Back in Time

Vera Valerievna Nebolsina – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

1st “火炬地产杯” (“Torch Real Estate Cup”) Chinese Chess League; 济南 (Jìnán), April 23, 2005

Modern Benoni A75

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 c5 3. d5 e6 4. c4 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. Nc3 g6 7. e4 a6 8. a4 Bg4 9. Be2 Bxf3 10. Bxf3 Bg7 11. Bf4. Three years later, just another blitz story: 11. 0-0 Nbd7 12. Be2 0-0 13. Be3 (13. a5) 13. ... Rb8 (13. ... Qe7 14. f3 Nh5!?) 14. Qd2 Qe7 15. f3 Ne8 16. Kh1 Nc7 17. Rab1? (17. Bg5) 17. ... b5 with good play for Black, Topel – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 1st World Mind Sports Games, Women’s Team Blitz Tournament, 北京 (Běijīng) 2008 (time control: 3 minutes plus 2 seconds per move).
11. ... Qe7 12. 0-0 Nbd7 13. Re1 0-0 14. a5 Ne8 15. Qd2 Rb8 16. Be2 Nc7 17. Bg5 Qe8 18. Bf1 b5 19. axb6 Rxb6 20. Na4 Rb4 21. Qc2 Nb6 22. Nc3 Qe5 23. Be3 Nc4 24. Bxc4. After 24. Bc1 Nb5! 25. Rxa6 Nd4 the position is in dynamic equilibrium — but maybe a little easier for Black.
24. ... Rxc4 25. Qd2 Qe7 26. Bf4 Qd7 27. Qd3 Rb4 28. Qg3 Rd8

29. Re2? The wrong Rook. Both 29. Ra2 and 29. e5 would allow White to maintain her position.
29. ... Nb5! 30. Nxb5? Not a good move, but it’s hard to give a good advice: 30. Rxa6?? Nxc3 loses right off, while on other moves Black can play ... Nb5-d4.
30. ... Qxb5 31. Rae1 Rxb2 32. Rxb2 Qxb2 33. Bxd6 Qb4. That’s the point! Black wins at least a Pawn, remaining with a won ending.

34. Rd1. 34. f3?? is unplayable because of 34. ... Rxd6! winning on the spot, while after 34. Rf1 Qxe4 35. Bxc5 Qxd5 36. Qa3 Qc6 Black’s passed a-Pawn would make the difference.
34. ... Qxe4 35. h3 (35. Bxc5?? Qc2−+)
35. ... Bd4 36. Qb3 Qf5 37. Rc1 Qxf2+ 38. Kh2 Qe3 39. Qxe3 Bxe3 40. Bc7 Rxd5 41. Ra1 Rd7 42. Bb6 Rd6 43. Rxa6 Kg7 44. Ra3 Bf4+ 45. g3 Bxg3+ 46. Kxg3 Rxb6 0–1.

The Return of the Pink Panther

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk – Natalia Oleksandrivna Zhukova
2nd FiNet Chess960 Women’s Rapid World Championship; Mainz, July 29, 2008

rqnbnkbr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RQNBNKBR w w HAha - 0 1

Position #413

1. Nf3 c5 2. h4 Nf6 3. c4 h6 4. Nb3 Bh7 5. Bc2 Bxc2 6. Qxc2 b6 7. d4 cxd4 8. Nbxd4 Qb7 9. Bh2 Bc7 10. Bxc7 Qxc7 11. e4 Ng4 12. h5 Ne5 13. Rc1 Nxf3 14. Nxf3 Nd6 15. e5 Nb7

16. Rh4! Nc5 17. Rd1. White didn’t need to castle to find the best synthesis between King safety and development. 17. ... 0-0 18. Rg4 f5?! 19. Rgd4 Rad8 20. Nh4 Rf7 21. Ng6 Ne6 22. Rd5 Nf8 23. Nf4 Rc8 24. b3 e6

25. R5d4? It does seem quite a doubtful offer. White could simply continue 25. Rd6 b5 26. R1d4 maintaining her powerful bind. 25. ... Qxe5 26. Ng6 Qh2 27. Rh4 Qc7 28. Qc3 Nxg6. 28. ... d5 doesn’t make all that difference, as after 29. Qe1 Black would take on g6 anyway. 29. hxg6 Rf6 30. Rxh6 b5?? A self-mating blunder due to time shortage. 30. ... Qf4! seems fine for Black.

31. Rh8+! Kxh8 32. Qh3+ Kg8 33. Qh7+ Kf8 34. Qh8+ Ke7 35. Qxg7+ Ke8 36. Qxf6 Qh2 37. Qf7+ 1–0.

To castle or not to castle, that is the question... Photo: Pufichek.

Girl Code

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Lê Quang Liêm
47th World Junior Chess Championship; Gaziantep, August 15, 2008
Sicilian Defence B78

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 0-0 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. Bc4 Bd7 10. 0-0-0 Rc8 11. Bb3 Ne5 12. Kb1 Nc4 13. Bxc4 Rxc4 14. g4 Qc7 15. Nb3?! A strange move that would make sense if the Black Queen were on a5. Theoretically speaking, a critical line is 15. g5 Nh5 16. Nd5 Qd8 17. Ne2⩲ Tiviakov – Alterman, 3rd Tan Chin Nam Cup, 北京 (Běijīng) 1997.
15. ... Be6 (15. ... b5!?)
16. Bh6. The story has an illustrious background: 16. Nd4 Rc8 17. Nce2 Qd7 18. b3 R4c7 19. c4 a6 20. Nxe6 Qxe6 21. Bb6 Rc6 22. Be3 Nd7 23. Qd5 Qxd5 24. exd5 R6c7 25. Nd4 Nf6 26. a4 Nd7 27. Rhe1 Nc5 28. Ka2 e6 29. dxe6 fxe6 30. Nc2 b5 31. Bxc5 Rxc5 32. Rxd6 bxa4 33. bxa4 Rxc4 34. Na3 Rxa4 35. Rexe6 Rc3 36. Rxa6 Rcxa3+ 37. Kb1 Rxa6 0–1 Winston – A. J. Miles, 13th World Junior Chess Championship, Manila 1974.
16. ... Bxh6 17. Qxh6

17. ... Rxc3! 18. bxc3 Rc8 19. Qe3 Nd7 20. h4 Ne5 21. h5

21. ... Bxb3?? The opening the c-file proves to be catastrophic. Of course, 21. ... Qxc3 at once was good enough.
22. cxb3 Qxc3 23. Qxc3 Rxc3 24. Rc1+− Rc5 (24. ... Rxf3 25. Rc7+−)
25. Rxc5 dxc5 26. Rd1 Kg7 27. hxg6 Kxg6 28. Rd5 Nxf3 29. Rxc5 Nh2 30. Rc7 Nxg4 31. Rxb7 h5 32. Rxa7 h4 33. Rxe7 h3 34. Rc7 Nf2 35. Rc1 Kg5 36. a4 Nxe4 37. a5 Nd6 38. a6 Nb5 39. Kc2 f5 40. Kd3 Kh4 41. Kc4 Na7 42. b4 h2 43. b5 Nc8 44. Kc5 1–0.

Stollen

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Maia Grigorievna Chiburdanidze
38th Women’s Chess Olympiad; Dresden, November 23, 2008
Caro-Kann Defence B14

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nf3 Bb4 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. Qc2 Nc6 9. Bd3 h6 10. 0-0 Nf6 11. Be3 0-0 12. Rac1 Bd6. Threatening ... Nc6-b4.
13. Qe2 b6 14. Rfd1 Bb7 15. Bb1 Qe7 16. a3 Rfd8 17. Nd2 Nb8 18. Nde4 Nbd7 19. Re1 Rac8

20. Rcd1? In a typical isolani position with pros and cons, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) falls asleep and makes a grave mistake that loses a Pawn for nothing.
20. ... Nxe4 21. Nxe4 Bxh2+! 22. Kxh2 Bxe4 23. Bxe4 Qh4+ 24. Kg1 Qxe4. Finally Black has gained the Pawn almost for free as she is already eyeing the isolated d4-Pawn, so now it is no longer a matter of good and bad ideas, but rather a matter of technique.
25. Qa6. Also deserving consideration is 25. d5!? so as to interfere on the diagonal a8-h1 after 25. ... exd5 26. Qa6 — if nothing else, that may offer a more stubborn resistance.
25. ... Qa8 26. Bf4 Nf8 27. Bg3 Rd7 28. Qd3 Qd5 29. Re2 Ng6 30. Red2 Rcd8 31. Qc3 Ne7 32. Bf4 Nf5 33. f3 Qb7 34. g4 Ne7 35. Bg3 Rd5 36. Bh4 Rc8 37. Qe3 Ng6 38. Bg3 Qd7 39. Kg2 Rd8 40. Be1 h5! The time control reached, Black finally presents the bill.
41. gxh5 Rxh5 42. Bg3 Rd5 43. Be1 Ne7 44. Bf2 e5! 45. Qe4 Nf5 46. Bh4 f6 47. Bf2 exd4 48. Rd3 Re8 49. Qf4 Re2 50. Kf1 Rxb2 51. Qb8+ Kf7 52. Rc1 Ne7 53. Qg3 Qb5 54. Rcd1 Rb1 0–1.

Acquaintances

阮露斐 (Ruǎn Lùfěi) – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
Women’s Zonal 3.3 Tournament; 北京 (Běijīng), October 22, 2005
Sicilian Defence B85

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 e6 7. 0-0 Be7 8. f4 Qc7 9. a4 0-0 10. Kh1 Nc6 11. Be3 Re8 12. Bd3 Nb4 13. a5 Bd7 14. Qe1 Rac8 15. Qg3 Nh5 16. Qf3 Nf6 17. Qg3 Nh5 18. Qf3 Nf6. A tabiya from the Scheveningen Variation, which usually ends here with a draw by repetition, the first occurrence being in Psakhis – Kasparov, 30th Chess Olympiad, Manila 1992. 阮露斐 (Ruǎn Lùfěi) tries for a win instead, but with little luck.
19. Bg1 Bc6 20. Qe2 Nxd3 21. cxd3 Nd7 22. Nb3 Bf8 23. d4 Nf6 24. Rac1 Qd8 25. Qf3 b5 26. axb6 Qxb6

27. d5 Qxb3 28. dxc6 Rxc6 29. e5 Nd5 30. f5 Nb4 31. fxe6 Qxe6 32. Rce1 dxe5 33. Rxe5 Qd7 34. Rf5 f6 35. Qg3 Kh8 36. Qh4 Qf7 37. Ne4 Rc4 38. Ng5?? A blunder under time pressure. 38. R5f4! (threatening both Ne4xf6 and Ne4-g5) would give White hope of of defending herself.
38. ... Rxh4 0–1.

Another Date

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk

Women’s World Chess Championship Knockout Tournament; Final match game 1; Nalchik, September 14, 2008

Spanish Game C90

Notes by International Master Evgeny Yakovlevich Gik, «Наука и жизнь» (Science and Life), No. 11, 2008.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 0-0 8. a3 d6 9. c3 Bg4 10. d3. White wishes to avoid theory, but her play is somewhat passive, and Alexandra Konstantinovna will not meet any difficulties. 10. ... Na5 11. Bc2 c5 12. h3 Bd7 13. d4 Qc7 14. d5. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) closes the centre, which in the present situation is to her opponent’s advantage. The sharper 14. b4 was worth considering here. 14. ... c4 15. Nbd2 Nb7 16. Nf1 Nc5

17. g4. Having no prospects on the Queenside, White launches herself toward the Kingside. But the black squares on the Kingside are now seriously weakened — which will eventually affect the result. 17. ... h5 18. N3h2 hxg4 19. hxg4 Qc8 20. f3 Nh7 21. Ng3 Bg5 22. Nf5. A senseless jump: the Knight will be kicked back immediately. 22. ... Qd8 23. Kg2 g6 24. Ng3 Kg7 25. Rh1 Rh8 26. Nhf1 Qf6 27. Be3 Bxe3 28. Nxe3 Ng5 29. Qe2. Kosteniuk stands clearly better, but seemingly White can still resist... 29. ... Rag8 30. Raf1 Qf4 31. Rxh8 Rxh8 32. Rh1 Rxh1 33. Nxh1.

Apparently the Chinese woman has defended all her weaknesses, but here Alexandra Konstantinovna, taking advantage of the vulnerability of the f3-Pawn, delivers a terrible blow. 33. ... Nd3! The Knight enters with decisive effect 34. Bxd3. White must take it — the b2-Pawn is attacked, and there is the threat of ... Ng5xf3 followed by a fork on e1. 34. ... cxd3 35. Qf2 d2 36. Ng3

36. ... Nxf3! The fulfillment of a beautiful combination. 37. Qxf3 Bxg4! 38. Qf2. After 38. Qxf4 exf4 White can resign at once. 38. ... d1=Q 39. Nxd1 Bxd1 40. Qe1 Bf3+ 41. Kg1 f5 42. exf5 gxf5. Black has an extra Pawn and an overwhelming position. The rest is simple. 43. Qf2 Kg6 44. b3 e4 45. c4 bxc4 46. bxc4 Qg5 47. c5 f4 48. cxd6 fxg3 0–1.

Kosteniuk’s one and only victory in the Final match with 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) sealed the fate of the Women’s World Chess Championship 2008. Photo: Evgeny Yakovlevich Gik Archive.

The Fifteen-Second Secret

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Elena Sedina

Women’s World Chess Championship Knockout Tournament; tie-break game 2; time control: 25 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Nalchik, September 6, 2008

French Defence C15

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. a3. Far from playing for a draw, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) adopts a sharp variation.
4. ... Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 dxe4 6. Qg4 Nf6 7. Qxg7 Rg8 8. Qh6 c5 9. Ne2 Nc6 10. Qe3!? As already showed by Vasily Vasilyevich Smyslov in the 1954 World Chess Championship match, probably best is 10. dxc5! with more than enough dynamic compensation for triple Pawns, Kosteniuk – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 1st World Mind Sports Games, Women’s Individual Rapid Tournament, 北京 (Běijīng) 2008 (time control: 20 minutes plus 10 seconds per move).
10. ... Qa5. High theory is worth mentioning here: 10. ... Rg6 11. dxc5 Ng4 (11. ... e5=) 12. Qxe4 Qd1+ 13. Kxd1 Nxf2+ 14. Ke1 Nxe4 15. Nf4 Rg8 16. Bd3 Nxc5 17. Bxh7 Rh8 18. Bd3 Nxd3+ 19. cxd3 Bd7 20. Be3 0-0-0 21. Kf2 e5 22. Ne2 Bg4 23. h3 Bh5 24. d4 Bxe2 25. Kxe2 exd4 26. cxd4 Nxd4+ 27. Kf2 b6 28. Rhd1 Ne6 29. Rac1+ Kb7 30. Rxd8 Rxd8 31. h4 Rh8 32. g3 b5 33. Kf3 a5 34. Ke4 Re8 35. Kf3 Rh8 36. Rc3 f5 37. Rd3 Kc6 38. Bd2 Ra8 39. Bc3 Kc5 40. Bf6 b4 41. h5 Ra7 42. Re3 Kd6 43. Be5+ Kd5 44. Bb2 Kd6 45. Rd3+ Kc5 46. Rd2 Rh7 47. Rh2 Kd6 48. a4 Ke7 49. g4 f4 50. Rd2 1–0 Smyslov – Botvinnik, World Chess Championship 1954, Moscow 1954, match game 7.
11. Qd2. Not too probing, but quite interesting, is 11. Bd2 Bd7 12. dxc5 0-0-0 13. Ng3 Ne5 14. Nxe4 Nxe4 15. Qxe4 Nc6 16. Qe3 Ne7 17. c4 Qc7 18. f3? (unnecessary) 18. ... Nf5 19. Qf2?? (self-destructing) 19. ... Qe5+ 0–1 Smyslov – Kohn, 30-board simultaneous exhibition, Columbus 1976.
11. ... Bd7 12. Bb2 0-0-0 13. 0-0-0 Qa4 14. c4 cxd4 15. Nxd4 e5 16. Nxc6 Bxc6 17. Qe1 Rxd1+ 18. Qxd1 Rd8. 18. ... Qa5!? was also good, if not better.
19. Qe1 Nd7 20. Be2 f5. 20. ... e3! seems fine for Black.
21. Qb4

21. ... a5? After this horrible error, Black’s position disintegrates like dust. However unpleasant it might be, Black had to go through 21. ... Qxb4 22. axb4 b6 with some hopes of survival.
22. Qd6! 22. Qe7! e3 23. f3 may transpose into the game.
22. ... e3 23. f3 Nb6 24. Qxe5 Rd2

25. Bd3 Nd7 (25. ... Nc4?? 26. Qxf5++−)
26. Qxe3 Rxg2 27. Re1 Kb8 28. Qf4+ Ka7 29. Qd4+ Ka6 30. Re8 Nb6. If 30. ... b6 then 31. Ra8+! Kb7 (31. ... Bxa8 32. c5++−) 32. Qh8 with a mating attack.
31. c5+ Bb5 32. Qxa4 Bxd3. Or 32. ... Nxa4 33. Ra8#.
33. cxb6 1 : 0.