Emotional Inertia

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Rustam Mashrukovich Kasimdzhanov
71st Corus Chess Tournament (Group B); Wijk aan Zee, January 17, 2009
Spanish Game C92

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 0-0 9. h3 Re8 10. d4 Bb7 11. Ng5 Rf8 12. Nf3 Re8 13. Ng5 Rf8 14. Nf3 Re8 15. a4 h6 16. Nbd2 Bf8 17. Bc2 exd4 18. cxd4 Nb4 19. Bb1 c5 20. d5 Nd7 21. Ra3 c4 22. Nd4 Qf6 23. N2f3 Nc5. Or 23. ... Nd3 24. Bxd3 b4! 21. Bxc4 bxa3 22. b3 Nc5 23. Qc2 Qg6 24. Nh4 Qf6 25. Nhf3 Qg6 26. Nh4 Qf6 ½–½ Anand – Kamsky, PCA 1994–95 Candidates Tournament Final, Las Palmas 1995, match game 5.
24. axb5 axb5 25. Nxb5 Rxa3 26. Nxa3 Ba6 27. Re3 Rb8 28. Rc3 Nbd3 29. Bxd3 cxd3 30. Be3 Nxe4 (30. ... Qg6!?)
31. Rc6 Ra8!

32. Qa4. White forces simplification in search of a laborious balance. More advisable may be 32. Rb6 Qf5 with approximate dynamic equality, Blomqvist – Brynell, 29th Politiken Cup, Copenhagen 2007 (32. ... Qd8 also deserves consideration).
32. ... d2! 33. Nxd2 Nxd2 34. Rxa6 Qxb2 35. Bxd2 (35. Rxa8?? Qc1+ 36. Kh2 Nf1+ 37. Kg1 Nxe3+ 38. Kh2 Nf1+ 39. Kg1 Ng3+ 40. Kh2 Ne2−+)
35. ... Rxa6 36. Qxa6 Qxd2 37. Qc4 Qd1+!? And finally comes the novelty! 37. ... g6 38. g3 h5 39. Kg2 Bg7 40. Qe4 Bd4 41. Qf3 Qa2 42. Nb5 Bxf2 41. Nc3 Qc2 42. Ne2 Bd4 43. g4 hxg4 44. hxg4 Be5 45. Kf1 Kg7 46. Ng1 Qc1+ 47. Kg2 Qd2+ 48. Kf1 Qc2 49. Nh3 Qb1+ 50. Kg2 Qa2+ 51. Kf1 Qa1+ 52. Kg2 Qa2+ 53. Kf1 Qa1+ 54. Kg2 Qb2+ 55. Kf1 Qb1+ 56. Kg2 Qb2+ 57. Kf1 Qc1+ 58. Kg2 Qd2+ 59. Kf1 Bd4 60. Nf4 Qe3 61. Qxe3 Bxe3 62. Ng2 Bc1 63. Ne1 f5 64. gxf5 g5 65. Nd3 Bf4 66. Kg2 Kf6 67. Nb4 Kxf5 68. Nc6 Ke4 69. Ne7 Be5 0–1 Anand – Timoshchenko, International Tournament, Frunze 1987.
38. Kh2 Qe1. In line of principle the ending is quite balanced, but from a practical standpoint it is far easier to play Black’s side.

39. Qd4 g6 40. Nc4 Qe2 41. Nd2 Bg7 42. Qe3 Qd1 43. g3 Kh7 44. Qf4 Kg8 45. Qe3 h5 46. h4 Be5 47. Qg5 Kg7 48. Qe3 Bf6 49. Qf4 Be5 50. Qe3 Kf8 51. Qg5 Kg8

52. Ne4? It is likely that due to the proximity to the goal 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) fell into an incorrect assumptions about the inevitability of a draw. 52. Kg2 was one of the plausible routes to destination.
52. ... Qd4! Black now wins a Pawn by force. 52. ... Qxd5?? 53. Nf6+! (winning the Queen) was what White had superficially considered.
53. Qe3 (53. f3 Qd3−+)
53. ... Qxd5 54. Ng5 Kg7 55. Nf3 Bf6 56. Kg2 Qc6 57. Qd3 d5 58. Kf1 Kf8 59. Qa3+ Kg7 60. Qd3 Qc5 61. Ne1 Qc4 62. Ke2 Bd4 63. Qxc4 dxc4 64. Nf3 Ba7 65. Nd2 c3 66. Ne4 c2 67. Kd2 f5 68. Nc3 Bxf2 69. Ne2 f4 70. gxf4 Kf6 71. Kxc2 Kf5 72. Kd3 Kg4 73. Ke4 Bxh4 74. Nd4 Bf2 75. Nf3 h4 76. Ne5+ Kg3 77. f5 h3 0–1.