美丽心灵 (A Beautiful Mind)

Here is how 众辉体育 (Starz Sports) wished Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) a very happy Christmas for 2011.

Classroom

The Saturday School

Here we are at the gates of the Associazione Culturale Linguistica Italo-Cinese in Via Fabio Filzi 186, 59100 Prato, Italy.

摺紙 (Origami)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Antoaneta Stefanova

1st SportAccord World Mind Games; Women’s Blindfold Event; 北京 (Beijīng), December 15, 2011

Caro-Kann Defence B19

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 Nd7 8. h5 Bh7 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 e6 11. Bf4 Qa5+ 12. Bd2 Bb4 13. c3 Be7 14. c4 Qc7 15. 0-0-0 Ngf6 16. Rhe1 b5. 16. ... 0-0 17. Nf5 Bd6 18. Nxd6 Qxd6 19. Qe2 [or 19. g4 b5 20. g5 bxc4 21. Qc2 hxg5 22. Nxg5 c3 23. Bxc3 Qf4+ 24. Bd2 Qf5∞ 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 周唯奇 (Zhōu Wéiqí), 3rd 海南 (Hǎinán) 儋州 (Dānzhōu) Grandmaster Chess Tournament, 儋州 (Dānzhōu) 2012] 19. ... b5 20. g4 bxc4 21. g5 hxg5 22. Rg1 c3∞ 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Láznička, 1st Airports Authority of India (AAI) Chess Tournament, New Delhi 2011 still remains a matter of theoretical speculation. 17. cxb5 cxb5+ 18. Kb1 Qb7 19. Nh4 Nd5? No better is 19. ... Nf8 (Demianjuk – Malakhatko, 17th Chigorin Memorial, Saint Petersburg 2009) because of 20. Nhf5! exf5 21. Rxe7+! Kxe7 22. Nxf5+ Kd7 23. d5! and White, in spite of being a Rook down, has a probably winning attack.

20. Nhf5. 20. Ngf5! might have been more accurate, freeing the g3-square for the Queen. 20. ... exf5? Famous last words! Black just should have castled Kingside. 21. Nxf5 Kd8? 21. ... 0-0 22. Qg3 Bf6 23. Bxh6 was anything but pleasant (as White keeps a very powerful initiative), but it was also Black’s best bet. Now the end comes quickly. 22. Qf3+− Re8 23. Ba5+ N7b6 24. Bxb6+ axb6 25. Re5 Nc3+ 26. Qxc3 f6 27. Rxb5 Rxa2 28. Qb3 Ra5 29. Rxa5 Qe4+ 30. Ka1 bxa5 31. Nxg7 Rf8 32. Ne6+ 1 : 0.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) uses the origami technique as a mean for concentrating on blindfold play. Photo: Visual China Group.

Twice Queen of Chess

Humpy Koneru – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
Women’s World Chess Championship match game 8; Tirana, November 24, 2011
Queen’s Gambit Declined D38

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 17, of China successfully defended her world crown by drawing the 8th game of the best of ten world match against Humpy Koneru, 24, of India. She won three games to Koneru’s zero, with five draws, so there was no need to play the remaining two games. 1. d4 e6 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+ Nc6 6. e3 0-0 7. Qc2 dxc4 8. Bxc4 e5 9. a3. If 9. Nxe5 there might follow 9. ... Nxe5 10. dxe5 Ng4 11. Qb3 Bxc3+ 12. Qxc3 Qh4 13. g3 Qh3 14. Bf1 Qh5 15. Be2 Qh3 16. Bf1 Qh5 17. Be2 Qh3 ½ : ½ Chiburdanidze – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), Women’s Grand Prix 2009–2011, 5h stage, Ulaanbaatar 2010. 9. ... Bd6 10. d5 Ne7 11. 0-0 a6 12. b4 Bd7 13. Bb2 Ng6 14. Ng5 Qe7 15. Nge4 Nxe4 16. Nxe4 Bf5 17. Bd3 Bxe4 18. Bxe4 Qg5

19. Bxg6 hxg6 20. e4 Rac8 21. Qc3 Qh4 22. f4 f6 23. Qg3 Qxg3 24. hxg3 Rfe8 25. fxe5 Bxe5 26. Bxe5 Rxe5 27. Rfe1 Kf7 28. Rac1 Ke7 29. Rc4 ½ : ½.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) two-time World Champion. Photo: EPA/ITAR-TASS.

暢銷書 (Bestseller)

• Chess prodigy scoops record prize, The Times, February 2, 2012

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). Photo: Quirky China News/Rex Features.

心靈遊戲 (Mind Games)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)

1st SportAccord World Mind Games; Women’s Rapid Tournament; 北京 (Beijīng), December 11, 2011

Sicilian Defence B93

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. f4 g6 7. Nf3! Bg7 8. e5 Nfd7!? If 8. ... Nh5 then 9. Bc4 0-0 10. Ng5 e6 11. g4 and White stands better, Kavalek – R. Byrne, 26th U.S. Chess Championship, Pasadena 1978. 9. exd6 0-0 10. Be2 Re8 11. 0-0 Qb6+ 12. Kh1 Qxd6 13. Be3 Nc6 14. Qe1 Nf6 15. Rd1 Qc7 16. Ng5 Bf5 17. Bc4 e6 18. Bb3 Na5 19. Bd4 Nxb3 20. cxb3 h6 21. Nf3 Rad8 22. Qh4 Ng4 23. h3

23. ... Bxd4 (23. ... Rxd4!? 24. Rxd4 Bf6) 24. hxg4 Bxc3 25. gxf5 Rxd1 26. Rxd1 Bg7 27. fxg6 fxg6 28. Ne5 Bxe5 29. fxe5 Kg7 30. Qf6+ Kh7 31. Rf1 Qg7 32. Qf4 Kg8 33. Qg4 h5 34. Qg5 Rf8 35. Rxf8+ Kxf8 36. Qd8+ Kf7 37. Qd7+ Kg8 38. Qc8+ Qf8 39. Qxe6+ Qf7 40. Qc8+ Kg7 41. Qc3 Qf1+ 42. Kh2 Qf4+ 43. Kg1 Qe4 44. e6+ Kh6 45. Qf6 Qe1+ 46. Kh2 h4 47. Qf4+ Kg7 48. Qd4+ Kh6 49. Qd6 Kg7 50. Qc7+ Kh6 51. e7 Kh5 52. Qd6 g5 53. Qc7 Qe3 54. b4 Qe1 55. a4 Qe3 56. b5 axb5 57. axb5 g4 58. e8=Q+ Qxe8 59. Qh7+ Kg5 60. Qg7+ Qg6 61. Qe5+ Qf5 62. Qg7+ Kf4 63. Qh6+ Qg5 64. Qf8+ Ke3 65. Qe8+ Kd2 66. Qd7+ Kc2 67. Qxb7 Qe5+ 68. Kg1 Qe3+ 69. Kh2 Qf4+ 70. Kg1 Qe3+ 71. Kh2 Qf4+ 72. Kg1 Qe3+ 73. Kh2 ½ : ½.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) (right) vs. 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) (left). Photo: Visual China Group.

God is a girl

Alexei Dmitrievich Shirov – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
10th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, February 1, 2012
Sicilian Defence B97

Comments in quotation marks by Grandmaster Simon Williams, ChessBase.com, February 2, 2012.

“The two played the most uncompromising of openings, the Poison Pawn Variation in the Siciian Najdorf. One might think that, after all theee years, everything is understood about this ferociously complex tactical variation. With the growth of computer chess that is far from true. Using computers has changed people’s conception of what positions are defensible. Thus players are stronger. That is one reason so many people are rated over 2700, not inflation in the numbers”.

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Qb6!? 8. Qd2 Qxb2 9. Rb1 Qa3 10. e5 h6 11. Bh4 dxe5 12. fxe5 Nd5!? 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán’s speciality. 12. ... Nfd7 13. Ne4 Qxa2 is a tabiya.
13. Nxd5 exd5 14. e6 Bxe6 15. Nxe6 fxe6 16. Be2. “One would think 16. Bd3 is more natural, so that Bd3-g6+ would tie the g7 Pawn down. Another alternative is 16. Rxb7”.
16. Bd3 Be7 17. Bg6+ Kd8 18. Bxe7+ Qxe7 19. 0-0 Nd7! is fine for Black, Motylev – Sutovsky, 39th Chess Olympiad, Khanty-Mansiysk 2010.
16. ... Be7. “16. ... b5 prevents Rb1xb7, but neglects Black’s development”.
17. Bh5+ Kd8 18. Bxe7+ Qxe7 19. 0-0 Nd7. “19. ... b5 is possible. 19. ... Nc6 probably runs afoul of 20. c4”.
20. Rxb7. If 20. Rf7 then Qc5+ 21. Kh1 Rf8 22. Rxg7 Rc8 23. h3 Rc6 24. Qxh6 Kc8 25. Bg4 Qxc2 26. Re1 Qc3 27. Rxe6 Rxe6 28. Bxe6 Rf1+ 29. Kh2 Qe5+ 30. Rg3 Qe1 31. Qh8+ Kc7 32. Qc3+ Qxc3 33. Rxc3+ Kd6 34. Bxd7 Kxd7 35. h4 Ke6 36. h5 Kf6 37. Rc7 Kg5 38. Rxb7 Kxh5 39. Rb6 d4 40. Rxa6 d3 41. Rd6 Ra1 42. Kg3 Rxa2 43. Rd5+ Kg6 44. Rxd3 Ra6 45. Rd4 Rb6 46. Kf4 Ra6 47. Kg3 Rb6 48. Rg4+ Kh6 49. Kh4 Ra6 50. Rg8 Kh7 51. Rg5 Kh6 52. g4 Rb6 53. Rc5 Kg6 54. Rg5+ Kh6 55. Rh5+ Kg6 56. Rg5+ Kh6 ½ : ½ N. A. Kosintseva – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2011–12, Rostov-on-Don 2011. 20. c4!? also comes into consideration.
20. ... Qc5+ 21. Kh1 Rb8 22. Rxb8+ Nxb8. “That Black’s King is in the centre is adequate compensation for the Pawn”.
23. Qe2. “23. Qe1 Rf8 is an alternative”.
23. ... Qb5 24. Qxb5 axb5 25. Rf7 Nc6 26. Rxg7 Rf8 27. Kg1 Nb4 28. Rb7 Nxc2. 28. ... Nxa2 is also possible, but then Black won’t have two connected passed Pawns”.
29. Rxb5 Ke7 30. a4 Ra8 31. Rb2 Ne3 32. Kf2 Nc4 33. Rb7+ Kd6 34. Bd1 e5 35. Rh7 Nb2! 36. Rxh6+ Kc5 37. Bc2 Nxa4. “It is true a Bishop is better than a Knight in the endgame. But Black’s Pawns are further advanced and she exerts greater control of the centre”.
38. h4 Nc3! 39. Bf5 (39. g4?? Ra2)
39. ... Ra2+ 40. Kf1 Ra1+ 41. Kf2 Ra2+ 42. Kf1 Nd1 43. g4 Ne3+ 44. Ke1 Kd4 45. Bc8 Ng2+ 46. Kd1 e4 47. h5 e3 48. Ba6 Nf4 49. Rb6 Nd3 50. Bxd3 Kxd3 51. Rb3+ Ke4 52. h6 d4 53. h7 Rh2. “White’s position is hopeless”. 0 : 1.