The Long, Long Afternoon

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Hikaru Nakamura
16th Unive Chess Tournament; Hoogeveen, October 26, 2012
Sicilian Defence B53

Notes by Grandmaster Eltaj Safarli.

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Qxd4 e5. Black chose to play 4. ... e5, but I don’t really like it — because it weakens Black’s position. The most normal and main line is: 4. ... Nc6 5. Bb5 Bd7 6. Bxc6 Bxc6 7. Nc3 Nf6 8. Bg5 e6 9. 0-0-0 etc.
5. Qd1 Nf6 6. Nc3. 6. Bd3!? was another set-up, where White had a solid and slightly better position: 6. ... Be7 7. 0-0 0-0 8. c4 etc.
6. ... h6 7. Bc4 Be6 8. Bb3. 8. Bxe6 would be possible as well, but it seems that after 8. ... fxe6 9. Nh4 Rg8 (9. ... Kf7? 10. f4! exf4 11. e5! Nfd7 12. Qh5+ Kg8 13. Bxf4±) 10. Ng6 Nc6 11. 0-0 Kf7 12. Nxf8 Rxf8 Black has a reasonable position with equal chances.
8. ... Be7 9. 0-0 0-0 10. Be3 Nc6 11. Qe2 Na5 12. Rfd1 Qc7 13. Nd5 Nxd5 14. Bxd5 Nc4 15. c3 Rac8 16. Rac1

16. ... a6. I think 16. ... Qa5! would be strong, with equality.
17. b3 Nxe3 18. Qxe3⩲ Bd7 19. Rc2 Kh7 20. Nd2 g6? 20. ... b5 was better.

21. Qa7! Rb8 22. Nc4! f5. It’s funny that even after 22. ... Bd8 White can play 23. Nb6!.
23. Qb6. White decided to simplify the position. Perhaps Black would find it harder to defend with a Queen on the board after: 23. Nb6.
23. ... Rfc8 24. Qxc7 Rxc7 25. Nb6 Bc6 26. f3 Bg5 27. Nc4. 27. Kf2 I think it would be better. In this case White saves the Knight. This would have made it harder for Black to defend.
27. ... b5! 28. Bxc6. 28. Nxd6 leads to a draw after 28. ... Rd8 29. c4! Be3+ (29. ... Rxd6? 30. cxb5 axb5 31. Bg8+! Kxg8 32. Rxd6+−) 30. Kh1 b4 31. c5 Bxd5 32. Rxd5 Bxc5 33. Rcxc5 Rxc5 34. Rxc5 Rxd6=.
28. ... bxc4 29. Bd5 cxb3 30. axb3

The position is also good for White. Anyway, Black still has to work for a draw.
30. ... Rb6 31. Kf2 a5 32. Ra1 Rc5 33. Ke2 Kg7 34. Kd3 Rb8 35. Ra4 Bd8 36. b4 axb4 37. cxb4 Rxc2 38. Kxc2 Bb6 39. Kb3 Kf6 40. Kc4 Ke7. So, after the first time control White has some chances to win. However I thought Hikaru would hold the position without too much difficulty.
41. h3 Kd7 42. Bf7 fxe4 43. fxe4 Ke7 44. Bd5 Kd7 45. Ra3 Rf8 46. Ra6 Kc7 47. Ra2 g5 48. Rc2 Rf2 49. Rxf2 Bxf2 50. g4 Be1 51. Be6 d5+ is interesting, but I think unnecessary.
52. exd5 e4 53. Kd4 Bxb4 54. Kxe4 Kd6 55. Kf5 Ba5 56. Kg6 Bd8 57. Kxh6 Ke5 58. Kg6 Be7 59. Kf7 Bb4 60. Ke8 Kd6 61. Bg8 Bd2 62. Kf8 Ba5 63. Kg7 Ke5 64. Kg6 Bd8 65. Kg7 Be7 66. Kf7 Bb4 67. Kg6 Be7 68. Be6 Bd8 69. Kf7 Kd6 70. Ke8 Ba5 71. Kf7 ½ : ½.

Good to the last drop. Photo: Univé Schaaktoernooi.