A Queen of Two Crowns

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk
17th European Women’s Chess Club Cup; Eilat, October 11, 2012

Caro-Kann Defence B10

“Today was the first round of the European Club Cup 2012 in Eilat, Israel. I am playing for the team ‘SHSM’ which is composed exclusively of players from Moscow, with Russian Champion Gunina on the second board and Kovalevskaya on the 3rd board. We played against the top rated team Monaco, which has hired the current world champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) on the first, Humpy Koneru on the second, Anna Muzychuk on the third. So it was a fierce match, and especially the first board match was the most watched in the tournament, with me playing 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), that is the 12th women’s world chess champion playing the current 13th women’s world chess champion. I decided to give her a little surprise, and for the first time in my life... played the Caro-Kann defence with Black!”, Kosteniuk wrote in her blog on October 12, 2012.

1. e4 c6 2. d3 d5 3. Nd2 e5 4. Ngf3 Bd6 5. d4 exd4 6. exd5 Nf6 7. dxc6 Nxc6 8. Be2 0-0 9. Nb3 Re8 10. 0-0 Bg4 11. h3 Bxf3. If 11. ... Bh5 then 12. Nfxd4 Bxe2 13. Nxe2 Bh2+ 14. Kxh2 Qxd1 15. Rxd1 Rxe2 16. Rd2 Rae8 17. c3 Re1 18. Rd3 Ne5 19. Re3 Rf1 20. Bd2 Rxa1 21. Nxa1 Rd8 22. Re2 Nc4 23. Bg5 Rd1 24. Nc2 Nxb2 25. Ne3 Rb1 26. Nd5 h6 27. Nxf6+ gxf6 28. Bxf6 Nd3 29. h4 h5 30. Rd2 Nf4 31. Kg3 Ne6 32. Rd5 Kh7 33. Bd4 Kg6 34. Bxa7 Rb2 35. Ra5 b6 36. Ra6 Rc2 37. Bxb6 Rxc3+ 38. Be3 Kf5 39. Ra5+ Kg6 40. Kf3 Nd4+ 41. Ke4 Ne6 42. g3 Rc2 43. a4 Ra2 44. Ra8 Nc7 45. Ra7 Ne6 46. a5 Ra4+ 47. Kd5 Ng7 48. Bb6 Nf5 49. Rd7 Nh6 50. Kc6 Ng4 51. Kb7 Ne5 52. Rd4 Nc4 53. a6 Na5+ 54. Bxa5 Rxa5 55. a7 1 : 0 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Danielian, 2nd World Women’s Team Chess Championship, 宁波 (Níngbō) 2009. 12. Bxf3 Be5 13. Nc5 Rc8 14. Nd3 Bb8 15. Bg5 h6 16. Bh4?! White decides to give up a Pawn, counting a little too much on the open f-file. 16. Bxf6 was probably best.

16. .. g5! 17. Bg3 Bxg3 18. fxg3 Qd6 19. Rf2 Kg7. 19. ... Qxg3 20. Bh5 Qe3 21. Kh2 leaves White with enough compensation. 20. Qd2 Qxg3 21. Raf1 Re7 22. c3 (22. Bxc6 Rxc6 23. Nb4 Rd6 24. Rxf6 Rxf6 25. Rxf6 Kxf6 26. Nd5+ Ke6 27. Nxe7 Kxe7 28. Qxd4 Qe1+ 29. Kh2 Qe6 30. Kg1 Qxb2=) 22. ... Ne5 23. cxd4 Nc4 24. Qb4 Rcc7 25. Rc1 Ne3 26. Rxc7 Rxc7 27. Qd2? (⌓ 27. Qe1)

27. ... Nf5. Much stronger was 27. ... Nxg2! 28. Bxg2 Ne4 29. Qe2 Nxf2 30. Nxf2 Rc1+ 31. Nd1 Qf4∓ (Pogonina’s analysis). 28. Ne5 Nd6 29. Rf1 Qh4 30. Qd3. They both were under pressure. 30. ... Qg3 31. Qd2 Nf5 32. Qd3. Or 32. Bxb7! Ne3! 33. Re1 (not 33. Rf3?? because of 33. ... Rc1+! followed by mate) 33. ... Nf5 34. Rf1 Ne3 drawing by repetition. 32. ... Nd6 33. Qd2 Nf5 34. Qd3 Qf4 35. Bxb7 Qxd4+ 36. Qxd4 Nxd4 37. Ba6 Rc2 38. Rf2 Rc1+ 39. Rf1 Rc2 40. Rf2 Rc1+ 41. Kh2. Having reached the time control, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) became ambitious again. However, there were good reasons instead to play 41. Rf1 Rc2 with a draw. 41. ... h5 42. Rd2 Nf5 43. Rf2 Nd6 44. Bd3 h4 45. Rf1 Rc7 46. g3 Re7 47. Nf3 Re3 48. Ba6 hxg3+ 49. Kxg3 Nf5+ 50. Kh2 g4 51. hxg4 Nxg4+ 52. Kh3 Ne5 53. Bb7 Nd6 54. Ba8 f5 55. Kg3?! The White King goes in search of trouble. ⌓55. Re1! seems to force a draw. 55. ... Nd3 56. Kh4? The trouble becomes more serious. ⌓56. Kg2! was called for, still with good chances of defence. 56. ... Kf6 57. b3? Oblivious to the coming catastrophe, but it’s not easy to suggest anything constructive.

57. ... Re8! 58. Rd1. On a Bishop move instead, Black continues ... Re8-h8+ followed by ... f5-f4+ and ... Nd6-f5 with a mating attack. 58. ... Rxa8 59. Rxd3 Ne4 0 : 1. “The threat of ... Ra8-h8# is too strong. If White plays 60. Kh3 there is a fork 60. ... Nf2+ winning the Rook. A wonderful coordination between the Rook, Knight and Pawn to achieve a ‘back rank’ mate”, Kosteniuk noted.

Two Queens in one realm. Photo: Anastasiya Valeryevna Karlovich.