戴珍珠耳環的少女 (Girl with a Pearl Earring)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Nana Dzagnidze
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2013–14; 4th stage; Khanty-Mansiysk, April 11, 2014
Sicilian Defence B41

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. c4 Nf6 6. Nc3 Qc7 7. Be2 b6 8. 0-0 Bb7 9. Qd3. 9. f3 Bd6 is nothing special for White.
9. ... Nc6. The most usual is 9. ... d6, e.g. 10. Bg5 Nbd7 10. Qh3 Be7= van der Wiel – B. Schneider, 1st “VB Accountants International Open Tournament”, Leeuwarden 1992.

10. Nxc6 dxc6. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) then said that she thought 10. ... Bxc6 was better.
11. f4 Bc5+ 12. Kh1 0-0 13. e5 Rad8 14. Qh3 Nd7 15. Ne4 Be7 16. Bd3 g6. 16. ... h6 17. Ng5! doesn’t seem any better.
17. b3 c5 18. Bb2. Threatening Ne4-f6+.
18. ... Bxe4 19. Bxe4 b5? A fatal faux pas. The Pawn sacrifice with 19. ... f5 20. exf6 Bxf6 21. Qxe6+ Kg7 22. Qe7+ Rf7 23. Bxf6+ Nxf6 24. Qxc7 Rxc7 25. Bf3 Rd4 was Black’s only survival chance.

20. f5! That’s the reason why.
20. ... exf5. Both 20. ... Nxe5 21. f6 and 20. ... gxf5 21. Rxf5! lose right off.

21. Rxf5! Qb6. On 21. ... gxf5 22. Qxf5 wins, while if 21. ... f6 then 22. Raf1 gxf5 23. Bxf5 Rf7 24. e6 Rg7 25. exd7+− winning.
22. Qh6! gxf5. Black’s big rejoinder... Anyway, after 22. ... f6 White scores neatly with 23. Rh5! Rf7 24. Bxg6! etc.

23. e6! A vitriolic interference!
23. ... Nf6. On 23. ... f6 24. Bxf5 Rf7 25. exf7+ Kxf7 26. Qxh7+ Kf8 27. Bc1! White mates in three moves.
24. Qg5+ 1 : 0. For after 24. ... Kh8 25. Bxf6+ Bxf6 26. Qxf5 Black is mated in two moves.

The devouring dragon strikes hard... Photos: Kirill Merkuriev.