Time Away

何静扬 (Hé Jìngyáng) – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

1st “火炬地产杯” (“Torch Real Estate Cup”) Chinese Chess League; 霞浦 (Xiápǔ), June 26, 2005

Sicilian Defence B66

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 a6 8. f4 h6 9. Nxc6?! The usual continuation is 9. Bxf6, while if 9. Bh4 Black can reply 9. ... Nxe4 10. Bxd8 Nxd2 11. Nxc6 bxc6 transposing to the game. 9. ... bxc6

10. Bh4? White was still in time for 10. Bxf6 (by transposition) 10. ... Qxf6 11. 0-0-0 Qd8! 12. Bc4 Be7 13. Bb3 a5 14. Kb1⩲ Egger – Rodríguez Céspedes, 31st Chess Olympiad, Moscow 1994. 10. ... Nxe4 11. Nxe4. 11. Bxd8 Nxd2 12. Ba5 Nxf1 13. Rxf1 c5 14. 0-0-0 Bb7 leaves Black up a Pawn and a powerful pair of Bishops. However, the text is no better. 11. ... Qxh4+ 12. g3 Qd8 13. Bg2 d5 14. Nf2 Be7 15. 0-0 0-0 16. Kh1 Qb6 17. c3 a5 18. Rfe1 Ba6 19. Ng4 Rad8 20. Rad1 Bc5

21. Ne5? White blunders away the Exchange for no return but an inevitable débâcle. ⌓ 21. Bf1 Bxf1 22. Rxf1 Rfe8∓/−+ was probably the best offer White could get. 21. ... Bf2 22. Ng4 Bxe1 23. Rxe1 c5 24. Qf2 d4 25. f5 exf5 26. Qxf5 Bc8 27. Qf4 Bxg4 28. Qxg4 Qxb2 29. Qf5 Qxc3 30. Rf1 d3 31. Bd5 Qf6 32. Qh3 Qe5 33. Bb3 c4! 0 : 1.