Saturday, March 7, 2009

A Beautiful Mind

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Francisco Vallejo Pons
71st Corus Chess Tournament (B Group); Wijk aan Zee, January 31, 2009
Sicilian Defence B30

Notes by Milan Bjelajac, Chess Informant (Šahovski Informator) issue No. 105.

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 g6 5. e5 Ng4 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. h3 Nh6 8. g4 Bg7 (8. ... f5 — Khalifman – Lautier, 64th Corus Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2002)
9. d3 f5 10. exf6 exf6 11. Qe2+ Kf7TN (11. ... Qe7)
12. Be3 Re8 13. 0-0-0 Kg8 14. d4!↑ cxd4 15. Nxd4 Qc7 16. Rhe1 Nf7 17. Qc4 Qh2 18. Nce2!± Qxh3 (18. ... c5!?)
19. Nf4 Qxg4 20. Rg1 Qd7 21. Nde6 Qe7 (21. ... b5 22. Qc3 Qxd1+ 23. Rxd1 Bxe6 24. Qxc6 Bxa2 25. Qa6!± Δ 25. ... Bc4 26. b3)
22. Nxg7 Kxg7 23. Nh5+ Kh8 24. Bc5 Qe6 25. Rge1!+− Qxe1 26. Qxf7! Qxd1+ 27. Kxd1 Bg4+ 28. Kd2 Rad8+ 29. Kc3 Bxh5 30. Bd4 Rxd4 31. Qxe8+ 1 : 0.