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).