Neo-Eurasianism

Ekaterina Valentinovna Kovalevskaya – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
3rd China–Russia Women’s Summit; 额尔古纳市 (É’ěrgǔnà), August 17, 2006
French Defence C11

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Be3 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Bc5 9. Qd2 0-0 10. 0-0-0 a6 11. h4 Nxd4 12. Bxd4 b5 13. Ne2 a5 14. f5 Bxd4 15. Nxd4 Nxe5 16. Bxb5 exf5 17. Nc6 Qb6 18. Nxe5 Qxb5 19. Qxd5 Qa6 20. Qd6 Qb7 21. Nd7 Bxd7 22. Qxd7 Qe4 23. Rhe1 Qf4+ 24. Kb1 Rab8 25. Qd4 Rb4 26. Qxf4 Rxf4 27. Rc1 Rxh4 28. c4 Rh6 29. Re5 Ra8 30. Rxf5 Kf8 31. b3 Rb6 32. Kb2 g6 33. Rd5 h5 34. c5 Rc6 35. a3 Rb8 36. Kc3 Re6 37. Rcd1 Re2 38. R1d2 Re1 39. Rd1 Re2 40. c6 Re6 41. Rc5 Rc8 42. c7 Ke7 43. Kc4 Rd6 44. Rc1 Rb6 45. b4 axb4 46. axb4 Kd7 47. b5 Rxc7 48. Rd1+ Rd6 49. Re1 Re6 50. Rd1+ Kc8 51. Rdd5 Re2 52. Kb4 Kb7 53. Rxc7+ Kxc7 54. g3 Re3 55. Rc5+ Kb7 56. Rd5 Rxg3 57. Rd7+ Kb6 58. Rd6+ Kc7 59. Rf6 Rg1 60. Rxf7+ Kd6

After many reversals, the position of the diagram was reached. A peaceful outcome should now be the overall outcome, but no — the last scenes are not yet come.
61. Rf2? This precipitates White into a lost ending. She should have played something like 61. Rh7! Rb1+ 62. Ka5 h4! 63. b6 (after 63. Rxh4?? Kc5 the b6-Pawn falls and with it the game) 63. ... Kc5 64. Rc7+ Kd6 65. Rg7 Kc5 with a draw.
61. ... h4−+ 62. Rd2+ Ke5 63. b6 Rb1+ 64. Kc5 g5 65. Rd5+ Kf6! (65. ... Kf4?? 66. Rd4+ K~ 67. Rb4=)
66. Rd6+ Kf5 67. Rd5+ Kg6 68. Kc6 h3 69. Rd6+ Kf5 70. Rd5+ Kg4 71. Rd4+ Kf3 72. Rd3+ Kg2 73. Rd2+ Kg3 74. Rd3+ Kh4 75. Rd2 g4 76. b7

76. ... g3?? A dramatic mistake that could have cost 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) the victory. 76. ... Rxb7! 77. Kxb7 g3−+ was probably the simplest way.
77. Rd4+ Kg5 78. Rd5+ Kg4 79. Rb5 Rc1+ 80. Kb6? His Majesty stepped on the wrong square. Both 80. Kd6 and 80. Kd7 would have saved the day: 80. ... Rd1+ 81. Ke7 Re1+ 82. Kf7 Rf1+ 83. Kg7 g2 84. b8=Q g1=Q with a book draw.
80. ... g2 81. Rb4+. If now 81. b8=Q then 81. ... g1=Q+ 82. Kb7 Qg2+ 83. Ka7 Qa2+ 84. Kb7 Qf7+ with mating attack
81. ... Kf5 82. Rb5+ Ke6 83. b8=Q g1=Q+ 84. Ka6 Ra1+ 85. Kb7

85. ... Qg2+ 86. Kb6 Qf2+ 87. Kb7 Qf3+ 88. Kb6 Qe3+ 89. Kb7 Qe4+ 90. Kb6 Qd4+ 91. Kb7 Qd7+ 92. Kb6 Qxb5+ 0 : 1.