Thursday, December 9, 2010

Plus One

Carla Heredia Serrano – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
Women’s World Chess Championship Knockout Tournament; match game 2; Antakya, December 5, 2010
Sicilian Defence B80

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. g3 Nc6 7. Bg2 Bd7 8. 0-0 Be7 9. a4 0-0 10. Nxc6 bxc6 11. b3 e5 12. Ba3 Be6. 12. ... Qc7 13. h3 Rfe8 14. Qe2 Rad8 15. Rad1 Bc8 16. Rfe1 a5 is also quite comfortable for Black, Camacho Collados – Cacho Reigadas, 74th Spanish Chess Championship, Palma de Mallorca 2009. 13. Qd2 Qc7 14. h3 Rad8 15. Rad1 d5 16. Bxe7 Qxe7 17. exd5 cxd5 18. Rfe1 d4 19. Ne4 Nxe4 20. Rxe4 f6 21. Re2 Rc8 22. Rde1? Really too slow. 22. f4! was an imperative must.


22. ... Rc3! 23. Kh2 Rfc8 24. Be4 Qd7 25. g4 f5!? 25. ... h5! was also very strong. 26. gxf5 Bxf5 27. Bd3 e4? But no, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) is too hasty. 27. ... h6! would have put White into a kind of zugzwang. 28. Bxe4? White returns the courtesy. The Exchange sacrifice 28. Rxe4! Bxe4 29. Rxe4 offered enough dynamic compensation to hope for a draw. 28. ... Qd6+ 29. Kg1 Qg6+ 30. Bg2. Sadly forced to avoid mate, but now Black can play the cat-and-mouse game. 30. ... Bxh3 31. f4 Rg3 32. Rf1 Bxg2 33. Rxg2 Rxc2 34. Qxc2 Qxc2 35. Rxg3 d3 36. Re3 d2 37. Re8+ Kf7 38. Rd8 Qg6+ 39. Kh2 Qh5+ 40. Kg3 Qe2 41. Rg1 h5 42. Rd7+ Ke6 43. Rxg7 d1=Q 44. Rxd1 Qxd1 45. Kh4 Qh1+ 46. Kg5 Qg2+ 47. Kh6 Qxg7+ 48. Kxg7 Kf5 0 : 1.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) did not need to overwork to go through the next round. Photo: Turkish Chess Federation.