Heart and Hand

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – André Meylan
6-board clock simultaneous exhibition; Zürich, February 1, 2014
Tarrasch Defence D30

1. b3 Nf6 2. Bb2 e6 3. e3 b6 4. Nf3 Bb7 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Bd6 7. 0-0 0-0 8. c4 c5 9. Nc3

9. ... a6. Finally Black breaks the symmetry. However, there was nothing wrong with 9. ... Nc6: 10. Qe2 cxd4 11. exd4 Nh5 12. g3 Nf6 13. Rad1 Rc8 14. Nb5 Bb8= Janowski – Rosenthal, Rice Memorial Chess Tournament, New York 1916.
10. dxc5 Bxc5. Black might also have aimed at a position with hanging Pawns: 10. ... bxc5 11. cxd5 exd5 12. Rc1 Qe7 with dynamic equality.
11. cxd5 Nxd5 12. Qe2 Nxc3 13. Bxc3 Bxf3 14. gxf3 Qh4

15. Kh1! It clears the g-file for the Rook.
15. ... Be7 16. Rac1 Bf6? This allows the White Rook to invade. Better first 16. ... Ra7! and if 17. Rg1 then 17. ... Bf6 with sufficient defence.
17. Bxf6 Qxf6 18. Rc7 (Δ Bd3-e4)
18. ... Qe5?

19. Qc2! Threatening both Bd3-e4 and Bd3xh7+.
19. ... f5 20. Rd1 Rd8 21. Rc8 Nd7 22. Rxd8+ Rxd8 23. Bxa6 (Δ Rd1xd7)
23. ... Qb8 24. Qd2. The pin on the d-file simply wins material by force.
24. ... Qa8 25. Be2. White avoids any complications.
25. ... Kf7 26. Kg2 Qc6 27. a4 Ke7 28. Bb5 Qc7 29. Qb4+. Of course the King and Pawn ending is also won for White, but 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) goes on a big hunt.
29. ... Nc5 30. Qh4+ 1 : 0.

A kind and heavy hand. Photo: Roland Rupp.