L’Ombre chinoise

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Mathilde Choisy
Trophée Multicoms; 3rd China–France Match; Paris, September 6, 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 Nc5 11. Kh1 d5 12. Nxe5 Ncxe4 13. Bxe4 dxe4 14. Qe2 Bf5 15. g4 Be6? Best is 15. ... Bc8 16. Rd1 Qe8 17. g5 Nd7 18. Nc4 f6 19. Nd5 fxg5 20. fxg5 b5 21. axb5 e3 22. Bxe3 Bxg5 23. Nd6 Qe5 24. Qc4 Kh8 25. Bxg5 axb5 26. Qe4 Rxa1 27. Rxa1 Qxg5 28. Rg1 Qe5 29. Qxe5 Nxe5 30. Nxc8 Rxc8 31. Re1 Nc6 32. c3 Kg8 33. Ne7+ Nxe7 34. Rxe7 b4 35. cxb4 Rc2 36. b3 Rc3 37. Kg2 Rxb3 38. Rb7 h6 39. b5 Kh7 40. Rb6 ½–½ 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Najer, 7th Aeroflot Open, Moscow 2008.
16. f5 Bd5? 16. ... Qc7! may give more scope for complications.
17. Rd1 Bd6 18. Nxd5 Bxe5 19. Bg5!? 19. Ne3 Nd7 20. g5 was probably the most methodical and scientific way of tightening the grip.
19. ... Qe8! 20. Bxf6 gxf6. 20. ... Bxf6!? was also worth considering, as after 21. Nc7 Qc6 22. Nxa8 Rxa8 Black’s exceptionally strong dark-square Bishop may well offer compensation for the Exchange.
21. Ra3

21. ... Rd8? After 21. ... h6 22. Rh3 Kg7 23. Rxh6! Rh8 (not 23. ... Kxh6? because of 24. Qe3+ Kg7 25. g5!+− with a mating attack) 24. Rh5±→ White would retain both material advantage and the attack. Black’s best was probably 21. ... Kh8!, so she could reply to 22. Rh3 with 22. ... Rg8 apparently avoiding the worst consequences.
22. Rh3. With the deadly threat of g4-g5.
22. ... Rxd5 23. Rxd5 Qc6 24. c4 Qxa4 25. g5 Qa1+ 26. Rd1 Qxb2 27. Qh5 Re8 28. g6! fxg6 29. Qxh7+ Kf8 30. Qh8+ 1–0.