Sunday, April 22, 2012

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).

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