Endgame

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 阮露斐 (Ruăn Lùfěi)
30th Chinese Women’s Chess Championship; 无锡 (Wúxī), June 29, 2006
Spanish Game C67

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. 0-0 Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. Nc3 Bd7 10. h3 Kc8. Needless to say, the Berlin endgame does not necessarily end in a draw: 10. ... Ne7 11. Rd1 Ke8 12. Bf4 h6 13. Rd2 Ng6 14. e6 Bxe6 15. Bxc7 Rc8 16. Bg3 Bb4 17. a3 Bxc3 18. bxc3 Rd8 19. Re2 Kd7 20. Nd4 Rhe8 21. Rd1 Ke7 (21. ... Kc8!) 22. Rd3 c5? 23. Bd6+! Kd7 24. Nxe6 fxe6 25. Bxc5+ Kc6 26. Rxd8 Kxd8 27. Bxa7 e5 28. Re4 h5? (28. ... Ra8 29. Be3 Rxa3 30. Rc4+ Kd7 31. Rg4 Ra1+ 32. Kh2 Ra6 33. h4 h5 34. Rg5) 29. Rc4+ Kb5 30. Rb4+ Ka6 31. Bc5 1 : 0 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Möngöntuul, 8th Russian Women’s Team Chess Championship, Sochi 2007. 11. b3 b6 12. Bb2 a5? This just gives White a free hand on the Kingside. 12. ... Be7 13. Ne4 Nh4 14. Nxh4 Bxh4 15. Rad1 Rd8 16. Rfe1⩲ was probably Black’s best try. 13. g4 Ne7 14. Ng5 Be8 15. f4 h5 16. Kg2 Kb7 17. Rad1 a4 18. Kg3. No chance for counterplay (18. Nxa4 Nd5). 18. ... axb3 19. axb3 Ng6 20. Ra1! Forcing the exchange of the only active Black piece. 20. ... Rxa1 21. Bxa1 Be7 22. Nce4. Black has no way to prevent f4-f5. 22. ... Nf8 23. f5 Nh7 24. Nxh7. 24. Nxf7!? Bxf7 25. e6 may also be good, but after 25. ... h4+! White could still expect some annoyances. 24. ... Rxh7 25. g5 h4+ 26. Kh2. Of course 26. Kf4! was also very strong. 26. ... c5 27. f6 gxf6 28. gxf6 Bf8 29. Rg1 Bh6 30. Rg4 Be3

31. Rg7? The only hesitation that could have costed 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) a half point. White ought to first play 31. e6! fxe6 and then 32. Rg7 Rxg7 33. fxg7 Bf7 34. Nf6 winning easily. 31. ... Rh8 32. e6

32. ... Rf8? Tantamount to resignation. Black could still have saved the game by 32. ... Bc6! 33. exf7 Bf4+ 34. Kg1 Rf8 35. Nf2!⩲ (Δ Nf2-d3). 33. Be5!+− Kc8 34. Kg2. Now Black is in zugzwang. 34. ... fxe6 35. Rxc7+ Kd8 36. Rb7 c4 37. bxc4 Bc5 38. Rb8+ Kd7 39. Ng5 Bd6 40. Bxd6 Kxd6

41. Kh2! (Δ f6-f7) 41. ... Kc7 42. Rxe8! Rxe8 43. f7 1 : 0.