Overjump

Ivan Sokolov – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
75th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 26, 2013
Queen’s Gambit Declined D38

1. d4 e6 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4 dxc4 7. a3 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 c5 9. Bxf6 Qxf6 10. e3 Nc6 11. Bxc4 0-0 12. Bb5 Bd7 13. 0-0 Rfd8 14. a4 Qe7 15. Qb1 Rab8 16. Qe4 cxd4 17. exd4 Qf6 18. Bd3 g6 19. Rfe1 Ne7 20. c4 Nf5 21. d5 exd5 22. cxd5 Re8

23. Ne5? An inconsiderate sacrifice which Black will refute quite easily by simply refusing it. After 23. Qb4 Nd6 Black has a comfortable equality, but probably there is not much more in prospect. 23. ... Qd6 24. f4 f6 25. Kh1 h5! White was hoping instead for 25. ... fxe5? 26. fxe5 Qe7 27. e6 with a powerful central avalanche of Pawns. 26. Qe2 Rbd8 27. Bc4 Re7 28. Qb2 Rde8 29. Nf3 Rxe1+ 30. Nxe1 Qxf4. White eventually limited the damage to the loss of a single Pawn, but — what is even worse — Black dominates the board, so her task is realitvely easy. 31. Bd3 Qe3 32. h3 Ng3+ 33. Kh2 Qf4 34. Kg1 h4 35. Qf2 Qxf2+ 36. Kxf2 Ne4+ 37. Kg1 g5 38. a5 Nd6 39. Nf3 Rc8 40. a6 b6 41. Re1 Kf7 42. Rf1 Ke7 43. Re1+ Kd8 44. Bh7 Rc4 45. Bg8 Ra4 46. Be6 Rxa6 47. Nh2 b5 48. Ng4 Ne8 49. Nh6 Bxe6 50. dxe6 Ng7 51. e7+ Ke8 52. Ng8 f5 0 : 1.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). Photo: Frans Peeters.