Wednesday, October 6, 2010

The Invisible Hand

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 王瑜 (Wáng Yú)
6th “雅戈尔杯” “Youngor Cup” Chinese Chess League; 上海 (Shànghǎi), July 25, 2010
Spanish Game C78

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 b5 6. Bb3 Bc5 7. c3 d6 8. d3 h6 9. Be3 Bg4 10. Nbd2 Qd7. A very old game continued 10. ... Ne7 and after 11. Bxc5 dxc5 12. Bxf7+ Kf8 13. Bb3 Qxd3 14. Bc2 Qd6 15. Qe2 Ng6 16. Qe3 Be6 17. Rfd1 Qe7 18. Nb3 Bxb3 19. axb3 Kf7 20. h3 Rhf8 21. Ra5 Kg8 22. Rda1 Qd6 23. c4 White finally won a Pawn, Blackburne – Skipworth, International Chess Tournament, London 1883.
11. h3 Bxe3 12. fxe3 Be6 13. Bc2 d5 14. exd5 Nxd5 15. Qe1 0-0 16. Ne4 Qe7 17. d4 Rae8 18. Nc5 Bc8 19. Qf2 Qd6 20. Rae1 Re7 21. Nh4 Rfe8 22. Bf5 exd4 23. exd4 Rxe1 24. Rxe1 Rxe1+ 25. Qxe1


25. ... Bxf5?? After various vicissitudes, Black had managed to avoid the worst, and now after 25. ... Qd8 she could still have hoped for a draw. Instead, the text blunder loses at once:
26. Nxf5 Qf6 27. Qe8+ Kh7 28. Qe4 g6 29. Qxd5 gxf5 30. Nd7 Qe7 31. Qxc6 Qe3+ 32. Kh2 Qf4+ 33. g3 1 : 0.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán): one hand cups her cheek, and the other finds the best move. Photo: 樊璐璐 (Fán Lùlù)/Sina Sports.