Once Upon a Pawn

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Viswanathan Anand
75th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 25, 2013
Sicilian Defence B94

Notes by Grandmaster Karsten Müller, ChessBase.com, February 2, 2013.

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 Nbd7 7. Qe2 h6 8. Bh4 g6 9. f4 e5 10. fxe5 dxe5 11. 0-0-0 Be7 12. Nf3 Qc7 13. Qc4 Qb8 14. Nd5 b5 15. Qc6 Nxd5 16. Rxd5 Qb7 17. Qc3 f6 18. Bf2 Nb6 19. Rd1 Na4 20. Qb3 Qc6 21. Qd5 Qxd5 22. exd5 Bc5 23. Bg3 Nb6 24. Bd3 Bf5 25. Bxf5 gxf5 26. Rhf1 0-0-0 27. Bf2 Bxf2 28. Rxf2 Rxd5 29. g3 Rxd1+ 30. Kxd1 Nd5 31. Nh4 f4 32. Rd2 Ne3+ 33. Ke2 Nc4 34. Rd1 fxg3 35. b3 Rd8 36. Rxd8+ Kxd8 37. hxg3 Nd6 38. Kd3 b4 39. c4 bxc3 40. Kxc3 Kd7 41. Kd3 Ke6 42. b4

The Great Wall of China. Simplification into a Pawn ending must always be calculated very precisey: 42. ... Nf5? The Pawn ending is surprisingly drawn despite the extra Pawn. 42. ... h5! wins sooner or later as Knight endings are similar to Pawn endings in the respect that an extra Pawn usually gives very good winning chances, e.g. 43. a4 Kd5 44. a5 (44. b5 axb5 45. axb5 Nxb5 46. Nf5 e4+ 47. Ke3 Ke5 48. Ne7 Nd6 49. Nc6+ Kf5 50. Nb4 Kg4 51. Kf2 e3+ 52. Kxe3 Kxg3−+) 44. ... f5 45. Ng6 e4+ 46. Kc3 (46. Ke3 Kc4 47. Kf4 Kxb4 48. Ke5 Nc4+ 49. Kxf5 e3 50. Nf4 Kc3 51. Kg5 Nxa5 52. Kxh5 Nc4 53. g4 Kd2 54. g5 Ne5 55. g6 Nxg6 56. Kxg6 a5−+) 46. ... Nb5+ 47. Kd2 Kc4 48. Nh4 Nd6 49. Ke3 Kxb4 50. Kd4 Kxa5 51. Kc5 Nb7+ 52. Kc4 e3 53. Kd3 Nd6 54. Kxe3 Kb4 55. Kd3 Kb3−+. 43. Nxf5 Kxf5 44. a4 Ke6

45. g4! 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) stops Anand’s play on the Kingside first. The direct 45. b5? loses to 45. ... axb5 46. axb5 Kd5 47. b6 Kc6 48. Ke4 Kxb6 49. Kf5 Kc5 50. g4 Kd4 51. Kxf6 e4 52. Kg6 e3 53. Kxh6 e2 54. g5 e1=Q 55. g6 Qh4+−+. 45. ... Kd5. It does not make sense to try 45. ... f5 as Black is fighting for the draw now: 46. gxf5+ Kxf5 47. a5 e4+ 48. Ke3 h5 49. b5 h4 50. bxa6 h3 51. a7 h2 52. a8=Q h1=Q 53. Qd5+ Kf6=.

46. Kc3! 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s great Chinese wall cannot be broken as after the only try to invade with ... Kd5-e4 her counterplay is always just in time. 46. ... Ke4 47. Kc2. Another way to draw is 47. b5 axb5 48. axb5 Kd5 49. Kb4 Ke6 50. Kc4 Kd6 51. Kb4 Kd5 52. b6 Kc6 53. Ka5 Kb7 54. Kb5 Kc8 55. Kc4= as given by Baburin in Chess Today 4462. 47. ... Kd4 48. Kb3 e4. The Queen endgame after 48. ... Kd3 49. b5 axb5 50. axb5 e4 51. b6 e3 52. b7 e2 53. b8=Q e1=Q 54. Qd6+ Ke2 55. Qe6+ also does not prommise Black any winning chances. 49. b5 axb5 50. axb5 e3. 50. ... Kc5 is met by 51. Kc3 Kxb5 52. Kd4 e3 53. Kxe3 Kc5 54. Ke4 Kd6 55. Kf5 Ke7 56. Kg6=. 51. Kc2 Ke4

52. Rd1! 侯 (Hóu) correctly deals with the counterplay as 52. b6? runs into 52. ... Kf3 53. b7 e2 54. b8=Q e1=Q and Black wins, e.g. 55. Qf8 Qf2+ 56. Kd3 Kxg4 57. Qxh6 Qf3+ 58. Kc2 f5−+. 52. ... Kd5! ½ : ½. 53. Ke2 Kc5 54. Kxe3 Kxb5 55. Ke4 Kc6 56. Kf5 Kd5! (Only the counterattack saves the day as 56. ... Kd7? is met by the bodychecks 57. Kxf6 h5 58. gxh5 Ke8 59. Kg7+−) 57. Kxf6 Ke4 58. Kg6 Kf4 59. Kh5 Kg3 60. Kxh6 Kxg4=. Of course not 52. ... Kf3?? 53. Ke1+−.

“Although she hasn’t gained a lot of points here, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) plays brilliantly”, Chinese-Dutch Grandmaster 彭肇勤 (Péng Zhàoqín) said. “Her today’s draw against Anand is worth of a win”. Photo: Stefan64.