侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk
Women’s World Chess Championship Knockout Tournament; Final match game 3; Nalchik, September 16, 2008
Spanish Game C88
Notes in quotation marks by Grandmaster Pál Charles Benkő, Chess Life, January 2009. p. 45.
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 0-0 8. h3 Bb7 9. d3 d5 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. Nxe5 Nd4 12. Nd2 Re8 13. c3!TN (13. Ndf3 Nxb3 14. axb3 f6 15. Ng4 Qd7 16. Bd2 c5 17. Qe2 h5 18. Ngh2 Bd6 19. Qf1 ½–½ Ivanchuk – Svidler, 3rd Aerosvit Chess Tournament, Foros 2008)
13. ... Nxb3 14. Nxb3 c5 15. Qh5 g6 16. Qf3 f6
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 0-0 8. h3 Bb7 9. d3 d5 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. Nxe5 Nd4 12. Nd2 Re8 13. c3!TN (13. Ndf3 Nxb3 14. axb3 f6 15. Ng4 Qd7 16. Bd2 c5 17. Qe2 h5 18. Ngh2 Bd6 19. Qf1 ½–½ Ivanchuk – Svidler, 3rd Aerosvit Chess Tournament, Foros 2008)
13. ... Nxb3 14. Nxb3 c5 15. Qh5 g6 16. Qf3 f6
17. Nxg6 (17. Ng4! h5 18. Nh6+ Kh7 19. Nf5!↑)
17. ... hxg6 18. c4 Qd7 19. cxd5 Bxd5 20. Qg3 g5 21. Be3 Rac8 22. Qg4 Qxg4 23. hxg4 Bd6 24. Rec1 Kf7 25. Nd2 Be5 26. Rc2 Be6 27. Ne4 c4! 27. ... Bxg4 28. Nxc5 Bf5 ensures Black at least a sound equality, but Kosteniuk aims at something more substantial.
28. dxc4 Rxc4 29. Rxc4 bxc4. “Black had sacrificed a Pawn but should retrieve it with two white pawns under fire”.
30. Rd1? “After 30. Bd4! White could have the upper hand (netting a Pawn) 30. ... Bxg4 31. Bxe5 (31. Nxg5+ fxg5 or even 31. ... Kg6 does not give much for White) 31. ... Rxe5 32. Re1 f5 33. Nd6+ Ke6 34. Rxe5+ Kxe5 35. Nxc4+ Kd4, winning a Pawn, though the Black King becomes quite active”.
30. ... Rb8! “After this it is White who must struggle to survive”.
31. b3 cxb3 32. axb3 Rxb3. Material equality is restored, and, futhermore, Black can boast of her Bishop pair and distant passed a-Pawn.
33. Bd4. White cannot but put up a strenuous and ultimately successful defence in a Rook ending a Pawn down.
33. ... Bxg4 34. f3 Bxd4+ 35. Rxd4 Be6 36. Rd6. “Though a Pawn down, White has succeeded in getting rid of the Bishop pair. The Rook naturally intends to get behind the passed Pawn”.
36. ... a5 37. Nc5 Rb1+ 38. Kf2 Bf5 39. Ra6 Rb5 40. Ne4 Bxe4 41. fxe4. “White has managed to escape into a theoretically drawn Rook endgame. The Black King is chained to the f6-Pawn and even trading it would not help”.
41. ... Rb2+ 42. Kf3 Ra2 43. Kg3 a4 44. Kf3 a3 45. Kg3 Ra1 46. Kh2 a2. “Liberating the Black King, but placing the Rook in the pillory”.
47. Kg3 Ke7 48. Kh2 Kd7 49. Kg3 Kc7 50. Kh2 Kb7 51. Ra3 Kb6 52. Ra8 Kb5 53. Rb8+ Kc4 54. Ra8 Kd4 55. Ra4+ Kd3 56. Kg3 Ke3 57. Kh2 Kf4
17. ... hxg6 18. c4 Qd7 19. cxd5 Bxd5 20. Qg3 g5 21. Be3 Rac8 22. Qg4 Qxg4 23. hxg4 Bd6 24. Rec1 Kf7 25. Nd2 Be5 26. Rc2 Be6 27. Ne4 c4! 27. ... Bxg4 28. Nxc5 Bf5 ensures Black at least a sound equality, but Kosteniuk aims at something more substantial.
28. dxc4 Rxc4 29. Rxc4 bxc4. “Black had sacrificed a Pawn but should retrieve it with two white pawns under fire”.
30. Rd1? “After 30. Bd4! White could have the upper hand (netting a Pawn) 30. ... Bxg4 31. Bxe5 (31. Nxg5+ fxg5 or even 31. ... Kg6 does not give much for White) 31. ... Rxe5 32. Re1 f5 33. Nd6+ Ke6 34. Rxe5+ Kxe5 35. Nxc4+ Kd4, winning a Pawn, though the Black King becomes quite active”.
30. ... Rb8! “After this it is White who must struggle to survive”.
31. b3 cxb3 32. axb3 Rxb3. Material equality is restored, and, futhermore, Black can boast of her Bishop pair and distant passed a-Pawn.
33. Bd4. White cannot but put up a strenuous and ultimately successful defence in a Rook ending a Pawn down.
33. ... Bxg4 34. f3 Bxd4+ 35. Rxd4 Be6 36. Rd6. “Though a Pawn down, White has succeeded in getting rid of the Bishop pair. The Rook naturally intends to get behind the passed Pawn”.
36. ... a5 37. Nc5 Rb1+ 38. Kf2 Bf5 39. Ra6 Rb5 40. Ne4 Bxe4 41. fxe4. “White has managed to escape into a theoretically drawn Rook endgame. The Black King is chained to the f6-Pawn and even trading it would not help”.
41. ... Rb2+ 42. Kf3 Ra2 43. Kg3 a4 44. Kf3 a3 45. Kg3 Ra1 46. Kh2 a2. “Liberating the Black King, but placing the Rook in the pillory”.
47. Kg3 Ke7 48. Kh2 Kd7 49. Kg3 Kc7 50. Kh2 Kb7 51. Ra3 Kb6 52. Ra8 Kb5 53. Rb8+ Kc4 54. Ra8 Kd4 55. Ra4+ Kd3 56. Kg3 Ke3 57. Kh2 Kf4
58. e5+!! Only this way! Any other move would lose; for instance: 58. g3+?? Kf3 and finis.
58. ... Kxe5. “Black’s achievements are but an illusion. This is drawn despite the two Pawns plus”.
59. g4! Kd5 60. Kg2 Kc5 61. Ra8 Kb4 62. Ra6. Claiming a draw two Pawns down is a success of which 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) can be proud.
62. ... Kc4 63. Ra3 Kd4 64. Ra6 Ke5 65. Ra4 Ke6. “Even if Black could trade the f6-Pawn for the g4 one, the position is a draw”.
66. Ra8 Ke5 67. Ra4 Re1 68. Rxa2 Kf4 69. Rf2+ Kxg4 70. Rxf6 Re2+ 71. Kg1 Kg3 72. Rf1 ½–½. “Kosteniuk ironically commented that Tarrasch was right in saying that every Rook ending is a draw. She also expressed her belief that 侯 (Hóu) will be a world champion one day”.
58. ... Kxe5. “Black’s achievements are but an illusion. This is drawn despite the two Pawns plus”.
59. g4! Kd5 60. Kg2 Kc5 61. Ra8 Kb4 62. Ra6. Claiming a draw two Pawns down is a success of which 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) can be proud.
62. ... Kc4 63. Ra3 Kd4 64. Ra6 Ke5 65. Ra4 Ke6. “Even if Black could trade the f6-Pawn for the g4 one, the position is a draw”.
66. Ra8 Ke5 67. Ra4 Re1 68. Rxa2 Kf4 69. Rf2+ Kxg4 70. Rxf6 Re2+ 71. Kg1 Kg3 72. Rf1 ½–½. “Kosteniuk ironically commented that Tarrasch was right in saying that every Rook ending is a draw. She also expressed her belief that 侯 (Hóu) will be a world champion one day”.
It should be noted, if only for curiosity’s sake, that 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) usually fills her inseparable pot with jujube red dates. Photo: chesspics.com. |
