The Far East

Lilit Maratovna Mkrtchian – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
4th North Urals Cup; Krasnoturinsk, July 29, 2006
Sicilian Defence B66

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 Be7 8. 0-0-0 Nxd4 9. Qxd4 a6 10. f4 b5 11. Bxf6 gxf6 12. e5 d5 13. Kb1 Bb7 14. f5 fxe5 15. Qxe5 Bf6 16. Qg3 Qe7 17. fxe6 fxe6 18. Be2 0-0-0 19. Bg4 h5 20. Bh3 Rhg8!? A novelty aimed at improving on 20. ... h4 21. Qf4 Bg7 22. Rhe1 Rh6 23. a3! Rg6 24. Bxe6+! Rxe6 25. Qg4 Rd6 26. Rxe6 Qxe6 27. Qxg7+− Kasparov – Ivanchuk, 5th Frankfurt Chess Classic, “Siemens Nixdorf Giants” Tournament, Frankfurt 1998 (time control: 25 minutes).
21. Qf4 Rgf8. 21. ... Bxc3 22. bxc3 Qd6 23. Qd4 Kb8 seems more solid, but the text should also be playable for Black.
22. Rhe1 Bxc3 23. Rxe6 Rxf4 24. Rxe7+ Kb8 25. bxc3 Rf2

26. Rd4. 26. Kb2! d4! also appears to give Black good compensation.
26. ... Rdf8? This is the losing move. Best was 26. ... Bc8! 27. Bxc8 Rxc8 28. Rxd5 Rxg2 29. Rxh5 Rxc3 with a likely draw.
27. Rh4+− Rd2 (27. ... Rh8 28. Rg7+−)
28. Rxh5 Rf1+ 29. Kb2 Rff2 30. Bf5 a5 31. Rh8+ Ka7 32. g4 Rde2 33. Rg7 b4 34. Rhh7 bxc3+ 35. Kxc3 Rf3+ 36. Kb2 1 : 0.