Grazie, Vangjel!

A Woman’s Way

13th Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) unveiling all her charms on her eighteen birthday (February 27, 2012). Photos: photo.sina.com.cn.

Twisted Twenty-Six

On Sunday, March 4, 2012, Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) gave a 26-board simultaneous exhibition at the Maritime Museum in the Grandi harbour district of Reykjavík, Iceland, winning 25 and drawing one. Photo courtesy of Viðskiptablaðið.

A Lecture on Love

Two-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) standing in front of the People’s Procuratorate in 兴化 (Xīnghuà), 江苏省 (Jiāngsū province), China. Photo courtesy of her herself.

Queen of the Blazing Throne

Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) for《时尚最体育》(Trendsports) (January 16, 2012). Photos: 李宁 (Lǐ Níng).

Queen in the City

13th Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) enjoys a “crowd bath” in 泰州 (Tàizhōu), 江苏省 (Jiāngsū province), China on April 1, 2012. Photos: ChinaFotoPress (CFP).

霜凍優格 (Frozen yogurt)

A spring of youth in the cold 北京 (Běijīng) winter: the Queen of Chess, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), posing for her eighteen birthday photoshoot. Photo: 李宁 (Lǐ Níng).

IV Fischerandom Kaos

Ieri, sabato 28 aprile 2012, presso i locali dell’Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”, si è svolta la quarta edizione consecutiva del “Fischerandom Kaos”, con la simultanea di scacchi960 del Maestro Internazionale Vangjel Buli su dieci scacchiere.

Come sempre la kermesse è stata organizzata fuori da ogni egida della cosiddetta “Federazione Scacchistica Italiana”.

Un bravo a Giulio per il... colpaccio, e un bravissimo a Giacomo per la sua bella performance in puro stile Fischerandom!

Grazie al Maestro Internazionale Vangjel Buli – persona squisitissima nella forma e nella sostanza – per averci ancora una volta onorati della sua qualificata e gradita presenza. E grazie infine a quanti – tutti cavalieri senza macchia e senza tessera – hanno, con la loro generosa partecipazione, illuminato gli scacchi in technicolor di Robert James Fischer!

La vita è bella. La vita è altrove.

Kostja

Michele

Giacomo & Jacopo

La prima volta di Michele

Il Maestro Internazionale Vangjel Buli in simultanea

Il colpaccio di Giulio

La patta di Giacomo

A Birthday in February

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s own collage for her official eighteenth birthday photos! Courtesy of her herself.

Gauntlet

赵骏 (Zhào Jùn) – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
43rd Chinese Chess Championship, 兴化 (Xīnghuà), March 31, 2012

Catalan Opening E06

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 e6 3. Bg2 Be7 4. 0-0 d5 5. c4 0-0 6. d4 dxc4 7. Ne5 Nc6 8. Nxc6 bxc6 9. Na3 Bxa3 10. bxa3 Ba6 11. Qd2 Rb8 12. Qa5 Qc8 13. a4 Rd8 14. Qc5. After 14. Ba3 Rxd4 15. Rab1 Black successfully defended with a pyrotechnic double Exchange sacrifice in Efimenko – Sakaev, 4th Serbian Team Chess Championship 1st League, Vrnjačka Banja 2010: 15. ... Rb6! 16. Bc5 Rd5! 17. Bxd5 cxd5 18. Bxb6 axb6 19. Qb4 Nd7 20. a5 b5 21. Qe7 c5 22. f4 d4 23. f5 e5 24. f6 gxf6 25. g4 h6 26. Rf5 ½ : ½.
14. ... Nd5 15. e4? This push is as compromising as it is ambitious. White soon falls into serious trouble.
15. ... Nc3 16. Be3 Nxa4 17. Qh5 c3 18. Rfc1 Bd3 19. h4 Qa6 20. Qg4 Be2 21. Qf4 Qa5 22. Re1 Bd3 23. Rac1 h6 24. g4 c2 25. Bd2 Qb5 26. d5 Qc4 27. dxe6 Qxe6 28. g5 h5 29. Qxc7 Qxa2 (29. ... Nc5!−+)

30. g6! Afterwards, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) praised the text as a strong move, because suddenly White’s Bishops come to life, “making my situation less easy lo cope with”.
30. ... fxg6 31. Bg5 Re8 32. Qxc6 Rbc8 33. Qxg6 Nc3? 33. ... Qf7 at once was Black’s best way to make a good use her extra Pawn.
34. Bh3! Qf7. One move too late, but she realises, only now, that after 34. ... Ne2+ 35. Rxe2 Bxe2 36. Bd7! White saves everything.
35. Qxf7+ Kxf7 36. Bxc8 Rxc8 37. Ra1 Nxe4 38. Rxa7+ Kg6 39. Bc1 Nc3. Objectively speaking, the ending should be drawn, despite its material unbalance.
40. Rae7 Rc4 41. R7e3 Rg4+ 42. Kh2 Rxh4+ 43. Kg3 Rd4 44. f3 Nd1 45. Re6+ Kh7 46. R1e5 h4+ 47. Kh2 Nc3 48. Rh5+ Kg8 49. Rc5 Ne2 50. Be3 Rd7 51. Re8+ Kh7

52. Kh3. “The situation is very complex, but I think 赵骏 (Zhào Jùn)’s 53. Kh3?! gave me some opportunities to use my advantage”.
52. ... Bg6 53. Ree5 Rd1 54. Kxh4 Rh1+ 55. Kg4 c1=Q 56. Bxc1 Nxc1 57. Re7 Nd3 58. Rcc7 Rg1+ 59. Kh4? This is probably the losing move. After 59. Kh3! Bh5 60. Kh2 is anything but easy for Black to demonstrate a win.
59. ... Bf5! 60. Rf7 Be6 61. Rfe7

61. ... Ne5! 62. Kh5 0 : 1. And White resigns without waiting for 62. ... Nd3! (62 . ... Nxf3?? 63. Rxg7+!=).

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) answering reporters’ questions after the end of the game. Photo: 新华网 (Xīnhuánet).

Perhaps

Perhaps               ––reply to the loneliness of a poet Perhaps our hearts        will have no reader Perhaps we took the wrong road        and so we end up lost Perhaps we light one lantern after another        storms blow them out one by one Perhaps we burn our life-candle against the dark        but no fire warms the body Perhaps once we’re out of tears        the land will be fertilized Perhaps while we praise the sun        we are also sung by the sun Perhaps the heavier the monkey on our shoulders        the more we believe Perhaps we can only protest others’ suffering        silent to our own misfortune Perhaps        because this call is irresistable               we have no other choice 舒婷 (Shū Tíng), December 1979

Nigel David Short – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
12th Bangkok Chess Club Open; Bangkok, April 17, 2012
Queen’s Indian Defence E14

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4 b6 4. e3 Bb7 5. Bd3 d5 6. 0-0 Bd6 7. b3 0-0 8. Bb2 Nbd7 9. Nc3 a6 10. Qc2 dxc4. If 10. ... Qe7 then 11. e4 dxe4 12. Nxe4 Nxe4 13. Bxe4 dxe4 14. Qxe4 Nf6 15. Qe2 (15. Qh4 is answered by 14. ... Nd7, and 15. Dc6 by 15. ... Dd7= Malaniuk – Ionov, Saint Petersburg 1996) 15. ... c5 16. Rfd1 with a slight edge for White (L. Portisch’s analysis). 11. bxc4 Bxf3! Less convincing is 11. ... e5?! 12. Nd5!↑ exd4 13. Bxd4 Re8 14. Rad1 h6 15. e4?! (15. Ba1! c5 16. a4!±) 15. ... Ng4 16. h3 Nge5 17. Nxe5 Bxe5 18. Be3 c6 19. Nc3 Nc5 20. Na4 ½ : ½ L. Portisch – Tiviakov, Kropotkin 1995. 12. gxf3 c5 13. d5!? Short goes his own way, perhaps because he was not too convinced neither by 13. Ne2!? Qc7 14. Kg2! cxd4 15. Nxd4∞ (L. Portisch’s analysis) nor 13. Ne4!? Nxe4 14. fxe4 Bxh2+ 15. Kxh2 Qh4+ 16. Kg2 ½ : ½ E. Geller – Averbakh, Training Tournament, Gagra 1953. 13. ... exd5 14. cxd5 b5 15. Ae2 c4. Black is fine. 16. Ne4 Nxe4 17. fxe4 Qe7 18. f4 f6 19. Rad1 Rac8. “From what follows we may suggest the logical improvement 19. ... Nc5!? 20. Bf3 Rae8 and Black seems to have a decent position”, writes Peter Doggers. 20. Bd4 Nc5 21. Bxc5!? Short decides to sacrifice a Pawn. After 21. Bg4 (Doggers) Black could even afford herself 21. ... Qxe4!? 22. Qxe4 Nxe4 23. Be6+ Kh8 24. Bxc8 Rxc8 and her Pawn preponderance on the Queenside should more than compensate for the Exchange. 21. ... Bxc5 22. Bg4 Bxe3+ 23. Kh1 f5? It is hard to understand why 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) gave back the Pawn Yìfán right now. Maybe she was afraid of 23. ... Rcd8 24. Be6+ Kh8 25. Rf3 Bc5 26. Rh3, but after 26. ... g6 White’s compensation is anything but proved. 24. Bxf5 Rcd8 25. e5 Rh8. If 25. ... g6 then 26. Bxg6! with devastating effect; for instance: 26. ... Rxf4 27. Rxf4 Bxf4 28. e6 Qf6 [28. ... hxg6 29. Qxg6+ Kh8 (29. ... Qg7 30. e7+−) 30. Rg1+−] 29. Bxh7+ Kf8 30. Qf2 winning immediately. 26. Qe4 Qc5. No better is 26. ... Qe8 27. Bxh7 Bxf4 28. Rxf4 Rxf4 29. Qxf4 Kxh7 30. e6 and Black can resigns. 27. Bxh7 c3. Maybe Black was still relying upon her passer, but... 28. Bg6 c2 29. Qg2! Very pretty coup, in the style of Alexander Aleanndrovich Alekhine! If now 29. ... cxd1=Q there would follow 30. Qh3+ Kg8 31. Qh7 mate. 29. ... Bxf4 30. Bxc2 Qe7 31. d6 Qe6 32. Rde1. Both 32. d7! (Δ 33. Rd6 Qxe5 34. Qh3+ Kg8 35. Bb3+ Rf7 36. Re6+−) with the tactical pointe of 32. ... Rxd7?? 33. Rxd7 Qxd7 34. Rxf4!+− and 32. Rf3! were quicker ways of resolving the game, but... de gustibus non est disputandum. 32. ... g5 33. Rf3 g4 34. Rf2 Qh6 35. Qxg4 Bxe5 36. Rxe5 Rxf2 37. Rh5 Rxd6 38. Rxh6+ Rxh6 39. Qc8+ Kg7 40. Qc7+ Rf7 41. Qg3+ Kf8 42. h4 Rhf6 43. Bb3 Rf1+ 44. Kg2 R7f6 45. h5 1 : 0.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) standing on top of a Bangkok’s skyscraper. Photo: Kruttika Nadig via ChessBase.com.

Venice of the East

Shortly after the Bangkok Chess Club Open, when asked by Alexander J. Klemm what had been her best game, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) answered without hesitation: “Maybe the third one”. And so here is it:

Shojaat Ghane – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
12th Bangkok Chess Club Open; Bangkok, April 14, 2012
Nimzo-Indian Defence E32

Comments in quotation marks by Alexander J. Klemm, 12th Bangkok Chess Club Open 2012 Tournament Journal, p. 80.

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 0-0 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 Qe8!? The Keene Variation.
7. Nf3 b6 8. e3 Bb7 9. Be2 d6 10. 0-0 Nbd7 11. b3 Ne4 12. Qc2 f5 13. Ne1 Rf6 14. f3 Ng5 15. e4 f4 16. Nd3 e5 17. d5? “Closing the centre allowed 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) to push on the Kingside”.
No doubt it is a gross strategic blunder; another strategy was called for, not closing but breaking: 17. c5! with an unclear position, probably a little more promising for White.
17. ... Qh5 18. Nf2 Rg6 19. Qd3 Nf6 20. Rd1 Bc8 21. Ra2. “The Rook was supposed to protect the second row, but it was soon lost”.
21. ... Rh6 22. h3. “A sacrifice was in the air”.

“And there it was:”
22. ... Bxh3! 23. gxh3 Nxh3+ 24. Nxh3 Qxh3 25. Bf1 Qh1+ 26. Kf2 Rh2+ 27. Ke1 Rxa2 0 : 1.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) in Bangkok, participating in the Songkran Thai New Year’s festival. Photo: Alexander J. Klemm.

Hard Rock Epic

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Lê Quang Liêm
10th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 31, 2012
Sicilian Defence B85

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. f4 e6 7. Be2 Qc7 8. 0-0 Be7 9. Kh1 0-0 10. a4 Nc6 11. Be3 Re8 12. Bf3 Na5 13. Bf2 Nd7 14. Qe1 b6 15. e5 Bb7 16. Bg3 dxe5 17. fxe5 Rac8 18. Rd1 Bb4 19. Qf2 Rf8 20. Ne4! Giving up a Pawn for a lively play. 20. ... Nxe5 21. Bf4 Bxe4 22. Bxe4 Bd6 23. Nf3 f5 24. Bxe5 Bxe5 25. Bd3 Bxb2 26. Rb1 Bc3 27. Ng5 Qe7 28. Qe3 Nc4 29. Bxc4 Rxc4 30. Rxb6 Bd4 31. Qd3 Rxa4 32. Rxe6 Qa3 33. Qe2 h6

34. Rxh6! 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s elegant pointe, which even in the worst of cases guarantees White at least a draw. 34. ... gxh6 35. Qe6+ Kg7 36. Qd7+ Kg6 37. Ne6 Bc5?? A melodramatic blunder that loses on the spot. The “fair” outcome would have been 37. ... Rf7! 38. Nf4+ Kg7 39. Nh5+ Kg8 40. Qe8+ Kf8 41. Qg6+ Kh8 42. Rxh6+ with perpetual check. 38. Qg7+! Instead, now Black gets mated. 38. ... Kh5 39. Nxf8 Bxf8 40. Qf7+ 1 : 0. Because of 40. ... Kg4 41. Qg6+ Kh4 42. g3+ Kh3 43. Qh5+ followed by mate.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s virtuoso performance at Tradewise Gibraltar set new standards for women’s chess. Photo: Gibraltar International Chess Festival.

Beautiful That Way

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 周健超 (Zhōu Jiànchāo)
43rd Chinese Chess Championship; 兴化 (Xīnghuà), March 30, 2012
Sicilian Defence B93

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. f4 e5 7. Nf3 Nbd7 8. a4 Qc7 9. Bd3 Be7 10. 0-0 0-0 11. Kh1 Nc5 12. Qe1 Re8. If 12. ... b6 there might follow 13. fxe5 dxe5 14. Bg5 Be6 15. Nh4 Nh5 16. Be3 Nxd3 17. cxd3 Rad8 18. Rd1 Bc5 19. Nf3 Rd7 20. Bxc5 bxc5 21. Qe3 h6 22. Rd2 Rfd8 23. Ne2 Qd6 24. Rc1 Rc7 25. h3 Bd7 26. Rc4 Be6 27. Rc3 Bd7 28. b3 Be6 29. Rdc2 Rb8 30. Nd2 Nf4 31. Nxf4 exf4 32. Qf2 Rd8 33. b4 c4 34. dxc4 Qxb4 35. Qxf4 Rdc8 36. Rg3 Qxa4 37. Qxh6 Qa1+ 38. Kh2 Qe5 39. Qe3 Bxc4?? 40. Qc3+− Re8 41. Qxe5 Rxe5 42. Rgc3 1 : 0 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Ghader Pour, 2nd Asian Indoor Games (Team Classical Chess), Macau 2007. 13. Nh4 exf4 14. Bxf4 Be6 15. Bg3!? Perhaps a novelty. On the other hand, the theoretical references weren't encouraging: 15. Nf5 Bxf5 16. exf5 Nxd3 17. cxd3 Qb6 18. Qf2 Qb3 19. a5?! d5 and Black stands better, Nordby – Pytel, Skien 1978. Or 15. Bg5 d5 16. e5 Ng4 17. Bxe7 Qxe7 18. Nf3 Rad8 19. h3 d4! 20. Ne4 Ne3 21. Nxc5 Qxc5 22. Qh4 h6 23. Rf2 Bd5 24. Qf4 Re7 25. Qxd4 Qxd4 26. Nxd4 Nxg2! 27. Kh2 Rxe5 28. Nf5 Ne3!−+ Goichberg – Pytel, Skien 1978. 15. ... Qb6 16. Rb1 Qb4 17. Bf4 d5 18. Bd2 dxe4 19. Nxe4 Qxa4? This could be the decisive mistake! 19. ... Nxd3 20. cxd3 Qxa4 was called for. 20. Nxc5 Bxc5 21. Rxf6! Bc4. Se 21. ... gxf6 allora 22. b4! with decisive interference on the fourth rank; for instance: 22. ... Bf8 23. Qe4 Bg7 24. Qxh7+ Kf8 25. Rf1 with overwhelming attack. 22. Qg3 Bxd3 23. cxd3 Qc2 24. Rbf1! Qxd2 25. Nf5 g6. 25. ... Bf8 is also met by 26. Rxf7! Kxf7 (neither 26. ... g6 27. Qh4!+− nor 26. ... Qxb2 27. d4 g6 28. Nd6+− are better at all) 27. Nxg7+ Ke7 (or 27. ... Kg8 28. Nxe8+ and mate in two moves) 28. Qc7 mate. 26. Rxf7!! The bolt from the blue. 26. ... Bf8 (26. ... Kxf7 27. Qc7++−)

27. Nh4?? 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s blind spot! 27. Qh4!+− was a very worthy corollary of her shining combination: 27. ... Kxf7 28. Ne7+! Ke6 (28. ... Kg7 29. Qf6+ Kh6 30. Nf5+ Kh5 31. Qh4 mate) 29. Qe4+ Kd7 (29. ... Kd6 30. Rf6+ Kc7 31. Qe5+ Kd7 32. Qd6 mate) 30. Qxb7+ Kd6 (30. ... Ke6 31. Qd5+ Kxe7 32. Rf7 mate) 31. Qd5+ Kc7 (31. ... Kxe7 32. Rf7 mate) 32. Qc6+ Kb8 (32. ... Kd8 33. Qd6 mate) 33. Qb6 mate. 27. ... Bg7!= 28. Rxb7 Rf8 29. Nf3 Qxd3 30. Re1 Rae8 31. Rxe8 Rxe8 32. h3 Qd1+ 33. Kh2 Bf8 34. Rb6 Rd8 35. Rb8 Qd6 36. Rxd8 Qxd8 37. Kh1 Qd1+ 38. Qe1 Qxe1+ 39. Nxe1 Kf7 40. Kg1 Ke6 41. Kf2 Kd5 42. Ke2 Kc4 43. Kd1 Kb3 44. Nd3 a5 45. Kc1 Bh6+ 46. Kb1 Kc4 47. Kc2 Kd4 48. Nf2 a4 49. Nd1 Bf8 50. Nc3 Ke3 51. Nxa4 Kf2 52. g4 Kg3 53. Nc3 h6 54. Ne2+ Kxh3 55. Nf4+ Kxg4 56. Nxg6 Bd6 57. Kd3 Kg5 58. Ke4 Kxg6 ½ : ½.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) said: “I will not exclusively participate in men’s tournaments like Judit Polgár, I’m gonna play both women’s and men’s competitions. However, I still hope to play in more men’s tournaments, that would help me make progress. Photo: 樊璐璐 (Fán Lùlù).