Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Alone in a Crowd

周唯奇 (Zhōu Wéiqí) – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
45th Chinese Chess Championship; 兴化 (Xīnghuà), May 26, 2010
Queen’s Gambit Declined D38

1. d4 e6 2. c4 d5 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bxf6 Qxf6 8. Qb3 c5 9. dxc5 Bxc3+ 10. bxc3 0-0 11. Nd4 Be6 12. Qxb7 (12. Qa3 Rc8 13. e3 Nd7 14. c6 bxc6 15. Ba6 Rcb8 16. 0-0 Rb6 17. Be2 Qg6 18. Nxe6 Qxe6 19. Rab1 Rab8 20. Rb3 Nf6 21. Bd1 Qd7 22. Bf3 ½ : ½ Ivanchuk – Mitkov, 5th World Team Chess Championship, Yerevan 2001) 12. ... Nd7 13. c6 Rab8 14. Qxa7 (13. Qb4 Rab8 14. Qa3 Rfc8 15. e3 Qg6 leaves Black with powerful compensation: 16. f3 Nxc5 17. Kf2 Qf6 18. Rc1 Qe7 19. Kg1 Bd7 20. Re1 Rb1 21. Re2 Rcb8 22. g4 h5 23. h3 Qh4 24. Kg2 Nd3 25. Qd6 Ne1+ 26. Kg1 R8b6 27. Qe5 Rd1 28. Rhh2 Nd3 29. Qc7 Rbb1 0 : 1 Akobian – Mitkov, 17th Open, Chicago 2008) 14. ... Ra8 15. Qc7 Ne5 16. e3. Not 16. f3 on account of 16. ... Qf4! 17. Nxe6 Qe3! with irresistible attack (18. Nxf8 Nd3+ 19. Kd1 Rxa2!−+). 16. ... Rfc8


17. Qb6? This just opens the doors to Black’s breakthrough. Correct was 17. Qd6! Rxc6 18. Qb4 (18. Nxc6? Ng4!−+) 18. ... Ng4 19. Qb2 Rxc3! 20. Bb5 Rb3! 21. axb3 Qxf2+ 22. Qxf2 Rxa1+ 23. Ke2 Ra2+ with approximate equality. 17. ... Rcb8 18. Qc5 Rb2 19. f4 Rxg2 20. 0-0-0 Rgxa2 21. Be2 Nc4 22. Bxc4 dxc4 23. Rhg1 Ra1+ 24. Kd2 R8a2+ 25. Nc2 Rxd1+ 0 : 1.