The Half Has Not Been Told

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Fabiano Caruana
27th Reykjavík Open; Reykjavík, March 13, 2012
Spanish Game C78

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 b5 6. Bb3 Bc5 7. c3 d6 8. d4 Bb6 9. h3 0-0 10. Be3 h6 11. Nbd2 Re8 12. Re1 Bd7. The alternative is 12. ... Bb7 13. Bc2 Nb8 14. dxe5 dxe5 15. Bxb6 cxb6 16. c4 b4 17. Nf1 Nbd7 18. Qd2 Nc5 19. Qxb4 Nfxe4 20. Rad1 Qc7 21. Ne3 a5 22. Qa3 Rad8 23. Rxd8 Qxd8 24. Rd1 Qc7 ½ : ½ Svidler – Caruana, 4th Chess World Cup, Khanty-Mansiysk 2011, match game 2. 13. Qb1!? A new try, aiming for something more than 13. Bc2 Qb8 14. a3 a5 15. Bd3 Qa7 16. Bxb5 exd4 17. cxd4 Nxd4 18. Bxd7 Nxd7 19. Nxd4 Bxd4 20. Rc1 Bxe3 21. Rxe3 a4 which led to nothing special for white, Navara – Caruana, 74th Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2012. 13. ... Na5 14. Bc2 c5 15. d5 c4 16. b4! cxb3 17. axb3 Bxe3 18. Rxe3 Nb7 19. b4 Nh5 20. Bd3 Nf4 21. Bf1 Rf8! 22. c4 bxc4. If 22. ... f5 then 23. c5! with a bid for the initiative. 23. Bxc4 a5 24. bxa5 Nxa5 25. Qb4. 25. Bf1 f5 was not too appealing. 25. ... Nxc4. Maybe 25. ... Nxg2!? 26. Rea3 Bxh3∞ sounded too unclear for Caruana. 26. Rxa8 Qxa8 27. Nxc4 Qa1+ 28. Re1 Qa2 29. Nfd2 Rc8 30. Re3 Qc2 31. Kh2! Nd3? As a consequence of his shortage of time, Caruana makes a fatal faux pas. Correct was 31. ... Qd1! (Δ 32. ... Rxc4! 23. Nxc4? Qf1!−+) 32. Qb3 Qa1= where if 33. Nb6 then 33. ... Rc1! 34. Nxd7 Rh1+ 35. Kg3 Qg1 36. Qb8+ Kh7 37. Nf8+ with perpetual check. 32. Qb7+− Nc5 33. Qb6 Nd3 34. Nxd6. White could also wait to win the d-Pawn and first play 34. Rg3!? with an overwhelming position. 34. ... Rf8 35. N6c4. 35. N2c4 was even simpler and stronger, for if 35. ... Nxf2? then 36. Nxe5 Bxh3!? 37. Rg3 winning easily. 35. ... Nxf2 36. Qb1 Qxb1 37. Nxb1 Bb5 38. Nba3 Ba6 39. Nxe5 Re8 40. d6 Bb7 (40. ... Rxe5?? 41. d7+−)

41. Nxf7?? Strangely, after reaching the time control, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) misses her big chance! As argued by the ChessBase guys, 41. Nac4 Nxe4 42. d7 Rd8 43. Na5 Bd5 44. Rd3 Nf6 45. Rxd5 Cxd5 46. Cb7 “was one way of converting the advantage to victory”. 41. ... Kxf7 42. Rf3+ Ke6 43. Nb5 Rb8!= 44. Rxf2 Bxe4 45. Re2 Rxb5 46. Rxe4+ Kxd6 47. Kg3 Kd5 ½ : ½.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) vs. Fabiano Caruana. Photo: skak.blog.is.