More Than Most

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 孙翼男 (Sūn Yìnán)

1st “火炬地产杯” (“Torch Real Estate Cup”) Chinese Chess League; 济南 (Jǐnán), April 24, 2005

Sicilian Defence B76

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 0-0 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. g4 Nxd4 10. Bxd4 Be6 11. 0-0-0 Qa5 12. Kb1 Rfc8 13. a3 Rab8 14. Be2 b5 15. Nd5! The exclamation mark is due to its improving theory: 15. h4? b4! which should give Black an almost irresistible attack, Baldursson – Kjartansson, 1st Jóhann Þórir Jónsson Memorial, Reykjavík 2001.
15. ... Qxd2 16. Rxd2 Bxd5 17. exd5 b4 18. g5 Nxd5 19. Bxg7 Nc3+! The pointe of Black’s play.
20. Bxc3 bxc3

21. Rdd1? 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) plays with fire far more than her opponent does. The right way was 21. Rd4! Rxb2+ 22. Kc1 Rcb8 23. Rb4 R8xb4 29. axb4 Rxb4 with a situation of dynamic balance in which Black has three Pawns for the piece.
21. ... Rxb2+ 22. Ka1 Rxc2. Or 22. ... Rc5! (threatening ... Rc5-a5) 23. Rb1 Rxc2 with the upper hand for Black.
23. Rhe1 Rc5 24. Rc1 Rd2 25. Bf1 e6 26. Re3 d5 27. h4 d4 28. Rd3

28. ... e5? 孙翼男 (Sūn Yìnán) misses her big chance with 28. ... Re5! maintaining the pressure and preserving her advantage.
29. Rxd2. White can now safely force a simplification into a reasonably drawish ending.
29. ... cxd2 30. Rb1 Rc3 31. Be2 Rxa3+ 32. Kb2 Re3 33. Bd1 Rc3 34. Ra1 Rc7 35. Bb3 Kg7 36. Rd1 f5 37. Rxd2 h6 38. f4 hxg5 39. hxg5 exf4 40. Rxd4 Re7 41. Rxf4 Re2+ 42. Kc3 Re3+ 43. Kb4 a5+ 44. Ka4 Rg3 45. Rd4 Rxg5 46. Kxa5 f4+ 47. Kb4 Rf5 48. Bc2 Rf6 49. Kc3 Kh6 50. Kd2 Kg5 51. Ke2 Kh4 52. Rd1 f3+ 53. Kf2 Kg4 54. Be4 Rf4 55. Rg1+ Kh4 56. Bxf3 Rf6 57. Rg2 Rb6 58. Rg4+ Kh3 59. Rg1 Kh4 60. Ke3 Re6+ 61. Kf4 Rf6+ 62. Ke4 Re6+ 63. Kd5 Rf6 64. Be4 g5 65. Ke5 Rf2 66. Bf5 Rb2 67. Rg4+ Kh5 68. Rg3 Rb5+ 69. Kf6 Rb6+ 70. Be6

70. ... g4?? She first threw away a likely win, and then, finally, a draw: 70. ... Rb4! 71. Rxg5+ Kh4!= would have been a fair outcome.
71. Rg1! 1–0.