Blind date

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Dronavalli Harika

2nd SportAccord World Mind Games; Women’s Blindfold Tournament; 北京 (Běijīng), December 19, 2012

Spanish Game C63

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 f5 4. d3 fxe4 5. dxe4 Nf6 6. Qd3 Bc5 7. 0-0 Nd4 8. Nxd4 Bxd4 9. Nd2 a6 10. Ba4 b5. More convincing is 10. ... Qe7 11. Nf3 Ba7 12. Nh4 g6 13. Bg5 b5 14. Bb3 Bb7 15. Rae1 Rf8 16. Kh1 0-0-0 17. a4 Qb4 18. Bd2 Qd4 19. Qxd4 Bxd4 20. c3 Bc5 21. f3 d5 22. exd5 Bxd5 23. Bxd5 Rxd5 24. Bh6 Rf7 25. axb5 axb5 26. g3 Nd7 ½ : ½ T. A. Kosinsteva – Harika, 3rd Women’s World Team Chess Championship, Mardin 2011. 11. Bb3 Bb7 12. a4

12. ... c5? This natural move is wrong — leading to a nearly forced loss. 12. ... Rf8 13. h3!? Qe7 was worth considering. 13. axb5 axb5 14. Rxa8 Qxa8 15. Qxb5 Nxe4 16. Nxe4 Bxe4 17. c3. That’s all. 17. ... Bxg2 18. cxd4 Bxf1. 18. ... Bh3 19. d5 does not make much difference. 19. Qxf1 cxd4 20. Qb5. Game over. 20. ... Qa1 21. Qxe5+ Kd8 22. Qg5+ Kc8 23. Qc5+ Kd8 24. Kg2 h6 25. Bf4 Qa8+ 26. Bd5 Qa6 27. Qc7+ Ke7 28. Qe5+ Kd8 29. Qb8+ Qc8 30. Bc7+ Ke7 31. Qb4+ 1 : 0. For mate follows in a few moves.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) stands beside a scoreboard following her win in the Women’s Blindfold Tournament of the 2nd SportAccord World Mind Games. Photo: Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images.