Milking the cow

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Humpy Koneru
Women’s World Chess Championsip match game 7; Tirana, November 23, 2011
Spanish Game C92

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 0-0 9. h3 Qd7 10. d4 Re8 11. Nbd2 Bf8 12. a3. The “Modern Chess Openings”, 13th edition, New York, McKay Chess Library, 1989, p. 56, edited by Nick de Firmian and Walter Korn, quoted 12. d5 Ne7 13. Nf1 g6 14. c4 Bg7 15. c5 Nh5 16. a4 dxc5 17. axb5 as leaving “Black with an ugly position”, R. J. Fischer – Wade, Buenos Aires 1960. 12. ... Bb7 13. d5 Ne7 14. Nf1. If 14. c4 then 14. ... c6 15. Bc2 h6 16. b4 a5!= 刘文哲 (Liú Wénzhé) – 徐俊 (Xú Jùn), 21st Chinese Chess Championship, 许昌 (Xǔchāng) 1987. 14. ... Ng6 15. N3h2!? A “thematic” novelty. After 15. Bc2 c6 16. dxc6 Bxc6 17. Bg5 Nh5 18. Nh4 Ngf4 Black’s chances seem quite reasonable, Bacrot – I. Sokolov, Hrókurinn Chess Tournament, Reykjavík 2003. 15. ... c6 16. Bg5 Be7 17. dxc6 Bxc6 18. Ng3 Nf4 19. Bxf6 Bxf6 20. Nh5 Qe7 21. Qf3 Bg5 22. Rad1 Ne6 23. Ng4 Rf8 24. Ne3 Bxe3. Of course, Black can’t leave the White Knights dominating the centre light squares. On 24. ... g6? 25. Bd5! may be annoying, to say the least. 25. Qxe3 Rad8 26. Ng3 g6 27. Rd2. White has emerged from the opening with a slight but lasting edge, which is all but good news to Koneru, who must play for a win at all costs. 27. ... h5? This impulsive move carries in itself the seeds of defeat. Black had probably nothing better than 27. ... Nc5 28. Ba2 Bd7 aiming at neutralising White’s Bishop with ... Bd7-e6. 28. Qh6 Nf4 29. Ne2 Qf6? And this is the crucial mistake, which loses a Pawn for no good compensation. After 29. ... Ne6 30. Ng3 Nf4 31. Red1 White stands clearly better. 30. Nxf4 exf4

31. Rd3! Sic et simpliciter. The f4-Pawn is doomed, due to the threat of Rf3-d3. 31. ... Rfe8 32. Rf3 Rd7 33. Rxf4 Qg7 34. Qg5 Re5 35. Qg3 Rde7 36. Rd1 g5 37. Rf5 Bxe4 38. Rxe5 Qxe5 39. Rxd6 Qxg3 40. fxg3. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) must have been satisfied that the ending can be won because of White’s healthy Pawn up. Regardless of Black’s reply, White intends to continue with Bb3-d1, Kg1-f2, and Bd1-f3 powerfully improving her position.

40. ... Bb7. In his annotations for the ChessBase web site, Grandmaster Alejandro Tadeo Ramírez Álvarez writes that “40. ... a5 was a better try: 41. Rb6?! a4 42. Ba2 Bd3 is OK for Black”, but, indeed, after 41. Bd1! Bg6 42. Kf2 Black is equally hopeless. 41. Kf2 Kg7 42. Bd1 h4 43. gxh4 gxh4 44. Rd4 Be4 45. Bf3 Bxf3 46. Kxf3 Re1 47. Rxh4. That’s all. A second Pawn has fallen, and the win is by now only a matter of technique. 47. ... Rb1 48. Rb4 Kf6 49. Ke3 Ke5 50. Re4+ Kd5 51. Rd4+ Ke5 52. Rd2 f5 53. Kd3 Kf4 54. Rf2+ Kg3 55. Rxf5 Rxb2 56. Rg5+ Kh4 57. Rg6 a5 58. Rg4+ Kh5 59. Re4. As Ramírez Álvarez points out, “59. a4 bxa4 60. Rxa4 Rxg2 61. Rxa5+ Kg6 62. Re5 is a win even without the h3-Pawn”. 59. ... Kg6 (59. ... Rxg2 60. Re5+ Kg6 61. Rxb5+−) 60. Re2 Rb3 61. Ra2 b4 62. axb4 axb4 63. Rc2 Ra3 64. Kd4 bxc3 65. Rxc3 Ra2 66. Rg3+ Kh5 67. Ke3 Ra3+ 68. Kf2 Ra2+ 69. Kg1 Ra1+ 70. Kh2 Ra2 71. Rd3 Ra5 72. Rd4 Rb5 73. h4 Rb3 74. g3 Rb1 75. Kh3 Rh1+ 76. Kg2 Ra1 77. Rd5+ Kh6 78. Kh3 Ra3 79. Re5 Ra4 80. Re3 Ra6 81. g4 Ra1 82. Re6+ Kg7 83. h5 Rh1+ 84. Kg3 Kh7 85. Kf4 Rf1+ 86. Kg5 Rf7 87. h6 Ra7 88. Kh5 Ra5+ 89. g5 Rb5 90. Re7+ Kg8 91. Kg6 Rb6+ 92. Kf5 Rb5+ 93. Kf6 Rb6+ 94. Re6 Rb8 95. g6 Kh8 96. Re5 Ra8 97. Kg5 1 : 0.

By virtue of today’s win, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) needs only one draw to retain the crown. Photo: Anastasiya Valeryevna Karlovich.