Cherry the Cake Fairy

Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
Friendly match game 4; 三亚 (Sānyà), November 10, 2010
Nimzo-Indian Defence E37

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 d5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 Ne4 7. Qc2 c5 8. dxc5 Nc6 9. e3 Qa5+ 10. Bd2 Nxd2 11. Qxd2 dxc4 12. Qxa5. (12. Bxc4 Qxc5 13. Rc1 Qe7 14. Nf3 0-0 15. 0-0 Rd8 16. Bd3 e5 17. e4 Be6 18. Qe3 f6 19. Bb5 Nd4 20. Bc4 Nxf3+ 21. Qxf3 Rac8 22. Bd5 Bf7 23. h4 Rxc1 24. Rxc1 h5 25. g3 b6 26. Rd1 g6 27. Bxf7+ Kxf7 28. Qb3+ Kg7 29. Rd5 Rd7 30. Qd3 Rc7 31. Kg2 Qe6 32. Rd6 Qf7 33. b4 Re7 34. Rd5 Qe6 35. a4 Qc6 36. a5 bxa5 37. bxa5 f5 38. Qa3 Kf7 39. Qf3 Kg7 40. exf5 gxf5 41. Kh2 Qg6 42. Qa3 Qf7 43. Qc5 Qf6 44. Rd6 Qf7 45. Qe3 f4 46. gxf4 Qxf4+ 47. Qxf4 exf4 48. Kg2 Re2 49. Kf3 Ra2 50. a6 Ra4 51. Kg2 Ra2 52. Rc6 Kh7 53. Kf1 Ra1+ 54. Ke2 Ra2+ 55. Kf3 Ra4 56. Rc7+ Kg6 57. Rxa7 Kf5 58. Rf7+ Kg6 59. Rxf4 Rxa6 60. Rb4 Ra1 61. Rb6+ Kf5 62. Rb5+ Kg6 63. Kg2 Ra4 64. Rg5+ Kh6 65. Kg3 Ra1 66. Re5 Rg1+ 67. Kf3 Rh1 68. Re6+ Kg7 69. Kg3 Rg1+ 70. Kh2 Rg4 71. Kh3 Rf4 72. Re2 Kg6 73. Ra2 Kh6 74. Ra6+ Kg7 75. Ra5 Rxf2 ½ : ½ Koneru – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2009–11, 3rd stage, Nalchik 2010.
12. ... Nxa5 13. Rc1

13. ... b5 14. cxb6 Bb7 15. bxa7 Ke7 16. Ne2 Rxa7 17. Nc3 Rb8 18. Na2 Bd5 19. Nb4 Nc6 20. Nxc6+ Bxc6 21. Rxc4 Ba4 22. Rb4 Rxb4 23. axb4

23. ... Bb5 24. f3 Ra1+ 25. Kf2 Rb1 ½ : ½. Much ado about all theory! In fact, it should be noted that two years earlier, in Cap d’Agde, Karpov and Carlsen agreed a draw after 24. ... Ra1+!

Cherry on the cake. Photo: Mandarin Oriental.