Monday, July 23, 2012

Who’s Who


— If we ask other players “How do you envision the world champion?”... in this case, we’ll ask you what character traits would you like to change in yourself?
— Actually I’m satisfied with who I am right now. Maybe in my future growth, I will find some traits I’d like to revise.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
Jermuk, Russia, Sunday, 22 July 2012

Friday, July 20, 2012

Think Twice

Tatiana Anatolyevna Kosintseva – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
1st 杭州 (Hángzhōu) WGM Chess Tournament, 杭州 (Hángzhōu), July 18, 2011
Sicilian Defence B42

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Bd3 Nf6 6. 0-0 e5 7. Bg5 h6. Of course after 7. ... exd4 8. e5 White wins back the piece with interest. 8. Bxf6 Qxf6 9. Nf5 d5? Very unsound. 9. ... g6! 10. Ne3 Bc5 seems to be good. 10. Nc3 d4 11. Nd5 Qd8


12. Bc4!TN (12. Ng3 g6 13. f4 exf4 14. Nxf4 Nc6 15. Bc4 Ne5 16. Bb3 Bg7 17. Nge2 Bg4 18. h3 Bxe2 19. Qxe2 0-0 20. Rad1 Kh7 21. Nd3 ½ : ½ Vallejo Pons – Kunte, 11th Bagnkok Chess Club Thailand Open, Pattaya, April 14, 2011) 12. ... Nc6 (12. ... g6? 13. Nxd4! exd4? 14. Qxd4+−) 13. f4 Na5 14. Qd3 Bxf5 15. exf5 Rc8 16. Bb3 Nxb3 17. Qxb3 Bc5 18. fxe5 O-O 19. Kh1 Qd7


20. f6 g5 21. Qf3 Kh7 22. c4 dxc3 23. Nxc3 Rfd8 24. Rad1 Qe6 25. Qxb7. White has two Pawns ahead and also a crushing advantage. 25. ... Kg8 26. Qe4 Bf8 27. h3 Rb8 28. b3 Re8 29. Rd5 Rb4 30. Qd3 Rh4 31. Ne4 Rc8 32. Nd6 Rc3 33. Qxc3 Qxd5 34. Nf5 Re4 35. Qc8 Qb5 36. Ne7+ Kh7 37. Rg1 Bxe7 38. Qf5+ 1 : 0.

Such an outcome may suggest that perhaps it is time for 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) to rethink her theory. Photo courtesy of Chess-News.ru.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

四 (Sì)

The 5th stage of FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2011–12 has kicked off on July 16 in Jermuk, a most attractive spa town in southern Armenia. No question, Asian Queen 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) must have crossed her fingers after grabbing number four at the drawing of lots! Photos: FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2011–12.

洪星 (Hóng Xīng) has a sad face, I would like to tell him that he does not have to grieve for me, but I cannot, and then I am irritated with him, for the other day he told me that in Chinese there is the same word for “death” and for the number “four”. The same word: . The white-haired girl glues to the wall the paper figurines which her lover cut out with scissors for her, for the New Years’s festival. 谢娥 (Xiè’é) sings: “the north wind blows, the snow falls”. She has a high-pitched voice, but there is a secret pain in the voice of every Chinese girl, in the joy of every Chinese girl. No girl, no young people forgot the long, terrible misery, the long hunger, the long struggle, no one, not even the boy who studied geometry under the lamppost in front of the hospital door, the son of the poor soy milk vendor, a glass of soy milk costs only two cents of 元 (yuán), only five lire, it is the poor people’s milk. Workers going to work in the morning stop in front of the stand of the soy milk vendor. Soy milk vendors are amongst the poorest people in the world, but today they can send their son to middle school, and then to university. There are no longer closed doors to the poors, in China, no way is barred, there are no closed roads.
A same word to say “death” and to say “four”. The word “sì”. Pronounced with sweetness, leaning the tip of the tongue against the teeth, as if the “ì” were mute.

Curzio Malaparte, “Io, in Russia e in Cina”

Monday, July 16, 2012

In a Far Away Place

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 阮露斐 (Ruǎn Lùfěi)
FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2011–12; 5th stage; Jermuk, July 25, 2012
Spanish Game C77

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. d3 b5 6. Bb3 Bc5 7. c3 d6 8. 0-0 h6 9. Be3 0-0 10. Nbd2 Re8 11. h3 Rb8. Varying from 11. ... Bb6 which yet brought 阮露斐 (Ruǎn Lùfěi) good luck in a previous game against the same opponent: 12. d4 Bb7 13. d5 Ne7 14. Bxb6 cxb6 15. Bc2 Qd7 16. Re1 Ng6 17. Nf1 Nf4 18. Ne3 Kh7 19. h4 Bc8 20. Nh2 Rg8 21. g3 g5 22. Kh1 Qh3 23. Rg1 N4h5 24. hxg5 Rxg5 25. Qf1 Ng4 26. Nexg4 Bxg4 27. Qxh3 Bxh3 28. Nf3 Rgg8 29. a4 Nf6 30. Rge1 bxa4 31. Rxa4 a5 32. Raa1 b5 33. Bd3 Rgb8 34. Nd2 Nd7 35. b4 axb4 36. cxb4 Nb6 37. Ra5 Rxa5 38. bxa5 Na4 39. Rb1 Bd7 40. Nb3 Rc8 41. Kg2 Kg7 42. Rc1 Nc5 43. Nxc5 dxc5 44. a6 c4 45. Be2 Ra8 46. Ra1 Ra7 47. Ra5 Kf8 48. Kf3 Ke7 49. Ke3 Kd6 50. Kd2 Kc5 51. Kc3 Kb6 52. Kb4 f6 53. Bh5 Rxa6 54. Rxa6+ Kxa6 55. f4 Kb6 56. f5 Bc8 57. Be8 c3 58. Kxc3 Kc5 59. Bc6 Ba6 60. Kb3 b4 61. Kc2 b3+ 62. Kxb3 Bd3 63. Kc3 Bxe4 64. Bd7 Kxd5 65. Be6+ Kc5 66. Bc8 Bf3 67. Kd3 e4+ 68. Ke3 Kd5 69. Kf4 Kd4 70. Bb7 Bh1 71. Ba6 e3 72. Be2 Be4 73. Bd1 Bd3 74. Kf3 Bxf5 75. Ba4 Bg4+ 76. Kg2 Kd3 77. Bb5+ Kd2 0 : 1 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 阮露斐 (Ruǎn Lùfěi), 4th Torch Real Estate Chinese Chess League, 温州 (Wēnzhōu) 2008. 12. d4 Bb6 13. Bc2 Bd7 14. Re1 Qc8 15. a3 Na5 16. b4 exd4 17. Bxd4 Bxd4 18. cxd4 Nc4 19. Nxc4 bxc4 20. Nd2 Bb5 21. Qf3 Qe6 22. Rab1 d5 23. e5 Nh7 24. Nf1 Ng5 25. Qc3 f5


26. h4. Much stronger seems 26. f4 Ne4 27. Bxe4 fxe4 (idem to say 27. ... dxe4 28. Ne3) 28. Ne3 with an overwhelming bind. 26. ... Ne4 27. Qh3 Bd7 28. Rbc1 Qf7 29. Qe3 Nf6 30. Qf3


30. ... Ng4? Black self-traps her Knight. 30. ... Ne4 was called for, and if 31. Qf4 Black can reply 31. ... a5! 32. bxa5 c5 33. f3 cxd4! 34. fxe4 fxe4!∞ with a powerful dynamic compensation for the sacrificed Knight. 31. Qf4+− (Δ f2-f3) 31. ... h5 32. Ng3 Rf8 33. f3 Nh6 34. Qg5 Be8 35. e6 Qg6 36. Re5 c6 37. Ne2 Kh7 38. Nf4 Qxg5 39. hxg5 Ng8 40. e7 1 : 0.

A League of Her Own

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 万云国 (Wàn Yúnguó)
8th “弈诚杯” (“Yìchéng Cup” Chinese Chess League; 泰州 (Tàizhōu), June 29, 2012
Sicilian Defence B23

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. d3 Bg7 6. Be3 b6 7. Qd2 Nf6 8. Bh6 Bxh6 9. Qxh6 Ng4. If 8. ... e5 then (by transposition) 9. h3⩲ Chernikov – W. Rosen, 11th World Senior Chess Championship, Arco 2001. 10. Qd2 e5 11. h3 Nf6 12. f4 exf4. Or similarly 12. ... Qe7 13. Nf3 exf4 14. Qxf4 Nh5 15. Qh6 f5? (⌓ 15. ... Ng3 16. Rg1 Nf5 17. Qf4 Nd4 18. 0-0-0⩲) 16. 0-0 f4 17. Ne2 Bd7 18. Nxf4 0-0-0 19. Qg5 Qe8 20. Nxh5 gxh5 21. Qe5 Qg8 22. Qxh5 Qg7 23. Qe5 Qh6 24. Qg5 Qd6 25. Qe5 Qh6 26. Qg5 Qd6 27. e5 Qd5 28. Kh2 Rhg8 29. Qe3 Rde8 30. Qe4 Qe6 31. Nd2 Qh6 32. Nc4 Re7 33. Rf6 Qg5 34. Qf3 Kc7 35. Re1 Be6 36. Ne3 Kb7 37. Qf4 Qh5 38. Nf5 Bxf5 39. Qxf5 Qh4 40. Re3 Qd4 41. Qe4 Qd7 42. e6 Qe8 43. Rf7 Rg7 44. Rxg7 Rxg7 45. e7 Rf7 46. Qe6 a6 47. Qxf7 1 : 0 Šolak – Pap, 1st Serbia and Montenegro Team Chess Championship, Budva 2003. 13. Qxf4 Be6 14. Nf3 Nd7. 14. ... Nh5 seems a little better, but after 15. Qe5 0-0 16. g4 Ng7 17. 0-0-0 White keeps a pleasant edge. 15. 0-0-0 0-0 (15. ... Qf6 16. Qd6)


16. d4 cxd4 17. Nxd4 Rc8 18. e5 Qe7? Black — though far from solving all his difficuties — ought to play 18. ... Qc7 19. Rhe1 Bd5 preventing, at least for a while, Nc3-e4. 19. Ne4+− f5 20. exf6 Nxf6 21. Nd6


21. ... Ng4 22. Nxc8 Bxc8 23. Nxc6 Qc5 24. Rd8 Rxd8 25. Nxd8 Bf5 26. Qd2 Ne5 27. Re1 Bxc2 28. Ne6 Qc4 29. Qd8+ Kf7 30. Qf8+ 1 : 0.

Monday, July 9, 2012

Clarice Benini at Semmering


Footage from the Women’s International Tournament at Semmering 1936 (July, 1–16), in which took part also Clarice Benini. Courtesy of Historical Archive of the Luce Institute.

Clarice (centre, wearing a white dress).

Monday, July 2, 2012

Black on White

Alisa Mikhailovna Galliamova – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2011–12; 4th stage; Kazan, June 20, 2012
Modern Benoni A70

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e6 4. Nc3 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. e4 g6 7. h3 Bg7 8. Nf3 0-0 9. Bd3 a6 10. a4 Nbd7 11. 0-0 Nh5 12. Bg5 Bf6 13. Be3 Re8 14. Nd2 Bd4 15. Bxd4 cxd4 16. Ne2 Ne5 17. Ra3


侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) then praised this move, probably regretting not having played 16. ... Nc5 (instead of 16. ... Ne5).
17. ... Qb6 18. Qb3. By exchanging Queens, White content herself with very little.
18. ... Qxb3 19. Rxb3 Bd7 20. Ra1 b5 21. a5 Nf6 22. Nxd4 Nxd3 23. Rxd3 Nxe4 24. Nxe4 Rxe4 25. Rc1 Rc8 26. Rxc8+ Bxc8. The ending should be a draw, but White’s next move makes things decidedly more complex.


27. Re3?! 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) suggested afterwards 27. Nc2 so as to avoid the exchange of minor pieces.
27. ... Rxd4 28. Re8+ Kg7 29. Rxc8 Kf6 30. Rc6 Ke5 31. Rxa6 Rb4 32. Rb6 Kxd5


33. a6. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) then admitted that both her herself and Galliamova did not notice that 33. Rb8! would have still drawn.
33. ... Rxb2 34. a7? White was still in time for 34. Rb8! saving the day.
34. ... Rb1+ 35. Kh2 Ra1 36. Rxb5+ Kc6 37. Rb2 Rxa7 38. g4 d5 39. Kg3 Re7 40. Kf4 d4 41. Kg5 Kc5 42. f4 d3 43. f5 Rd7 44. Rb1 d2 45. Rd1 Kc4 46. f6 Kd3 47. Kh6 Ke2 48. Rxd2+ Kxd2 0 : 1.

Not all rook endings are drawn! Photo: Anastasia Valeryevna Karlovich.

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Lonely Planet

Hóu Yìfán (侯逸凡), l’inesauribile Campionessa del Mondo di scacchi, è in giro come una trottola per le province del Celeste Impero in rappresentanza dello Jiángsū Tàizhōu Team nel Campionato Cinese a squadre, un itinerante, infinito tour della Cina (22 turni) con residenza di viaggio in sei città: Pechino (28 aprile-I maggio); Tàizhōu (27-29 giugno); Shànghăi (11-13 luglio); Shēnzhèn (14-17 settembre); Hángzhōu (6-9 ottobre) e Tiānjīn (19-22 dicembre). Ecco Yìfán all’opera contro la corrispondente scacchiera dell’Hébĕi Sports Lottery Team:

Hóu Yìfán – Wàn Yúnguó
Tàizhōu, 29 giugno 2012
Siciliana B23

1. e4 c5 2. Cc3 Cc6 3. Ab5 g6 4. Axc6 dxc6 5. d3 Ag7 6. Ae3 b6 7. Dd2 Cf6 8. Ah6 (8. h3) 8. ... Axh6 (se 8. ... 0-0 allora 9. Axg7 Rxg7 10. f4 Dc7 11. Cf3 Aa6 12. b3 Tad8 13. De3 con preferenza per il Bianco, Solak – Charbonneau, XXXIV Olimpiade, Istanbul 2000) 9. Dxh6 Cg4 10. Dd2 (10. Dg7 Dd4= Scopetani – Lucci, Firenze, I aprile 2012) 10. ... e5 11. h3 Cf6 12. f4 (12. Dh6 Cg8 Δ 13. Dg7 Df6) 12. ... exf4 (comunque dopo 12. ... De7 13. Cf3 exf4 14. Dxf4 Ch5 15. Dh6 il Bianco serba l’iniziativa, Solak – Pap, Budva 2003) 13. Dxf4 Ae6 14. Cf3 Cd7 15. 0-0-0 0-0 16. d4! (Yìfán profitta dell’iniziativa con timing esemplare) 16. ... cxd4 17. Cxd4 Tc8 18. e5 De7? Fuori strada. Dopo 18. ... Dc7! 19. The1 il vantaggio del Bianco è più circoscritto. 19. Ce4 f5? Un altro metro sottoterra, ma la situazione del Nero era probabilmente già compromessa. Per esempio: 19. ... c5 20. Cf6+ Rg7 (20. ... Rh8? 21. Cc6!! Txc6 22. Txd7! Axd7 23. Dh6 Txf6 24. exf6+-) 21. Cxe6+ fxe6 22. Txd7 Dxd7 23. Td1 Db7 24. Dh4 Txf6 25. Dxf6+ Rh6 (25. ... Rg8? 26. Dxe6+ Rh8 27. Td7+-) 26. g4 con attacco irresistibile. 19. ... Axa2? è vieppiù confutata da 20. Cf6+! con una pointe elegante: 20. ... Rh8 21. Dh6 Cxf6 22. Cf5!+-.20. exf6 Cxf6 21. Cd6+- Cg4 (disperazione, ma né 21. ... Tc7 22. The1 Cd5 23. Dg3 Tf6 24. Cxe6 Txe6 25. Txe6 Dxe6 26. Te1+- né 21. ... Cd5 22. De5+- sovvertivano l’esito) 22. Cxc8 Axc8 23. Cxc6 Dc5 24. Td8 Txd8 25. Cxd8 Af5 (25. ... Cf2 26. Df7+ Rh8 27. Df6+ Rg8 28. Cc6!+-) 26. Dd2 Ce5 (26. ... Ce3 27. Cb7+-) 27. Te1 Axc2 (27. ... Cd3+ 28. Dxd3! Axd3 29. Te8+ Rg7 30. Ce6++-) 28. Ce6 (28. Dxc2?? Cd3+) 28. ... Dc4 (28. ... Cd3+ 29. Dxd3! Axd3+ 30. Cxc5 bxc5 31. Te7+-) 29. Dd8+ Rf7 30. Df8+ il Nero abbandona.

Hóu Yìfán