兩頭蛇 (Amphisbaena)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Hikaru Nakamura
75th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 17, 2013
Sicilian Defence B77

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 g6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Bc4 0-0 8. Bb3 a6!? Four days earlier, playing Black against Loek van Wely, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) preferred 8. ... d6 9. f3 Bd7 10. Qd2 Nxd4 11. Bxd4 b5 12. a4 bxa4 13. Bxa4 Bxa4 14. Rxa4 Qb8 15. 0-0 Rc8 16. b3 Qb7 17. Rfa1 a6 with a long way ahead before finally achieving a draw at move 61. 9. f3. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s hero, Robert James “Bobby” Fischer, played it another way (in a 5-minute game, though): 9. h4! b5!? 10. h5! b4? 11. Nd5 Nxe4? (11. ... Nxh5 12. Nf5!) 12. hxg6 hxg6 13. Qg4! (Δ Qg4xg6) 13. ... e6 14. Qh3 f5 15. 0-0-0 Na5 16. Qh7+ Kf7 17. Rh6 Nxb3+ 18. axb3 Rh8 19. Qxg6+ Kg8 20. Rxh8+ Kxh8 21. Rh1+ Kg8 22. Rh7 Qf8 23. Bh6 1 : 0, R. J. Fischer– Stewart, Manhattan Chess Club Blitz Tournament, New York 1963. 9. ... d6 10. Qd2 Na5 11. Bh6. The “old” move 11. h4 was also worth considering; for instance: 11. ... h5 12. 0-0-0 Bd7 13. g4!? hxg4 14. h5! Nxh5 (14. ... gxf3 15. h6 Bh8 16. h7+ Nxh7 17. Qh2+−) 15. Bh6! Nxb3+ (15. ... e5 16. Nf5!+−; 15. ... gxf3? 16. Rxh5 gxh5 17. Qg5+−) 16. Nxb3 f6 (16. ... f5 17. fxg4 fxg4 18. Rxh5! gxh5 19. Bxg7+−) 17. fxg4 Bxg4 18. Rdg1 Qd7 19. Rh4! g5 (19. ... f5 20. exf5 gxf5 21. Rxh5+−) 20. Rhxg4 Bxh6 21. Qh2 Qe8 22. Rh4! Bg7 23. Rxh5 Kf7 24. Nd4 Rh8 25. Rh1 1 : 0 Espig – Merino Mejuto, 4th European Team Chess Championship, Kapfenberg 1970. 11. ... Bxh6 12. Qxh6 e5 13. Nde2 b5 14. Qd2? A serious loss of time which allows Black to seize the upper hand. 14. 0-0-0 was probably best. 14. ... b4 15. Na4. In retrospect, Black should have perhaps preferred 15. Nd5, as the Knight has no future here. 15. ... Nxb3 16. axb3 a5 17. 0-0-0. A strategic mirage. White is late for attacking the Kingside. 17. ... Ra6 18. h4 Be6! 19. h5 Qe7. Of course, after 19. ... Nxh5?? 20. g4 Nf6 21. Ng3→ all of White’s dreams would come true. 20. g4 Nd7

21. f4? The losing move! Woman Grandmaster Zsuzsa Verőci suggests 21. Kb1 Rc8 22. Qe3 Rac6 23. Rd2 as the most resilient defensive assemblément. 21. ... Bxg4 22. f5 gxf5 23. exf5 Kh8 24. Qd3 Rc6 25. Rd2 Nf6 26. Ng3 e4 27. Qe3 Qe5 28. Rf1 Bf3 29. Ne2 Ng4 30. Qd4 Rfc8 31. c4 Bxe2 32. Qxe5+ Nxe5 33. Rxe2 d5 34. Kb1 dxc4 35. Rxe4 f6 36. bxc4 Rxc4 37. Re2 Rh4 38. Nb6 Rd8 39. Rc2 b3 40. Rc3 Rb4 41. Rc8 Rxc8 42. Nxc8 Kg7 43. Rg1+ Rg4 44. Re1 Rg2 45. Nd6 Kh6 46. Rd1 a4 47. Rc1 Rc2+ 48. Kb1 Nc4 0 : 1.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). Photo Tata Steel Chess.