Pallas and the Centaur

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 余泱漪 (Yú Yāngyī)
45th Chinese Chess Championship, 兴化 (Xīnghuà), March 20, 2014
Caro-Kann Defence B11

1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. h3 Bxf3 5. Qxf3 e6 6. d4 Nf6 7. Bd3 dxe4 8. Nxe4 Nxe4 9. Qxe4 Nd7 10. Bf4. If 10. c3 then 10. ... Nf6 11. Qe2 Bd6 (11. ... Qd5) 12. 0-0 Bc7 13. Re1 0-0 14. Bd2 Re8 15. Rad1 e5= Short – Karpov, 2nd “Melody Amber” Blitz Chess Tournament, Monte Carlo 1993. 10. ... Nf6 11. Qe5 Qd5 12. Qc7 Qd7. 12. ... Qxd4 13. Qxb7 Bb4+ 14. c3 0-0 15. Bxh7+ Kxh7 16. Qxb4 Qxb4 17. cxb4 Nd5 18. Bd2 Rfb8 19. 0-0-0 Nxb4 20. Bxb4 Rxb4 21. Rhe1 leaves White with a microscopic edge. 13. Qxd7+ Kxd7 14. c4 Bd6 15. Be3 Rhd8 16. g4 Ke8 17. Ke2 e5 18. Rad1 h6 19. Kf3 Kf8. Finally Black has almost... castled!

20. Bc2 exd4 21. Bxd4 Nd7 22. Rhe1 Bb4 23. Re4 Nc5 24. Re3 Ne6 25. Red3 Nxd4+ 26. Rxd4 Ke7 27. Re4+ Kf8 28. Red4 Ke7 29. Rxd8 Rxd8 30. Rxd8 Kxd8 31. Ke4 ½ : ½.

Being wrapped in a soft light. Photos: Sina Sports.