The Cornerstone

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 沈阳 (Shěn Yáng)
7th International Open; Saint-Lô, July 11, 2005
Spanish Game C90

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5. Two-time Italian Chess Champion Vincenzo Nestler wrote: “The Spanish Game (or Ruy López from the name of the famous Spanish player so dear to Philip II, and regarded as invincible until the arrival in Madrid of the Italian Leonardo da Cutro, known as ‘Il Puttino’) is considered by Salvioli as ‘the cornerstone’ of the positional play. White retains the ‘move advantage’ for a long time, and therefore a lasting initiative, without resorting to the ‘sacrifices’ required by ‘gambit games’ and without falling into the monotony of certain variations of the ‘Giuoco Piano’”. (Enzo Giudici, Vincenzo Nestler, “Remo Calapso”, Edizioni SCACCO!, Santa Maria Capua Vetere, 1976, p. 25.
3. ... a6. “The soundness of the move 3. ... a6, already pointed out by our Ercole del Rio, was clearly confirmed by Morphy, and is today acknowledged by almost all players [...]”. (Nestler, ibidem).
4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 b5 6. Bb3 Be7 7. Re1 d6 8. a4 Bd7. If 8. ... Rb8 then 9. c3 0-0 10. h3 Na5 11. Bc2 c5 12. d4 Nd7 13. Nbd2 cxd4 14. cxd4 Nc6 15. axb5 axb5 16. d5 Nb4 17. Bb1 Nc5 18. Nb3 Nba6 19. Be3 Qc7 20. Nxc5 dxc5 21. Bd3 Nb4 22. Bf1 Bd7 23. Qd2 Bd6 24. Rec1 Ra8 25. Kh1 Rxa1 26. Rxa1 f6 27. Qc3 Rc8 28. Nd2 Qb7 29. Nb3 Qc7 30. Ra5 f5 31. Bxb5 c4 32. Bxd7 Qxd7 33. Nc5 Bxc5 34. Rxc5 Rxc5 35. Bxc5 Nd3 36. Qxc4 Nxb2 37. Qb3 Na4 38. Qb8+ Kf7 39. Qf8+ Kg6 40. exf5+ Kh5 41. Be7 Qc7 42. Qf7+ Kh6 43. Bg5+ 1 : 0 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Vijayalakshmi, 11th Asian Women’s Chess Championship; Beirut 2004.
9. c3 0-0 10. d3 h6 11. Nbd2 Re8 12. Nf1 Bf8 13. h3 Na5 14. Bc2 c5 15. Ng3. 15. d4 cxd4 16. cxd4 Qc7 does not worry Black, Yemelin – Solozhenkin, 79th Saint Petersburg Championship, Saint Petersburg 2006.
15. ... Rb8 16. axb5 axb5 17. d4 exd4? Probably unsound. 17. ... cxd4 18. cxd4 Qc7 seems preferable.
18. cxd4 Nc6. And now, perhaps, 18. ... cxd4 19. Nxd4 Rc8 deserved consideration.
19. dxc5 dxc5 20. Bf4± Rb7 21. e5 Nh7 22. Qd3 g6 23. Qe3 h5 24. Rad1 Qc8 25. Bh6 Nd4 26. Be4 Nxf3+ 27. Qxf3 Rb6 28. Bxf8 Nxf8 (28. ... Rxf8? 29. Nxh5!)
29. Bd5 Re7 (29. ... Be6 30. Ne4!)
30. Ne4 Qc7 31. Nf6+ Kg7 32. Qg3 h4!? 33. Qg5 (33. Qxh4? Rxe5)
33. ... Bf5 34. Qxh4 Rxe5 35. Ne8+ Rxe8 36. Rxe8 Rd6 37. Rde1 Qa5 (37. ... Rxd5?? 38. Rxf8+!+−)
38. Qe7!? Both 38. Bxf7!+− (Δ 38. ... Kxf7 39. R1e7+ Kg8 40. Qh7#) and 38. R1e7+− would have won right off.
38. ... Ne6 39. Rxe6 Rxe6 40. Qf8+ Kf6 41. Qh8+ Kg5 42. h4+ Kg4

43. Bxe6!? Not bad, but much better was 43. Rxe6! fxe6 (43. ... Bxe6 44. Qf6!+−) 44. Bf3+ Kf4 45. Qb8+ e5 46. Qh8 (Δ Dh8-h6+) 47. ... Qe1+ 47. Kh2 g5 48. Qf6 with mate in two moves.
43. ... Qe1+ 44. Rh2 fxe6 45. Df6 Rf4 46. Dg5+ Re4 47. Rg3 (47. Qxg6! Qxf2 48. Rxe6+!+−)
47. ... Kd3 48. Rc8 c4 49. Qf6 b4 50. Qd8+ Ke2 51. Qd4 Bd3 52. Rc6 Kf1 53. Rc5 b3 54. Rxc4? (54. h5! gxh5 55. Rxh5+−)
54. ... Bxc4 55. Qxc4+ Kg1 56. Qc5 Qd2 57. f3+ Kf1 58. Qc4+ Qe2? (58. ... Kg1)
59. Qxb3?? Zeitnot! After 59. Qxe2+ Kxe2 61. Kf4 Kd2 61. g4 Kc2 62. h5 Kxb2 63. hxg6 Kc1 64. g7 b2 65. g8=Q b1=Q 66. Qc8+! Kd2 67. Qd7+! White either wins the e6-Pawn with check or exchanges Queens.
59. ... e5!−+ 60. Qb4 0 : 1. Because of 60. ... Qxg2#.

沈阳 (Shěn Yáng).