鷹狼傳奇 (Ladyhawke)

Batchimeg Tuvshintugs – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2013–14; 4th stage; Khanty-Mansiysk, April 10, 2014
Nimzo-Indian Defence E30

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Bg5. The so-called Leningrad Variation. 4. ... c5 5. d5 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 d6 7. e3 Qe7 8. Bd3 Nbd7 9. Nf3 h6 10. Bh4 Nb6. (10. ... e5 11. Nd2 Nf8 12. Bxf6! Qxf6 13. 0-0 Qe7! 14. Qc2 Nd7 15. f4 Nf6 16. Rae1 0-0 17. f5 a6 18. Ne4⩲ Timman – Romanishin, 9th Interpolis Chess Tournament, Tilburg 1985) 11. dxe6!? Maybe better than 11. 0-0?! as 11. ... g5! 12. Bg3 e5 13. Nd2 h5 14. f3 h4 15. Bf2 (Dolmatov – E. P. Geller, Moscow 1987) 15. ... Nh5!? 16. Qc2 Ng7 (Δ ... f7-f5) would favour Black. 11. ... Bxe6 12. Nd2 (12. 0-0!?) 12. ... 0-0-0.

Alina l’Ami: “[...] later on [侯 (Hóu)] pointed out that perhaps her opponent should have decided upon a different continuation on move 13, to have castled when it was still possible, since after:” 13. a4?! d5! Black launches a powerful attack against White’s centre! 14. Qe2 g5 15. Bg3 dxc4 16. Nxc4 Nxc4 17. Bxc4 Bxc4 18. Qxc4 Ne4 19. h3. Also after 19. Qe2 h5 20. h4 g4 Black has a dominant position. 19. ... Nxg3 20. Qg4+ Qd7 21. fxg3 Rhe8 22. Ke2? Very poor, but neither 22. Qe2 Rxe3! nor 22. 0-0 Qxg4 23. hxg4 Rxe3 24. Rxf7 Rd7 would have allowed a long resistance. 22. ... f5 0 : 1.

As they say, victory is never easy. Photo: Kirill Merkuriev.