Tuesday, March 13, 2012

The Ice Sword

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Hannes Hlífar Stefánsson
27th Reykjavík Open; Reykjavík, March 11, 2012
Vienna Game C26

1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. g3. Jacques Mieses’s speciality.
3. ... d5 4. exd5 Nxd5 5. Bg2 Nxc3 (5. ... Be6 6. Nf3!)
6. bxc3 Bd6 7. Nf3 0-0 8. 0-0 Nd7. Another continuation is 8. ... Bg4 9. h3 Bxf3 10. Qxf3 c6 11. d4 Nd7 12. Qd3 f5 13. dxe5 Nxe5 14. Qd4 Qc7 15. Bf4 Nf7 16. Bxd6 Qxd6 17. Rab1 Qxd4 18. cxd4 Nd6 19. c4 Rf7 20. c5 Ne4 21. Rfe1 Nf6 22. Re5 Rd8 23. Rxf5 Rxd4 24. Rf3 Rfd7 25. Rfb3 Rd1+ 26. Rxd1 Rxd1+ 27. Kh2 Rd7 28. g4 g5 29. Kg3 Re7 30. h4 h6 31. hxg5 hxg5 32. f4 gxf4+ 33. Kxf4 Rf7 34. Kg3 Kg7 35. Bf3 Kg6 36. Rb4 Kg5 37. a4 a5 38. Rb3 Re7 39. Rb2 Ne8 40. Rh2 Nf6 41. Rb2 Ne8 42. Rh2 Ng7 43. Rh8 Re8 44. Rh2 Re5 45. Rb2 Kf6 46. Rh2 Re7 47. Rh8 Ne6 48. Ra8 Nd4 49. Kf2 Ke5 50. Kg3 Kf6 51. Kf2 Ke5 52. Kg3 Kf6 ½ : ½ 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – So, 1st Airports Authority of India (AAI) Chess Tournament, New Delhi 2011.
9. d4 c6. Or 9. ... exd4 10. cxd4 Nb6 11. Ng5 Be7 12. h4 h6 13. Ne4 c6 14. a4 Be6 15. Nc5 Bxc5 16. dxc5 Nc4 17. Rb1 (Short – Nunn, 5th Grandmasters Association World Cup Tournament, Rotterdam 1989) 17. ... Qa5 18. Rxb7 Qxc5⩱ (Nunn).
10. Re1 exd4. If 10. ... Qc7 then 11. Qd3! c5 12. Rb1 exd4 13. cxd4 c4 14. Qd2! Nb6 15. d5 Bd7 16. Bb2 Rae8 17. Ng5!↑ Marinković – Pavasovič, Čačak 1995.
11. cxd4 Nb6 12. Qd3. If 12. Ng5 then 12. ... h6 13. Ne4 Be7= (Pavasovič).
12. ... h6 13. c4 Bb4 14. Bd2 Bxd2 15. Nxd2 Qf6 16. a4 Bf5 17. Qc3 Rad8 18. a5 Nc8 19. Nb3 b6 20. Re5 c5 21. Rae1 (21. dxc5?? Rd3−+)
21. ... cxd4 22. Nxd4 Bd7 23. c5 bxc5 24. Qxc5 g6 25. h4 h5 26. Ne2 Rfe8 27. Nf4 Rxe5 28. Rxe5 Qd6


29. Qc3. Threatening both Nf4xh5 and Re5-d5. The Exchange sacrifice 29. Rxh5!? Bf5 30. Rxf5 gxf5 31. Qxf5 was interesting, but after 31. ... Ne7 32. Qg5+ Kf8 33. h5 Ng8 Black should save the day. Probably best was 29. Qe3! (threatening again both Nf4xh5 and Re5-d5) and if 29. ... Bc6 then 30. Nd5 with advantage to White.
29. ... Ne7 30. Nd5 Be6 31. Nf6+ Kf8 32. Nh7+ Kg8 33. Nf6+ Kf8 34. Rc5 Nf5 (34. ... Qd1+ 35. Kh2 Qd2=)
35. Nh7+ Kg8 36. Nf6+ Kf8 37. Nd5 Kg8? (37. ... Ne7 38. Nxe7 Kxe7 39. Rc7+ Rd7 40. Rxd7+ Kxd7 41. Qe3±)


38. Rc6!+− Qb8? (38. ... Qf8 39. Nf6+ Kh8 40. Nxh5+ Nd4 41. Nf4+−)
39. Nf6+ Kf8


40. Rxe6! 1 : 0. Because of 40. ... fxe6 41. Nd7+ Rxd7 42. Qh8+.

She must have scared him off with her half hand. Photo: skak.blog.is.

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