 f5 25. Rfe1 Qf6 26. h3 h6 27. Rb1 Bc8 28. Qc4 Kh7 29. Rbe1 Rb6 30. Qc7

30. ... Qd8 31. Qc3 Qf6 32. Qxa5 Rb2 33. Qc7 f4 34. Re8. If 34. Re7 then 34. ... f3! 35. Nxf3 (35. Rxg7+?? Qxg7 36. Re7 fxg2+ 37. Kg1 Rb1+!−+) 35. ... Bxh3! 36. Rxg7+ Qxg7 37. Re7 Bxg2+ 38. Kh2 Rg8 with an unbalanced balance.
34. ... Rxe8 35. Rxe8 Bf5 36. Qb8

36. ... Bd7? A careless move that loses right off. First 36. ... Rxc2 and if 37. Nf3 then 37. ... Bd7 was perfectly fine for Black.
37. Ne4! Rb1+ 38. Kh2 Qd4 39. Rh8+ Kg6 40. Qxd6+ Kh5 (40. ... Kf5 41. Qxd7+ Kxe4 42. Re8++−)
41. Qxf4 Qg1+ 42. Kg3 Qe1+ 43. Nf2 Rb4 44. Qf7+ g6 45. Qf3+ Kg5. Threat: ... Qe1-e5+ followed by mate.

46. Kh2!! A problem-like solution.
46. ... Qe5+ 47. g3 Qxh8 (47. ... Bf5 48. Nd3+−)
48. h4+ Rxh4+ 49. gxh4+ Kxh4 50. Qf4+ Kh5 51. Kg3! 1 : 0.