Double Double

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Antoaneta Stefanova

3rd SportAccord World Mind Games; Women’s Basque Tournament; time control: 20 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; 北京 (Běijīng), December 17, 2013

3rr1k1/1pbq1pp1/p1p1bnnp/P2pp3/3PP3/2P1BNNP/1PB2PP1/R1Q1R1K1 w - - 0 19

Notes by Grandmaster Nikolay Ivanov Ninov, Modern Chess Magazine, Issue 13, April 2017, pp. 27-43.

Position after 18. ... d6-d5

And here is yet another case of mutual (and rejected!) sacrifices, this time at the highest level:
19. Bxh6!? exd4?! Once again Black had to check the correctness of the sacrifice — a brave one, but quite obliging at the same time. 19. ... gxh6 20. Qxh6

20. ... Qe7! Here is the key move in Black’s defence! (On the contrary, Her Majesty will be far away from the Kingside after the impatient 20. ... dxe4 21. dxe5! Bxe5 22. Nxe5 Qd2 23. Re3! Nxe5 24. Qxf6 Qxc2 25. Nh5) 21. exd5 (21. dxe5 Nh7 and Nf3-g5 is stopped for the moment and 22. Nh5 Qf8 is also fine for Black, justifying the strong 20th move) 21. ... Bxd5 22. Bxg6 fxg6 23. Qxg6+ Qg7 24. Qxg7+ Kxg7 25. Nxe5 c5! 26. Nf5+ Kh7

Even with 4 Pawns for the piece White is the one who must try to keep the equilibrium, for the two powerful Bishops will make their advance pretty hard. The sharp counterattacking attempts, featuring once again our thematic sacrifice, seem to promise less. 19. ... Nxe4 20. Nh5! Bxh3 21. Bxe4 Qg4 22. Ng3 dxe4 23. Rxe4 Qd7 (23. ... Qe6 24. Ng5) 24. Bxg7!+− ∆ 24. ... Kxg7 25. Nh5+ Kf8 26. Qh6+ Ke7 27. Qg5+ Kf8 28. gxh3 Qxh3 29. Nh4 Re6 30. Nf5 Qf3 31. Rae1; 19. ... Bxh3 20. Nxe5 (White has the upper hand after 20. dxe5 Bxg2 21. Kxg2 gxh6 22. exd5 Nxd5 23. Qxh6 Qg4 24. Ng5 Ndf4+ 25. Kf1 Qh4 26. Qxh4 Nxh4 27. Bb3 Re7 28. Ra4) 20. ... Nxe5 21. dxe5 Rxe5 22. Bf4 Bg4 23. Bxe5 Bxe5 24. exd5 Bxg3 25. fxg3 Qxd5 26. Qe3±.
20. e5! Ne4. 20. ... Nh7 is effectively met by the typical blow 21. Bxg7! dxc3 22. bxc3 Kxg7 23. Nh5+ Kh8 24. Qh6 Rg8 25. Nf6 Rg7 26. Ng5.
21. Nh5 Bxh3!

The best practical chance.
22. Bxe4! And the best reaction! White must not be tempted by the piece, as shown by 22. gxh3? Nxe5 23. Bxe4 dxe4 24. Nxe5 Rxe5 25. Bg5 e3 26. f4 Rxg5+ 27. fxg5 Qxh3−+. 22. Rxe4!? dxe4 23. Bxg7 forces Black to give up the Queen after 23. ... Qg4! 24. Nf6+ Kxg7 25. Nxg4 Bxg4, but the resulting position offers reasonable counterchances, as shown by 26. Nxd4 (26. Bxe4 Bxf3 27. Bxf3 d3) 26. ... Rxe5 27. Qe3 Rh5 (a spectacular idea is 27. ... Rh8!? 28. Bxe4 Rxa5 29. Rxa5 Bh2+ 30. Kf1 Bf4 31. Nf5+ Kg8, winning the Queen back) 28. Qxe4 Rdh8 29. g3 f5 30. Qg2 Bh3 31. Qf3 Bg4=.
22. ... Qg4. As often seen in the annotations so far, yet another Bishop sacrifice like 22. ... Bxg2!?

was offering better chances to confuse the opponent, even though White must objectively win after the strongest 23. Qg5! (much more complicated is 23. Kxg2 dxe4 24. Rxe4 Bxe5 and the best option is the same 25. Qg5! Qd5 26. Qg4 dxc3 27. Rae1 Qe6 28. Nxe5) 23. ... Qh3 (23. ... dxe4 24. Nf6+!) 24. Qxg2 Qxg2+ 25. Kxg2 dxe4 26. Rxe4 gxh6 27. Nf6+ Kg7 28. Nxe8+ Rxe8 29. cxd4.
23. Ng3 Nxe5 24. Nxe5 Rxe5 25. gxh3. 25. Bf4 was even more convincing, but the text did not spoil anything.
25. ... Qxh3 26. Bf4 dxe4 27. cxd4 Rxd4 28. Bxe5 Bxe5 29. Ra3+− Bd6 30. Rb3 Qg4 31. Qe3 c5 32. Qe2 Qh4 33. Rd1 f5 34. Rxd4 cxd4 35. Qc4+ Kh7 36. Qxd4 1 : 0.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) showed herself well versed in Basque chess. Photo: 谷笑冰 (Gǔ Xiàobīng).