Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Hit Hard

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 王玥 (Wáng Yuè)
42nd Chinese Chess Championship: 兴化 (Xīnghuà), March 31, 2011
Russian Defence C42

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Be7 7. 0-0 Nc6 8. c4 Nb4 9. Be2 0-0 10. Nc3 Bf5 11. a3 Nxc3 12. bxc3 Nc6 13. Re1 Re8 14. Bf4 dxc4 15. Bxc4 Bd6 16. Rxe8+ Qxe8 17. Bxd6 cxd6 18. Ng5 Bg6 19. h4 Qe7 20. Qg4 h6 21. Nh3. If 21. h5 then 21. ... Bxh5 22. Qxh5 hxg5 23. Rd1 Rf8 24. Rd3 Qe1+ 25. Kh2 Qxf2 26. Qxg5 Qf6 27. Qxf6 gxf6 28. Rg3+ Kh8 29. Rh3+ Kg7 30. Rg3+ Kh8 31. Rh3+ Kg7 32. Rg3+ ½ : ½ Radjabov – 王玥 (Wáng Yuè), 4th ROMGAZ Kings Tournament, Mediaș 2010. 21. ... Qe4 22. Qg3


22. ... Rc8! An indirect defence of d6. 23. Qxd6. The critical alternative is 23. Bf1 Ne7 24. Qxd6 Nf5 (after 24. ... Qxh4 25. Re1 Nf5 26. Qb4 b6 27. Re5 Qf6 28. Nf4 Ne7 29. Qxe7 Qxf4 30. Re3 Qc7 31. d5 the ending is very unpleasant for Black: 31. ... Qxe7 32. Rxe7 Rd8 33. c4 a5 34. Rb7 Rd6 35. Rb8+ Kh7 36. f3 Bf5 37. Kf2 Kg6 38. Ke3 Kg5 39. Kd4 Kf4 40. c5 bxc5+ 41. Kxc5 Rf6 42. g4 Bd7 43. Rb7 Ba4 44. d6 Ke5 45. Re7+ Re6 46. Rxf7 1 : 0 Svidler – Gelfand, 15th Russian Team Chess Championship, Dagomys 2008) 25. Qb4 Nxh4 26. d5 Bf5 (26. ... a5! 27. Qxe4 Bxe4 28. c4 Nf5 29. f3 Bc2 30. Rc1 Bb3 31. Nf2 b5 32. c5 Bxd5 33. Bxb5 Kf8=) 27. Qxe4 (27. Nf4⩲) 27. ... Bxe4 28. c4 Nf5 29. f3 Bc2 30. Rc1 Ba4 31. Kf2 b6 32. Bd3 Nd6 33. Ke3 Bb3 34. Kd4 Nb5+ 35. Ke3 Nd6 36. Kd4 Nb5+ 37. Ke3 Nd6 ½ : ½ Topalov – Gelfand, 12th Amber Blindfold Chess Tournament, Monte Carlo 2003. 23. ... Nxd4! 24. Bd5. After 24. Bxf7+ Bxf7 25. Qxd4 Qxd4 26. cxd4 b5! White’s extra Pawn is as temporary as it is meaningless. 24. ... Nb5 25. Qd7 (25. Bxe4 Nxd6 26. Bxg6 fxg6⩱) 25. ... Qe8 26. Qxe8+ (26. Qxb7 Rc7 27. Qa6 Nxc3 28. Qxg6 Nxd5=) 26. ... Rxe8 27. c4 Nd6 28. c5


28. ... Be4!= 29. Rd1 Bxd5 30. Rxd5 Ne4 31. Nf4 Nf6 32. Rd4 Re1+ 33. Kh2 Re4 34. Rd8+ Kh7 35. g3 g5 36. hxg5 hxg5 37. Nd5 Ng4+ 38. Kg2 Kg7 39. Nb4 Rc4 40. Rd5 Kg6 41. c6 bxc6 42. Rd6+ f6 43. Rxc6 Rd4 44. Rc3 Rd2 45. Nd3 Ne3+ 46. Kg1 Nd1 47. Rb3 a5 48. Kf1 a4 49. Ke1 Ra2 50. Rb4 Nc3 51. Nc5 Re2+ 52. Kf1 Ra2 53. Ke1 Rxa3 54. Kd2 Nd5 55. Rxa4 Rxa4 56. Nxa4 ½ : ½.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) didn’t succeed in breaking through in his opponent’s rock fortress. Photo: 樊璐璐 (Fán Lùlù).