Too Much, to Little

Maria Nikolaeva Velcheva – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
37th Women’s Chess Olympiad; Turin, May 28, 2006
Sicilian Defence B58

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Be2 e5 7. Nf3 h6 8. 0-0 Be7 9. Re1 0-0 10. h3 Be6 11. Bf1 Nb8 12. b3 a6 13. a4 Nbd7 14. Bb2 Rc8 15. Nd2 Qc7 16. Nc4 Qc6 17. Qf3 Rfe8 18. Ne3 Bf8 19. Ncd5 Bxd5 20. exd5 Qc7 21. a5 g6 22. Nc4 Rcd8 23. Rad1 Bg7 24. Qe3 Nh5 25. Ba3 Bf8 26. g3 f5 27. Bg2 Kh7 28. Bf3 Nhf6 29. Qd2 Nc5 30. Qe3 Ncd7 31. Qd2 Nc5 32. Qe3 Nce4 33. Bg2 Qf7 34. Qd3 Be7 35. Re2 h5 36. Kh2

36. ... h4 37. gxh4? (37. g4!) 37. ... Nh5 38. Bc1 Nc5 39. Qd2 Nf4 40. Ree1 Bxh4 41. b4 Ne4 42. Bxe4 fxe4 43. Rxe4 Qf5 44. Qe3

44. ... Bxf2 (44. ... Bg3+! 45. Qxg3 Qxe4−+) 45. Qf3 Nxd5 46. Qxf5 gxf5 47. Re2 Nc3 48. Rxf2 Nxd1 49. Rxf5 Rc8 50. Nxd6 Rxc2+ 51. Kg3

51. ... Rg8+ (51. ... Re6−+) 52. Bg5 Rg6 53. Ne4 Rcc6? (53. ... Nc3!−+) 54. Rxe5! Rce6 55. Rxe6 Rxe6 56. Nc5 Rg6 57. Kf4 Nf2 58. h4 Nh3+ 59. Kf5 Nxg5 60. hxg5 Rg7 61. Ne6 Rf7+ 62. Ke5 Kg6 63. Kd6 Rf5 64. Nc5 Rf4 65. Nxb7 Rxb4 66. Nc5 Rb5 67. Nxa6 Rxa5 68. Nc5 Kxg5 69. Kd5 Kf5 70. Kd4 Ra8 71. Kd5 Rd8+ 72. Kc4 Ke5 73. Nd3+ Ke4 74. Nc5+ Ke3 75. Kc3 Rd4 76. Nb3 Rh4 77. Nc5 Rg4 78. Nb3 Ke4 79. Kc4 Ke5+ 80. Kc5 Rg2 81. Kc4 Rc2+ 82. Kd3 Rh2 83. Kc4 Rh4+ 84. Kc5 Rh8 85. Kc4 Rc8+ 86. Kd3 Kd5 87. Nd2 Ra8 88. Nb3 Ra4 89. Kc3 Rh4 90. Nd2 Rh3+ 91. Kc2 Kc5 92. Nb3+ Kb4 93. Nd2 Re3 94. Nb1 Rb3 95. Nd2 Rc3+ 96. Kd1 Rd3 97. Kc2 Rd4 98. Nb1 Rh4 99. Nd2 Rh3 100. Nb1 Rg3 101. Nd2 Rc3+ 102. Kd1 Rc8 103. Ke2 Kc3 104. Ke3 Re8+ 105. Ne4+ Kc4 106. Kf4 Kd4 107. Nd6 Re1 108. Nf5+ Kd5 109. Ne3+ Kd4 110. Nf5+ Kd5 ½ . ½.

Much work for little recompense. Photo: Jay Nikki Yongwei Jiang.

肢体语言 (Body language)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk

Women’s Grand Prix 2011–12; 4th stage; Kazan, June 18, 2012
Vienna Game C26

1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. g3 Bb4 4. Bg2 c6 5. d4 d6 6. Ne2 0-0 7. h3 Nbd7. Kosteniuk deviates from 7. ... exd4 8. Qxd4 Bc5 9. Qd1 Re8 10. 0-0 Na6 11. g4 Be6 12. Bg5 Qe7 13. Qc1 h6 14. Bh4 Bc4 15. Re1 d5? (15. ... Bxe2 16. Rxe2 g5 17. Bg3 Nc7) 16. exd5 cxd5 17. Qd2 Qd6 (Black also stands very badly after 17. ... Ne4 18. Nxe4 Qxh4 19. Nxc5 Nxc5 20. Nf4) 18. Ng3 Qb6 19. b3 Bb4 20. a3 Ba5 21. b4 Nxb4 22. axb4 Bxb4 23. Reb1 a5 24. Na4 Qc6 25. c3 Be7 26. Nb6 Rad8 27. Nxc4 Qxc4 28. Nf5 Bc5 29. Re1 1 : 0 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí), 1st China Women Masters Tournament, 无锡 (Wúxī) 2011. 8. 0-0 Re8 9. Be3 Ba5 10. a4 a6 11. g4 Nf8 12. Ng3 Ng6 13. f4 exf4 14. Bxf4 Nxf4 15. Rxf4 Nd7 16. Qd3 Qb6 17. Rb1 Ne5 18. Qd1 Ng6 19. Rf2 Qd8 20. Nce2 Bc7 21. Qd2 d5?! 21. ... c5 22. c3 cxd4 23. cxd4 f6 24. Nh5 d5 25. exd5 Nh4 seems good for Black. 22. e5 Be6 23. Rbf1 c5 24. c3 cxd4 25. cxd4 Rf8 (25. ... Bb6 26. Kh1 Rc8 27. Nh5→) 26. Nh5 Qh4 27. Neg3 f6

28. Nxg7! “I was satisfied with the position I’ve got after the opening but then I started to make moves which I could not really explain and got into a trouble. I think 28. Nxg7 simply wins in that position”, Kosteniuk eventually said. However, there was at least a “dual”: 28. Rxf6! gxf6 29. Qh6 Rf7 30. Nf5+− winning easily. 28. ... Kxg7 29. Nh5+ Kh8 30. Qh6 Rg8 31. Rxf6 (31. exf6+−) 31. ... Rae8. “I was not sure actually about 28. Nxg7 because I think Black could have defended more precisely by playing 31. ... Bb6. There are some chances to give a perpetual check there”, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) said afterwards. This sounds like a very strange comment, because after 31. ... Bb6 32. Kh1! White wins in all lines.

32. Rf7! Bxf7 33. Rxf7 Nf8 34. Rxc7 Rg6 35. Rxh7+! Nxh7 36. Qxg6 Rg8 37. Qf7 Qg5 38. Qxd5 Nf8 39. Kh2 Qd2 40. Qd6 Nh7 41. e6 Qe3 42. d5 b5 43. axb5 axb5 44. Qf4 Qxf4+ 45. Nxf4 Kg7 46. Nh5+ Kh6 47. d6 1 : 0.

Put simply, body language speaks louder than words! Photo: Anastasiya Karlovich.

现在完成式 (Present perfect)

Two-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) enjoying the sun and sea at Santa Giulia Bay, Porto-Vecchio, southern Corsica on May 22, 2012. Photo collage courtesy of her herself.

Through Barriers

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Martin Voigt
12th Bangkok Chess Club Open; Bangkok, April 16, 2012
Caro-Kann Defence B18

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. Nh3 e6 7. Nf4 Bd6 8. c3 Nf6 9. h4 Qc7 10. Qf3. The vintage theory reference is 10. h5 Bxf4 11. Bxf4 Qxf4 12. hxg6 fxg6 13. Qd2 Qxd2+ 14. Kxd2 Nbd7 15. Re1 Kf7 16. Bc4 Rae8 17. Bb3 c5 18. Ne4 Nxe4+ 19. Rxe4 Nf6 20. Re5 cxd4 21. cxd4 Re7 22. Rhe1 Rhe8 23. Kd3 h6 24. f4 ½–½ Boleslavsky – T. V. Petrosian, Candidates Tournament, Zürich 1953.
10. ... Nbd7 11. h5 Bc2 12. h6 gxh6 13. Bd3. 13. Ngh5 Nxh5 14. Rxh5 0-0-0 15. Bd3 Bxd3 16. Nxd3⩲ looks a little more promising.
13. ... Bxd3 14. Nxd3 Bxg3 15. fxg3 Rg8 16. Bf4 Qa5 17. 0-0? A bit too speculative. Best seems 17. Rxh6 0-0-0∞ eventually followed by ... Rg8-g6 as played in the game Fedorchuk – Lenič, 31st German Schach Bundesliga, Mülheim an der Ruhr 2011.
17. ... Qh5 18. Bc7 Qxf3 19. Rxf3 Ne4 20. Re1 f5 21. c4? White’s central breakthrough will prove to be literally catastrophic. She should try to hold on by 21. Nf2 followed by the exchange of Knights.
21. ... Ndf6 22. Be5 Ng4 23. d5 0-0-0! 24. dxc6 Rxd3 25. cxb7+ Kxb7 26. Rxd3 Nxe5−+ 27. Rb3+ Kc6 28. Ra3 Kb6 29. c5+ Kb7 30. b4 a6 31. Rb3 h5 32. a4 Nc6 33. Rd1 Kc7 34. b5 axb5 35. axb5 Ne5 36. Rc1 Nxg3? (36. ... Nd7 37. c6 Ndc5−+)
37. Ra1! Ne2+ 38. Kf1 Nd4 39. Rb4? (39. Rb2!=)
39. ... Rg4!−+ 40. g3 Nc2? The fatal 40th move throws away any Black’s advantage. After 40. ... Nd3 41. b6+ Kb8 White could well resign.
41. Rxg4 hxg4 42. Ra7+ Kb8 43. Rxh7 Nd4 44. Re7 Kc8 45. b6 Nec6 46. Rc7+ Kb8 47. Kf2 e5 48. Ke3 Nb4 49. Rf7 Nd5+ 50. Kd3 Nb4+ 51. Kc4 Nbc6 52. Kd5 e4 53. Rf8+ Kb7

54. Rf7+ Ka6?? Harakiri in the most dramatic style! Any other King’s move would have given a draw.
55. b7 Ka7 56. Rc7 e3 57. Rxc6 Nc2. Both 57. ... e2 58. Rb6 and 57. ... Nxc6 58. Kxc6 e2 59. Kc7 also lose on the spot.
58. Rb6 Kb8 59. c6 1–0.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) walking through barriers. Photo: Bangkok Chess Club.

我偶然，你必然 (I accidentally, you absolutely)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Yrjö Aukusti Rantanen
12th Bangkok Chess Club Open; Bangkok, April 18, 2012
r5Q1/1ppk1p1r/p2pbq2/2b1pN2/4Pp2/2PP3P/PP3P2/R3K1R1 w Q - 0 1

Position after ... Ke8-d7

White to move and gain the Exchange, but 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) stands before a dilemma: which Rook to take?
1. Qxa8? And what if it’s the wrong one? After the correct 1. Qxh7 Rh8 2. Qg7 Qxg7 3. Nxg7 Rxh3 4. Nxe6 fxe6! Black has only a Pawn for the Exchange, but his nut is hard to crack.
1. ... Bxf5? What a difference an inversion of moves makes! 1. ... Bxf2+! would have left White without resource.
2. Rg8! Threatening Qa8-e8#. 2. exf5?? Bxf2+! could transpose to the line given in the previous note.
2. ... Bxf2+! 3. Kd2. Not 3. Kxf2?? on account of 3. ... Qh4+ 4. Ke2 Bg4+!! and Black wins in all variations.
3. ... Kc6 4. exf5 Rxh3? (⌓ 4. ... Qxf5 5. Rb8 Qxh3 6. Qxb7+ Kd7=)
5. Rb8 Bb6? 6. Qxb7+ Kd7 7. Qc8+ Kc6 8. Qe8+ Kd5

9. Rxb6? Both are short of time. Under better circumstances 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) would have never missed 9. Qa4!+− with threat of mate at c4.
9. ... Rh2+ 10. Kc1 Qxf5! This must have come as a cold shower to 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán): Black sacrifices a whole Rook to launch a devastating attack! Perhaps she only counted on 10. ... cxb6?? 11. Qa8+ Kc5 12. b4+ Kb5 13. a4#.
11. Qa8+ Ke6 12. Qc8+ Kf6 13. Qxc7 Kg7 14. Qxd6 Qg5 15. Qc5 f3+ 16. Kb1 f2 17. a3 f1=Q+ 18. Ka2 Qf2 19. Qb4 Rh8. And here Rantanen offered a draw, which 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) very happily accepted!
½–½.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) staring at her opponent in open-mouthed surprise after the draw offer. Screenshot courtesy of Karpovsky Chess Wannabe.

Working Class Heroine

倪华 (Ní Huá) – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

3rd 海南 (Hǎinán) 儋州 (Dānzhōu) Grandmaster Chess Tournament; 儋州 (Dānzhōu), June 6, 2012

Sicilian Defence B82

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be3 Be7 7. f4 0-0 8. Qf3 e5 9. Nf5 (9. fxe5 dxe5 10. Nf5 Bxf5 11. Qxf5 Nc6=)
9. ... Bxf5 10. exf5 Nbd7 11. 0-0-0 Rc8 12. Bb5 Rxc3 13. bxc3 d5!?TN (13. ... Qc7 14. Bxd7 Nxd7 15. fxe5 dxe5 16. Qd5 Qxc3 17. Qb3 Qc6 18. Qd5 Qc3 19. Qb3 Qc6 20. Qd5 ½–½ M. Hoffmann – Babula, 30th Schachbundesliga, Berlin 2008)
14. Rxd5 Ba3+ (14. ... e4!)
15. Kb1 Qa5 16. fxe5 Nxe5 17. Rxe5 Qxc3 18. Bc1 Qxe5 19. Bxa3 Ne4? 19. ... Qxb5+ 20. Qb3 Qxb3+ 21. axb3 Re8 was roughly level.
20. Bb4? A blind spot for 倪华 (Ní Huá). After 20. Qd3! Black is in trouble; for example: 20. ... Nc3+ 21. Ka1 Nxb5+ 22. Bb2 Qc5 23. c4 Nd6 24. Ba3 winning material.
20. ... Qxb5 21. Qxe4 Re8? Better was 21. ... a5! at once, in order to avoid the exchange of Queens.
22. Qd4 a5 23. a4! Transposing into a winning endgame.
23. ... Qxb4+ (23. ... Qxa4 24. Bc3+−)
24. Qxb4 axb4 25. Rd1 g6 26. f6 h5 27. Kb2 Re6 28. Rd8+ Kh7 29. Rd7 b6 30. Rxf7+ Kh6 31. Rf8 Kh7 (31. ... g5 32. f7 Kg7 33. Re8! Kxf7 34. Rxe6 Kxe6 35. Kb3+−)
32. h4 Rc6 33. Kb3 Rc3+ 34. Kxb4 Rxc2 35. Rb8 Rf2 (35. ... Rxg2?? 36. f7+−)
36. Rxb6 Rxg2 37. a5 g5 38. f7!! An elegant solution.
38. ... Kg7

39. Rf6! Morphy’s legacy. 39. ... Kf8 40. hxg5 Rxg5 41. a6 Rg1 42. a7 Ra1 43. Rh6! Only this way!
1–0. For if 43. ... Kg7 then 44. Rf8!+−, while if 43. ... Kxf7 then 44. Rxh5+− (Δ Th5-a5); finally, if 43. ... Rxa7 then 44. Rh8+ Kxf7 45. Rh7+−.

A lone woman in a man’s world.

Testamento di un poeta

In mortem Ei fu, io sono E sull’ermo colle D’alloro cinto All’ora fatale, prode, m’appresto Il timor mi fa vile Ma più ardito l’agognato plauso E se di lui l’umana gente Ebbe a dir gran lode E sperticato elogio Che dirà di me per cotanto canto? Ei fu ed io sono Ma sol nella morte il volgo il mito incarna Io sarò! Sia pur cocendo ne lo tormento eterno. Isadora Duncan

Alessandra & Lorenzo in the press!

Press review