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. |
