Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Yas

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 周唯奇 (Zhōu Wéiqí)
2nd 海南 (Hǎinán) 儋州 (Dānzhōu) Super Grandmaster Chess Tournament, 儋州 (Dānzhōu), May 15, 2011
French Defence C03

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 a6 4. Ngf3 Nf6 5. Bd3 c5 6. e5 Nfd7 7. c3 Nc6 8. 0-0 Be7 9. Re1 c4?! A committal line.
10. Bc2 b5 11. Nf1. 11. b3 Nb6 12. bxc4 Nxc4 13. Nxc4 bxc4 14. h4!? also gives White a strong inititative, Ghizdavu – Padevsky, 20th Chess Olympiad, Skopje 1972.
11. ... Bb7. 11. ... Nb6 eventually yielded Black a draw, but most by virtue of his higher rating: 12. h3 Bd7 13. N3h2 h5 14. f4 Qc7 15. Nf3 0-0-0 16. Be3 Kb7 17. Bf2 Ra8 18. Bh4 a5 19. Bxe7 Nxe7 20. Ng5 Raf8 21. Qf3 f6 22. exf6 Rxf6 ½ : ½ Wessendorf – Eingorn, 11th OIBM Open, Bad Wiessee 2007.


12. h3! 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) plays quietly and strongly. Many years earlier, a game from the British Chess Championship continued 12. b3 Nb6 13. Ng3 Kd7 14. Rb1 h5 15. bxc4 Nxc4 16. Nd2 Nxd2 17. Bxd2 h4 18. Nh5 g6 19. Nf6+ Bxf6 20. exf6 Qxf6 21. Qg4 Rh5 22. a4 Na7 23. Re3 Bc6 24. Rf3 Qe7 25. h3 Rg8 26. Qf4 f5 27. Re1 Qd6 28. Qe3 g5 29. Qe2 Rh6 30. Re3 Rf8 31. Re5 Rg6 32. Qh5 Rfg8 33. Rxe6 Rxe6 34. Bxf5 Rge8 35. Rxe6 1 : 0 Crawley – Lund, 75th British Chess Championship, Blackpool 1988. Furthermore, 12. h4!? was also interesting, since after 12. ... Bxh4 13. Nxh4 Qxh4 14. Re3 White’s attack more than compensates for the Pawn.
12. ... h6 13. N3h2 Qb6 14. Qh5. 14. Qg4!? is almost a “dual”, possibly transposing to the game.
14. ... g6?! That is an irresistible invitation for the White Bishop to immolate itself, but Black has no particularly better way to go. 14. ... 0-0?? 15. Bxh6! is simply disastrous, whilst after 14. ... b4 15. f4 Nf8 16. f5 White comes first anyway.


15. Bxg6! fxg6 16. Qxg6+ Kd8 17. Qxe6.


White has three Pawns for the Bishop, plus the Black King at the mercy of her attack. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) does not need anything more.
17. ... Na7 18. Qf7 Nf8 19. f4 Rh7 20. Qh5 Qg6 21. Qxg6 Nxg6 22. f5 Nh4 23. f6 Bf8 24. e6 Bd6 25. Ng4 Kc7 26. Nxh6+−


26. ... Rah8 27. Bg5 Nc8 28. Bxh4 Rg8 (28. ... Rxh6 29. Bg5+−)
29. Nf7 Rxh4 30. Nxd6 Kxd6 31. e7 Nxe7 32. Rxe7 Bc8 33. Rg7 Rf8 34. f7 Rf4 35. Ne3 R8xf7 36. Rxf7 Rxf7 37. Rf1 Rg7 38. Rf6+ 1 : 0.