The French Exception

Erik Andrew Kislik – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
First Saturday GM July 2008; Budapest, July 17, 2008
French Defence C18

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Qa5 7. Bd2 Qa4 8. Rb1 c4 9. Qc1. Another way is 9. Qg4 Qxc2 10. Qxg7 Qxb1+ 11. Ke2 Bd7 12. f3 Ba4 13. Qxh8 Qd1+ 14. Ke3 Qxf1 15. Qxg8+ Ke7 16. Kf4 Nd7 17. Qxa8 Qxg2 18. Be1 Qxh1 19. Bh4+ f6 20. exf6+ Kf7 21. Qh8?? Qxh2+ 0–1 R. J. Fischer – Powell, 50-board simultaneous exhibition, Richmond 1964.
9. ... Nc6

10. Nf3. 10. h4! Nge7 11. h5 h6 12. Ne2 would assure White a space advantage on the Kingside, thanks to the e5-Pawn.
10. ... b6 11. Be2 Bd7 12. 0-0 Nge7 13. Ne1? 13. Re1 0-0-0 14. Ng5 Rdf8 15. Bg4 h6 16. Nh3 g5 17. Qd1 Ng6 18. f4 gxf4 19. Nxf4 Nxf4 20. Bxf4 Qxa3 21. Qd2 Rfg8 22. Bh5 Qf8 23. Rf1 Ne7 24. Rf2 Be8 25. Qe2 Nf5 26. Bg4 Ng7 27. Bh3 Qe7 28. Ra1 Kb7 29. Rff1 Bd7 30. Kh1 Ne8 31. Bg3 h5 32. Rf4 Rxg3?! (32. ... h4) 33. hxg3 f5?? (33. ... Nc7) 34. exf6 Nxf6 35. Qe5 Rh6 36. Raf1 Ng4 1–0 de Firmian – S. Lund, 25th Politiken Cup, Copenhagen 2003.
13. ... 0-0-0 14. g3 f6 15. f4 h5 16. Ng2 Nf5 17. Qb2 Be8 18. Rbe1 Bg6 19. Bf3 Rde8 20. Rf2 Rhf8 21. Ree2 Re7 22. Ne1 Nh6 23. Bc1 Ref7

24. Qa1?! (24. f5!)
24. ... Ng4 25. Rf1 fxe5 26. dxe5 Nh6 27. Bb2? Fatally weakening f4. 27. Qb2 was called for.

27. ... h4! 28. Qd1 hxg3 29. hxg3 Nf5 30. Kf2 Qa5 31. Qd2 Qc5+ 32. Kg2 Rh8 33. g4 0–1. Maybe too early, but after 33. ... Nh4+ 34. Kg3 Ne7 White’s situation would have been unable to resist.

Les jeux sont faits, rien ne va plus. Photo: BudapestChessNews.