LABIRINTI E CASEMATTE: September 2011

Friday, September 16, 2011

East of the Don

Humpy Koneru – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2011–12; 1st stage; Rostov-on-Don, August 2, 2011
Nimzo-Indian Defence E46

1. d4 e6 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 0-0 5. Nge2 d5 6. a3 Be7 7. cxd5 exd5 8. Nf4 c6 9. Bd3 a5 10. 0-0 Na6 11. Bc2 Nc7 12. f3 c5 13. Na4 Na6!? It seems an improvement on 13. ... cxd4 14. exd4 Nb5 15. Qd3 Na7 16. Nc3 g6 17. Bb3 Bf5 18. Qd1± Kortschnoi – Kuzmin, Match Grandmasters–Young Masters, Sochi 1970.
14. Nc3 Nc7 15. Qe2 b5 16. dxc5 Bxc5 17. Rd1 Ba6 18. Qf2 Bb7 19. Bd2 Re8 20. Nce2 Ne6 21. Nd3 Bb6 22. Nd4

“The position turned out to be very difficult. Her Knight on d4 is very strong. After 15. ... b5, things became even more complicated. Later I made a few mistakes...”, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) said afterwards.
22. ... Rc8 23. Bc3 Ba6 24. Kh1 Rc4 25. Bb3

“After the opening, a complex position has arisen. Perhaps this is not the best move. Overall, however, it seems to me that White has a slight edge”, Koneru said.
25. ... Rc7 26. Rac1 b4 27. Nxe6 Rxe6 28. Bxf6 Rxf6 29. Rxc7 Bxc7 30. axb4 axb4 31. f4. Of course, 31. Nxb4? Qd6 is quite nonsensical, leading nowhere.
31. ... Bc4 32. Qc2 Bxb3 33. Qxb3 Rb6 34. Nc5 h6 35. Rxd5. Finally, White has a Pawn to the good, but she still has to be a little careful.
35. ... Qh4

36. h3?? Koneru blunders tragically, probably under time pressure. Correct was 36. g3! Qh3 37. Kg1± remaining a Pawn ahead with some winning chances.
36. ... Qe1+ 37. Kh2 Rg6 38. Qc2 Qxe3 39. Nd3 Bb6 40. Nc5 Qxf4+ 41. Kh1 Qf1+ 0 : 1. Because mate in three follows.

The thrill of waiting in anticipation of what the next Women’s World Chess Championship match will feature. Photo: Anastasiya Valeryevna Karlovich.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

顿河畔罗斯托夫 (Rostov-on-Don)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Elina Danielian
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2011–12; 1st stage; Rostov-on-Don, August 8, 2011
Caro-Kann Defence B12

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. f3!? dxe4 4. fxe4 e5 5. Nf3 Bg4 (5. ... exd4 6. Bc4→) 6. c3 Nd7 7. Bd3 Bd6 8. 0-0 Ngf6 9. h3 Bh5 (9. ... Bxf3 10. Qxf3 0-0 11. Be3 exd4 12. cxd4 c5=) 10. Nbd2

“I believe the critical moment was before I castled as I could have played 10. ... b5 in order to prevent 11. Nc4”, Danielian said afterwards. “There was also another possibility: 10. ... Qc7 so as to reply to 11. Nc4 with long castling. I’m not sure I chose the best continuation”. 10. ... 0-0 11. Nc4 Qc7 12. Qc2 (12. Be3 Rfe8 13. Qc2 Bg6∞ Zvjaginsev – Bareev, 13th Russia Cup, Saint Petersburg 2009)

12. ... Bg6. “I think I had a good position after the opening”, Danielian said. “Maybe somewhere I ought to have played better, for instance not 12. ... Bg6 but 12. ... Rfe8 at once. An interesting game with plenty of ideas for both sides”. 13. Bg5⩲ Rfe8

14. Bxf6 gxf6 15. Nh4. “I did not prepare much; after 3. f3 the game is very complex, which was what I wanted”, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) then said. “Long castling is a very interesting idea, which by the way I missed during the game. I think that after I took on f6, doubling Black Pawns and conquering f5, I was already better. My game was easier and much more pleasant as Black actually looked quite harmless”. 15. ... Kh8 16. Kh1 Rg8 (16. ... exd4!? 17. cxd4 Rad8) 17. Ne3 (17. Nf5 Bf8 18. Nce3±) 17. ... Rae8 18. Ng4 exd4 19. cxd4 c5? (19. ... Bf4 20. Rf3±)

20. Nxg6+! fxg6 (20. ... hxg6 21. e5+−) 21. Bb5! That’s all: Black has to suffer both material and positional losses. 21. ... Rgf8 22. dxc5 Be7 23. b4 a6 24. Ba4 b5 25. Bb3 Ne5 26. Ne3! Nc6 27. Nd5 Qe5 28. a4 Bd8 29. axb5 axb5 30. Qd3 Qxe4 31. Qxb5 Nd4 32. Qc4 Re5 33. Rae1 (33. Rf4+−) 33. ... Qxe1 34. Rxe1 Rxe1+ 35. Kh2 Re4 36. Qd3 f5 37. Qc3 Bh4 38. Bc2 Be1 39. Qa1 Rh4 40. Qxe1 1 : 0.