Thinking Woman

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Laura Stoeri
6-board clock simultaneous exhibition; Zürich, February 1, 2014
Bird Opening A03

1. f4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. g3 e6 4. Bg2 Bd6 5. 0-0 0-0 6. d3 Nbd7 7. Nc3 Re8 (7. ... c6 8. e4 dxe4 9. Nxe4 Be7 10. Qe2 Qc7 11. Kh1 b6 12. Bd2 Bb7 13. Rae1 Nxe4 14. Qxe4 c5 15. Qe2 Bf6 16. Ne5 Rad8 17. Bc3 Bxe5 18. Bxe5 Nxe5 19. Qxe5 Bxg2+ 20. Kxg2 Qc6+ 21. Qe4 Qb5 22. b3 Rd4 23. Qf3 g6 24. h4 h5 25. a4 Qa5 26. Re5 Qc3 27. Rf2 Rfd8 28. Rfe2 R8d5 29. Rxd5 Rxd5 30. Qe4 Kg7 ½ : ½ Blom – Golz, 16th Chess Olympiad, Tel Aviv 1964)
8. Kh1 Nc5 9. Qe1 a5 10. e4 dxe4 11. dxe4 Bf8 12. Bd2 Bd7? A grave mistake which compromises Black’s game irreversibly. Correct was 12. ... b6 followed by ... Bc8-b7 or ... Bc8-a6.
13. Rd1 Qc8 14. Ne5 Bd6?

15. Be3. 15. Nxf7 Kxf7 16. e5 was also very good.
15. ... Na6 16. Qe2 Bc5 17. Bc1 Rd8

18. Nxd7. Probably stronger is 18. Nxf7! Kxf7 19. e5 Nd5 20. Nxd5 exd5 21. e6+! Bxe6 22. f5 with devastating effect. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) arrives at the same result, though by a quieter route.
18. ... Nxd7 (18. ... Rxd7 19. Rde1!)
19. e5 Re8. 19. ... Bf8 20. f5 is also crushing for White.
20. Ne4 Bf8 21. Qh5 g6 22. Qe2 Nac5 23. Ng5 Be7 24. h4 Nb6 25. h5 Nd5 26. c4 Nb4 27. Qg4 Kg7 28. Be3 Nc2 29. Bf2 Rd8 30. a3 Nd3 31. Qe2 Nxf2+ 32. Qxf2 h6 33. Nxf7 Kxf7 34. Qxc2 Rg8 35. Bf3 Qe8 36. hxg6+ Kg7 37. Be4 1 : 0.

A beautiful mind. Photo: Roland Rupp.