A Kiss for a Blow

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)
40th Chinese Chess Championship; 兴化 (Xīnghuà), May 26, 2009
French Defence C11

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Be3 Be7 8. Qd2 0-0 9. Be2 a6 10. 0-0 b5 11. a3 Bb7 12. Nd1 cxd4 13. Nxd4 Qc7 14. Nf2 Rac8 15. c3 Nc5. If 15. ... Na5 then 16. Bd3 Nc4 17. Qe2 Nc5 18. Rae1 g6 19. Bc1 Qb6 20. Bb1 Na4? (⌓ 20. ... Ne4) 21. f5!→ Vocaturo – Robson, 72nd Corus Chess Tournament (C Group), Wijk aan Zee 2010.
16. Qe1 (16. Rad1 Nxd4 17. Bxd4 Nb3 18. Qe3 Nxd4 19. cxd4 Qb6 20. Bd3 Rc4 21. Bxc4 dxc4 22. Ng4 h5 23. f5 exf5 24. Nf6+ Bxf6 25. exf6 Qxf6 26. d5 Rd8 27. Qd4 Qxd4+ 28. Rxd4 g6 29. Re1 Kf8 30. Re5 Rd6 31. Kf2 Kg7 32. Re7 Ba8 33. Re8 Bb7 34. Re7 Ba8 35. Re8 Bb7 36. Re5 Kf8 ½–½ Vescovi – Córdova, Magistral “Bicentenario Independencia de Colombia” Universida Central, Bogotá 2010)
16. ... Nxd4 17. cxd4 Ne4 18. Nd3 Qb6 19. b4 Rc3 20. Rf3 Rfc8 21. Nc5

21. ... Rxe3! A creative Exchange sacrifice.
22. Rxe3 Nxc5 23. dxc5 Rxc5 24. Kh1 Rc7 25. Rc1 Rd7 26. Qd2 g6 27. h3? (⌓ 27. Bf3)
27. ... d4 28. Rg3 (28. Kh2 Bh4)
28. ... Bh4 29. Rb3 Bd5 30. Rb2 (30. Rd3 Bf2)

30. ... d3! 31. Bf3 Bc4 32. Kh2 Qd4 33. g3 Bd8 34. Re1 Bb6 35. Rbb1 Qf2+ 36. Qxf2 Bxf2 37. Red1 d2 38. Kg2 Be1 39. Ra1 Rd3

40. g4? A blunder at her 40th move. 40. Rxe1 dxe1=Q 41. Rxe1 Rxa3 would have left Black a Pawn up, but not yet a win.
40. ... Re3 41. a4 Bb3 42. axb5 Bxd1 43. Bxd1 axb5 44. Ra5 Bh4 45. Ra2 Rd3 46. Ra5 Rc3 47. Ra2 Be1 48. Rc2 Rg3+ 49. Kf1 Rxh3 50. Ke2 Rh2+ 51. Kf3 h5 52. gxh5 gxh5 53. Rc5 h4 54. Rxb5 Rf2+ 55. Kg4 Rg2+ 56. Kh3 Rg3+ 57. Kh2 Bf2 58. Rb8+ Kg7 59. Rd8 Be3 60. f5 exf5 61. Rd7 Bf4 62. e6 Re3+ 63. Kg2 h3+ 64. Kf2 h2 65. Rxf7+ Kg8 66. Kg2 Re1 0–1.