Monday, April 9, 2012

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.

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