香蕉船 (Banana split)

Lilit Maratovna Mkrtchian – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2011–12; 5th stage; Jermuk, July 18, 2012
Nimzo-Indian Defence E56

1. d4 e6 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 0-0 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 c5 7. 0-0 Nc6 8. cxd5 exd5 9. dxc5 Bxc5 10. h3 Qe7. Only a month earlier, she had preferred 10. ... a6 11. b3 Re8 12. Bb2 Ne4 13. Ne2 Bd6 14. Rc1 Bf5 15. Bb1 Qd7 16. Nf4 Bxf4 17. exf4 Rad8 18. Nh4 Nd6 19. Nxf5 Nxf5 20. Qg4 Nce7 21. Rfe1 d4 22. Rcd1 g6 23. Re5 f6 24. Re4 Nc6 25. Qf3 Nh4 26. Qg3 Nf5 27. Qf3 Nh4 28. Qe2 Nf5 29. Qf3 ½ : ½ Koneru – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2011–12, 4th stage, Kazan 2012.
11. b3 Rd8 12. Bb2 Ne4 13. Ne2 Nb4 14. Bb1 Bf5 15. Ned4 Bg6 16. a3 Nc6

17. b4 Bb6 18. Ba2 a5 19. b5 Nxd4 20. Nxd4 Bc5 21. Bb3 Rac8 22. Qe2 Bd6 23. Rfc1 Rxc1+ 24. Rxc1. White prefers to sacrifice a Pawn rather than allow 24. Bxc1 a4! with the upper hand for Black.
24. ... Bxa3 25. Bxa3 Qxa3

26. Rc7 h6. A hole for the King.
27. Qa2 Qb4 28. Bxd5 Qe1+ 29. Kh2 Nd2! Maybe Mkrtchian was expecting 29. ... Nxf2 30. Bxf7+ Kh8 31. Bxg6 Ng4+! 32. hxg4 Qh4+ with a draw by perpetual check.

30. Bxf7+? Short of time, White misses her chance for salvation: 30. Nf3! Nf1+ 31. Kg1 Qd1 32. Bxf7+ Kh8 33. Bb3 Ng3+ 34. Bxd1 Rxd1+ 35. Kh2 Nf1+ with a draw by perpetual check.
30. ... Kh8 (30. ... Kh7?? 31. Bxg6+ Kxg6 32. Qf7+ Kg5 33. Qxg7+ Kh5 34. Qg4#)
31. Bxg6? Consistent and wrong. After 31. Kg3 Bb1 32. Qb2 Nf1+ 33. Kf3 Qd1+ 34. Qe2 Nd2+ 35. Kg3 (35. Kf4?? Rxd4+−+) 35. ... Rxd4 36. Qxd1 Ne4+ 37. Kh2 Rxd1 38. Rxb7 Rd8 Black’s advantage is not yet imposing.
31. ... Nf1+ 32. Kg1 Nxe3+ 33. Kh2 Nf1+ 34. Kg1 Nd2+ 35. Kh2 Qe5+ 36. g3 Qxc7 37. Ne6 (37. Qxd2 Qb6−+)
37. ... Qb6 38. Nxd8 Qxf2+ 39. Kh1 Qf1+ 0 : 1. Mate follows after 40. Kh2 Nf3#.

A banana a day keeps the doctor away. Photo: FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2011–12.