Friday, November 13, 2009

The Prince Behind the Queen

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)
2nd “茅台王子杯” (“Máotái Prince Cup”) Queens Tournament; 锦州 (Jǐnzhōu), September 20, 2009
Pirc Defence B07

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be3 c6 5. Qd2 b5 6. Bd3 Nbd7 7. Nf3 e5 8. dxe5 dxe5 9. h3 Bg7 10. Ne2 0-0 11. a4 Bb7 12. Ng3 a6 13. 0-0 Qe7 14. c4 b4 15. c5! a5. The Pawn is taboo as 15. .. Nxc5?? 16. Qxb4 Nfd7 17. Rfc1 costs the Knight. 16. Qc2


16. ... Ne8?! Heading to e6 via c7, but it is better to play first 16. ... Rfd8 17. Rfd1 Ne8 18. Bc4 h6 19. Rd2⩲ Palac – Ftáčnik, 9th International Open, Ljubljana 1998. 17. Rfd1 Nc7 18. Bc4 Kh8 19. Bb3 f5? This is a novelty, and even a worse one than the known theory: 19. ... Ne6 20. Bxe6 Qxe6 21. Rd6 Qe8 22. Qd2 Nf6 23. Bh6 Bxh6 24. Qxh6 Ng8 25. Qd2 Bc8 26. Rd1 Be6 27. Nxe5 Bb3 28. Nd7 Bxd1 29. Qxd1 Rc8 30. Qd4+ f6 31. Nxf8 Qxf8 32. Ne2 Qe7 33. Nf4 Re8 34. f3 1 : 0 Marciano – Leski, 72nd French Chess Championship, Narbonne 1997. 20. exf5 Nd5 21. fxg6 Nxe3 22. fxe3 Nxc5 23. Nf5 Rxf5 24. Qxf5 Nxb3


25. Ng5! This must have shocked 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí). 25. ... h6. Black cannot take the Rook: 25. ... Nxa1 26. Nf7+ Kg8 27. gxh7+ Kf8 28. Nxe5+ Qf6 (or 28. ... Ke8 29. Qh5+ Kf8 30. h8=Q+ followed by mate) 29. Ng6+ Kf7 30. Rd7+ Ke8 31. Rxg7 Qxg7 32. h8=Q+ Qxh8 33. Qe6+ Kd8 34. Qd6+ Kc8 35. Ne7#. On the other hand after 25. ... Rf8 26. Nf7+ Rxf7 27. Qxf7 Qxf7 28. gxf7 Nxa1 (28. ... Bf8 29. Rd8 Kg7 30. Rf1+−) 29. Rd8+ Bf8 30. Rxf8+ Kg7 31. Rh8! Kxf7 32. Rxh7++− White remains with a completely won ending. 26. Nf7+ Kg8 27. Rd7 Bc8 28. Rd8+! Qxd8 29. Nxh6+! Kh8 30. Nf7+ Kg8 31. Nh6+ Kh8 32. Qh5 Ra7 33. Ng4+ Bh6 34. Nxh6 Kg7 35. Nf7 Qd5 36. Qh6+ Kf6 37. g7+ Kxf7 38. Rf1+ Ke7 39. Qg5+ 1 : 0.