How to Squeeze a Lemon

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – John David Bartholomew
27th Reykjavík Open; Reykjavík, March 10, 2012
Spanish Game C91

Notes by Grandmaster John David Bartholomew, Chess Life, May 2012, pp. 36-39.

Playing a world champion on equal terms is definitely a nerve-wracking affair. I had plenty of time to prepare for this game but didn’t manage to get much sleep! Nevertheless, I went in with a clear head and a desire to match wits with a formidable opponent.

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. d4

The Ruy López is a cornerstone of 侯 (Hóu)’s repertoire. I devoted almost all of my preparation time to it, but this was a surprise! Previously she had always gone for the main lines with 9. h3.
9. ... Bg4 10. d5 Keeping a flexible center with 10. Be3 is equally popular.
10. ... Na5 11. Bc2 c6 12 Na5 11. Bc2 c6 12. h3 Bc8. I think White has more chances for something tangible in the line 12. ... Bxf3 13. Qxf3 cxd5 14. exd5 when Black will have to play very precisely to neutralize the Bishop pair on a board that is quickly becoming open.
13. dxc6

13. ... Qc7. GM Mihail Marin (in his notes to Adams – Aronian, Dortmund 2006) makes an astute comment on the slightly inferior 13. ... Nxc6: “Since the Pawn structure is relatively immobile, the best routes for the pieces can be easily established. The Knight has nothing to do back on c6. It would not only fail to control the relatively weak d5-square but would also be restricted in his actions by the c3-Pawn and his own e5-Pawn. Therefore, the Queen is better suited for winning the Pawn back, while the Knight can dream of being recycled via c4-b6”. I would only add that the maneuver ... Nc4-b6 very often fails to completely solve Black’s problems with this Knight, but the text does provide more interesting opportunities for counterplay.
14. Nbd2 Qxc6 15. Nf1 Nc4 16. Ng3 Re8 17. a4 Be6. I had this position against Julio Becerra in a U.S. Chess League game a couple years back. There I preferred 17. ... Bb7, but after 18. Nf5 Bf8 19. Bg5!? d5 (19. ... Nxb2 is critical) 20. axb5 axb5 21. Rxa8 Bxa8 22. Bxf6 Qxf6 23. exd5 Rd8 24. b3 Nb6 25. c4! I failed to fully equalize.
18. Ng5 Bd7 19. b3 Na5. Per my comment on move 13, 19. ... Nb6 20. a5 Nc8 still leaves the Knight in a bad way.
20. Bd2

We’ve reached a theoretically important position.
20. ... Qc7. The benefit of this natural move is that it forces White to immediately clarify the Queenside structure. The flexible alternative 20. ... Bd8!? (as seen in the aforementioned Adams – Aronian game) is fully playable; Black can also throw in 20. ... h6 21. Nf3 before committing to anything, though this does encourage White’s standard plan of Nf3-h4-f5.
21. axb5 axb5 22. Qe2 h6 23. Nf3 Be6 24. Rab1 (RR 24. Reb1 Reb8 25. Nh2 Qb7 26. Ng4 Nc6 27. b4 Nxg4 28. hxg4 Rxa1 29. Rxa1 Qc8 30. Bd1 d5 31. exd5 Bxd5 32. Nf5 Bf8 33. Ne3 Be6 34. Bc2 Ne7 35. Be1 Qc6 36. Rd1 g6 37. Qd3 Bg7 38. Qd6 ½ : ½ Becerra Rivero – Kamsky, 50th U.S. Chess Championship, San Diego 2006)
24. ... Rab8?! It wasn’t yet necessary to protect the b-Pawn. More accurate is 24. ... Bf8!, intending to meet 25. Nh4 with 25. ... g6 when Black has absolutely no problems.
25. Nh4. White enjoys a typical Kingside initiative.
25. ... Nh7 (RR 25. ... b4!? 26. c4 Nc6 27. Nhf5 Bf8)
26. Nhf5 Bg5

This was my idea beginning with 24. ... Rab8. Exchanging dark-square Bishops and targeting c3 is a positionally wellfounded plan, but it’s probably a bit artificial with the dopey Knight on h7 (matching its unhappy counterpart on a5!?).
27. h4!? Played after prolonged thought. White had a couple of tempting alternatives: 27. Nh5!? g6 28. Nhg7 gxf5 29. Nxe8 Rxe8 30. exf5 Bd7 leads to complications not unfavorable to White; The simple 27. Bxg5 hxg5 (27. ... Nxg5? 28. Nh5 is very dangerous for Black) 28. Red1 is good for a slight edge.
27. ... Bxd2 28. Qxd2 Nf6! I was very happy to get this move in. The d-Pawn is temporarily immune, so I take the opportunity to improve my worstplaced piece.
29. Re3!

Combining attack and defense. Definitely not 29. Nxd6? Red8, when the Knight will be lost; 29. Qxd6?! Qxc3 is also quite nice for Black.
29. ... d5?! I didn’t think I could afford to hesitate (e.g. 29. ... Red8 30. Rf3 sees White building up heavy threats against my King. However, in view of the opportunity on White’s 31st move perhaps 29. ... b4!? is the best attempt to cross White’s plans.
30. Rf3 Nxe4

31. Nxe4? Here the Zwischenzug 31. Nxh6+! is very strong. We both thought I would answer this with 31. ... Kf8 (not 31. ... gxh6? 32. Qxh6 with a decisive attack), when I will take the piece and evacuate my monarch to the Queenside. Nevertheless, after 32. Bxe4! dxe4 33. Nxe4 Black is in a precarious position, i.e. 33. ... Rbd8 34. Qg5 gxh6 35. Qxh6+ Ke7 36. Qg5+ Kd7 37. Nf6+ Kc6 38. Nxe8 Rxe8 when White’s chances are definitely higher (for instance, she may just start running the h-Pawn).
31. ... dxe4 32. Bxe4 (RR 32. Nxh6+ gxh6 33. Qxh6 exf3 34. Bh7+=)
32. ... Bxf5 33. Bxf5. Now I’m close to equalizing.
33. ... Qd8. During the game I was proud of this clever double attack [侯 (Hóu) later said she missed it), but it’s probably not best. (33. ... Nb7!?).
34. Qa2?! A decision dictated by our mutual time trouble. If she wants to keep Queens on, then 34. Bd7 is a better way to do so, intending 34. ... Re7 35. Rd3.
34. ... e4 35. Re3 Qd5! Centralization!
36. Bg4

36. ... Nc6? I thought I had finally made sense of this piece, but this is in fact a serious error! After 36. ... Ra8! Black may even have more choices. If I can get in ... f7-f5, then the Knight will be in no way inferior to the Bishop.
37. Rd1! 侯 (Hóu) doesn’t miss her chance.
37. ... Qe5. 37. ... Qc5 38. b4 is even worse.
38. Bd7 Red8. Unfortunately, my intended 38. ... Rbd8 just loses material after 39. Qe2.
39. Qe2 Qc7? The game is essentially over after this mistake. I needed to find 39. ... Qf6! to keep things going. Then 40. Rxe4 Qxc3 definitely looks shaky for Black, but I also don’t see any sort of knockout for White.
40. Bf5! Reaching time control with a clear Pawn in hand. Worse, I have no stable square for my Knight.
40. ... Rxd1+ 41. Qxd1 Rd8 42. Qe2 g6. Trying to arrange my Pawns on light squares, but it doesn’t really work out. I saw that 42. ... b4 43. Bxe4 bxc3 44. Rxc3 Nd4 45. Rxc7 Nxe2+ 46. Kh2 would present my opponent with only a moderately difficult technical task. Albeit depressing, this may have been the most testing.
43. Bxe4 h5 44. Bf3! Illustrating the stark contrast between Bishop and Knight. The threats are Re3-e8+ and Qe2xb5. 44. ... Na5. I couldn’t bring myself to play 44. ... Na7 with a straight face.br /> 45. Qxb5 Kh7. 45. ... Rb8 46. Re8+ is trivial. 46. ... Rxe8 47. Qxe8+ Kg7 48. Bd5.
46. g3 Rb8 47. Qg5 Rxb3 48. Re7 Rb1+ 49. Kh2 1 : 0.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) squeezed the most out of her Ruy López. Photo courtesy of John David Bartholomew.