Hard at Work

Zaven Robertovich Andriasian – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
9th Aeroflot Open; Moscow, February 15, 2010
French Defence C00

1. e4 e6 2. d3 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. Ngf3 b6 5. e5. Mutatis mutandis, White transposes to an Advance French with a tempo minus (2. d3 and 6. d4), which, however, is compensated by the fact that Black, as a consequence of her 4. ... b6, cannot play ... Qd8-b6 as usual.
5. ... Nfd7 6. d4 c5 7. c3 Be7 8. Bb5 Ba6 9. a4 cxd4 10. cxd4 Qc8!? Formally a novelty, instead of 10. ... 0-0 11. 0-0 Qc8 12. Re1 Nc6 13. Re3 Bxb5 14. axb5 Nb4 15. Rc3 Qb7 16. Nf1 a6 17. bxa6 Rxa6 18. Rxa6 Nxa6 19. Ng5 Bxg5 20. Bxg5 f6 21. exf6 Nxf6 22. Bxf6 Rxf6 23. Ne3 Rf7 24. h3 Rc7 25. Qg4 Rc6 26. Qh5 Nc7 27. Ng4 Rxc3 28. bxc3 Qc8 29. Qg5 Qf8 30. Qe5 Qe7 31. g3 h6 32. h4 Kh7 33. Qf4 Nb5 34. Qe3 Nd6 35. Qd3+ Kg8 36. Ne5 Qf6 37. Nd7 Qf7 38. Ne5 Qf6 39. Kg2 b5 40. Qe2 Qf5 41. f3 h5 42. Nd3 Kf7 43. Ne5+ Kg8 44. Nd3 Kf7 45. Ne5+ ½–½ M. Adams – Bareev, 5th Chess Classic — Fujitsu Siemens Masters, Frankfurt 2000 (time control: 25 minutes per player).
11. Qe2 Qb7 12. 0-0 Bxb5 13. axb5 a6 14. Ne1 axb5 15. Rxa8 Qxa8 16. Qg4 0-0 17. Ndf3 Kh8 18. Nd3

White’s initiative gives him more than enough compensation for the Pawn.
18. ... Nc6 19. Nf4 Qe8 20. Bd2 Na5 21. Re1 Nc4 22. Bc1 b4 23. b3 Na5 24. Re3 Nc6 25. h4

25. ... f5? Black, by thus giving back her Pawn, seriously compromised her position. 25. ... Qa8! would have been much better.
26. exf6 Nxf6 27. Qxe6 Qc8 28. Bd2 Qxe6 29. Rxe6 Rc8 30. Ne5 Nxe5 31. dxe5 Ne4 32. Rxe7 Nxd2 33. Nxd5 Nxb3 34. Nxb4. Now White is a Pawn up with a much better endgame.
34. ... h5 35. Nd5 b5 36. Rb7 Nd4 37. Nf4 Re8 38. f3. 38. Kh2! Kg8 39. Nxh5 Rxe5 40. Rxg7+ Kf8 41. Rg4 might have been even more convincing.
38. ... Kg8 39. e6 Nxe6 40. Nxh5 Rc8 41. Rxb5 Rc4 42. g3 Nd4

43. Rb7? 43. Rb8+ Kf7 44. Kf2 would have given White a technically winnning endgame.
43. ... Nxf3+ 44. Kf2 Nxh4! 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) eventually succeeded in reaching a book draw, which her opponent compels her to demonstrate on the board.
45. Rxg7+ Kf8 46. gxh4 Rxh4 47. Rh7 Re4 48. Kf3 Re7 49. Rh6 Kf7 50. Kg4 Re5 51. Nf4 Ra5 52. Kf3 Re5 53. Ra6 Re1 54. Nd5 Re5 55. Rf6+ Ke8 56. Rd6 Re1 57. Kf4 Rf1+ 58. Ke5 Re1+ 59. Kf5 Rf1+ 60. Nf4 Ke7 61. Rd3 Ke8 62. Ke5 Ke7 63. Nd5+ Kf7 64. Re3 Rf2 65. Nc3 Ke7 66. Ne4 Ra2 67. Nf6 Ra1 68. Rd3 Re1+ 69. Ne4 Ra1 70. Rd5 Rh1 71. Ng3 Re1+ 72. Kf5 Re3 73. Ne4 Rf3+ 74. Ke5 Rh3 75. Ng5 Re3+ 76. Kf5 Re1 77. Nh3 Rf1+ 78. Nf4 Ke8 79. Rd2 Ke7 80. Rd3 Ke8 81. Ke5 Ke7 82. Nd5+ Kf7 83. Re3 Rf2 84. Re4 Rf1 85. Ne3 Rf6 86. Ra4 ½–½.