If not for you

if not for you winter would have no spring I could’nt hear the robins sing I just wouldn’t have a clue anyway it wouldn’t ring true if not for you Bob Dylan, if not for you

Anna Vitalievna Zatonskih – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

2nd SportAccord World Mind Games; Women’s Rapid Tournament; 北京 (Běijīng), December 14, 2012

Modern Benoni A61

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 c5 4. d5 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. Nc3 g6 7. Bf4 a6 8. a4 Bg7 9. h3 0-0 10. e3 Ne8 11. Be2 Nd7 12. 0-0 Rb8 13. Nd2 Qe7 14. Qc2 b6 15. Rab1 Nc7 16. Rfd1 Ne5 17. b4 Bf5 18. e4 Bd7 19. bxc5 bxc5 20. Bg3 g5 21. Nc4 Nxc4 22. Bxc4 Be5 23. Bxe5 Qxe5 24. Ne2 a5! (Δ ... Rb8-b4) 25. Rxb8 Rxb8 26. Rb1 Rb4 27. Rxb4 cxb4 28. Bb3? (28. f3 f5↑) 28. ... Na6−+ 29. Ng3 Nc5 30. Qc4 Qc3 31. Qxc3 bxc3 32. Ne2? (32. Bc2 Bxa4−+) 32. ... Nxb3 0 : 1.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Anna Olehivna Muzychuk

2nd SportAccord World Mind Games; Women’s Rapid Tournament; 北京 (Běijīng), December 14, 2012

Spanish Game C88

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 0-0 8. d4 Nxd4 9. Nxd4 exd4 10. e5 Ne8 11. c3 dxc3 12. Nxc3 d6 13. Qf3 Rb8 (13. ... Be6 14. Nd5 Rc8 15. Bf4 dxe5 16. Nxe7+ Qxe7 17. Bxe5 Nd6 18. Qc3 Qg5 19. Bxe6 fxe6 20. b3 Qg6 21. Qc6 Nf7 22. Bg3 e5= Lékó – Aronian, Grand Prix 2008–2010, 5h stage, Jermuk 2009. 14. Bf4 dxe5 (14. ... Bb7 15. Bd5 Bxd5 16. Nxd5 dxe5 17. Bxe5 Bd6 18. Rad1 Kh8 19. Ne7! Qd7 20. Qh5! Rd8? 21. Re3! Qxe7 22. Rh3 Nf6 23. Bxf6 Qe4 24. Bxd8 Rxd8 25. Qxf7+− Vogt – Goldberg, 35th German Democratic Republic Chess Championship, Nordhausen 1986) 15. Bxe5 Bd6 16. Rad1 Qg5 17. Bxd6 Nxd6 18. Rxd6 Bb7 (18. ... cxd6?? 19. Qxf7+! Rxf7 20. Re8 mate) 19. Rd5 Bxd5 20. Bxd5 Rbd8 21. Bb3 c5 22. a3 c4 23. Bc2 Rfe8 24. Rb1 a5 25. h4 Qd2 26. Be4 b4 27. axb4 axb4 28. Ne2 g6 29. g4 Re7 30. Ng3 Qd4 31. Kg2 Rd6 32. g5 Rde6? (Oops!) 33. Bd5! Re5 34. Rd1 Qxh4 35. Qf6! (Δ Bd5xf7+) 35. ... Rxd5 (35. ... Qxg5? 36. Bxf7+! Kf8 37. Rd8+ Re8 38. Rxe8+ Rxe8 39. Qxg5+−) 36. Rxd5 Re8 37. Rd4 1 : 0. Her Majesty is trapped.

Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lagno – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

2nd SportAccord World Mind Games; Women’s Rapid Tournament; 北京 (Běijīng), December 14, 2012

Sicilian Defence B66

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 a6 8. 0-0-0 Be7 9. Nxc6? bxc6 10. Bf4 d5 11. Qe3 0-0 12. Be2 a5 13. Qg3 Ba6 14. Bf3 Nd7 15. h4 Bf6!! Black’s dark-squared Bishop and the open b-file more than compensate for the Exchange. 16. e5 Be7 17. Bh6 g6 18. Bxf8 Bxf8 19. h5 Bg7 20. hxg6 hxg6 21. Be2 Bxe2 22. Nxe2 Nxe5 23. c3? (23. Th4) 23. ... a4 24. a3? Nc4 25. Rh4. White must already return the Exchange... 25. ... Qb6 26. Rxc4 dxc4 27. Qf4 Rb8 28. Rd2 Bf8 29. Nd4 Rb7 30. Qe4 Rd7 31. Re2 c5 32. Nc2 Qd6 33. Ne3 Bh6 34. Qa8+ Rd8 35. Qxa4 Qh2 36. Kb1 Qg1+ 37. Ka2 Bxe3 38. fxe3 Qf1 39. Qc2 (39. Qxc4? Rd2−+) 39. ... Rd1! 40. b3 Tc1 0 : 1.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) playing with the elder Muzychuk sister. Photo: Anastasiya Karlovich.