Monday, July 21, 2014

月食 (Lunar eclipse)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Radoslaw Wojtaszek
47th International Chess Festival “In Memoriam Hans Suri”; Biel/Bienne, July 21, 2014
Réti Opening A09

1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 c5 3. c4 d4 4. e3 Nc6 5. exd4 cxd4 6. Bg2 e5 7. 0-0 Nf6. For 7. ... Bd6 8. d3 Nge7 see Tomashevsky – Khalifman, 58th Russian Chess Championship, Moscow 2005. 8. d3 Nd7 9. Na3 Be7 10. Nc2 0-0 11. Rb1 a5 12. b3 Rb8 13. Re1 Re8 14. a3 Qc7 15. b4 axb4 16. axb4 b5


17. Nfxd4!! A deeply conceived sacrifice. 17. ... exd4. On 17. ... Nxd4 may follow 18. Nxd4 exd4 19. Bf4 Qd8 20. c5! and White has ample compensation for the sacrificed Knight. 18. Bf4 Nce5 19. Nxd4 bxc4 20. Nc6. The position has become much complicated as a result of White’s Knight sacrifice. Black has various ways of allowing her opponent to regain the piece, none of which seem to be good. 20. ... c3. A little too ambitious. Nolens volens, Black should play 20. ... Bxb4, although after 21. Rxb4 (or 21. Nxb4) 21. ... Rxb4 22. Nxb4 White keeps an edge. 21. Qa4. Possibly still winning, but now Miss 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) is starting to lose the thread. Probably stronger – and perhaps winning – was the computer move 21. d4, and also after 21. Rxe5 Nxe5 22. Bxe5 Bd6 23. Bxd6 Qxd6 24. Nxb8 Qxb8 25. Qc2 Qe5 26. Bc6 Re7 27. d4! Qxd4 28. Rd1 Qb6 29. Qxc3 h6 30. b5 White has much the better ending. 21. ... Rb6 22. Bxe5 Nxe5 23. Rxe5. Slowly but surely White – with an extra Pawn – has made progress. 23. ... Be6 24. Rbe1 Bf6 25. R5e3 Rf8 26. b5 Qd6 27. d4 c2 28. Be4 Bd5. Unsatisfactory, but what else to make it easier? 29. Qxc2. In serious time trouble, Miss 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) fears to play 29. Bxd5 Qxd5 30. Re5! (or 30. Re8 g5 31. R8e5!) 30. ... Qd7 (of course not 30. ... Bxe5?? because of 31. Ne7+, whilst 30. ... Qd6 31. R5e2 implies similar consequences to the text) 31. Rc5 with a huge advantage to White. 29. ... Bxe4 30. Rxe4 Rxb5 31. Re8 g6 32. Qc4 Qd5 33. Rxf8+ Kxf8 34. Rc1 Qxc4 35. Rxc4 h5 36. Kg2 Rb3 37. Nb4 Kg7 38. Nc2. I would have preferred 38. h4, since after 38. ... Bd8 39. Nc6 Bb6 40. Rc2 White’s extra Pawn is not so symbolic as in the game. 38. ... h4 39. Kf1 Rb1+ 40. Kg2 Rd1. Black is now safe. 41. Kf3 Rd2 42. h3 Rd3+ 43. Kg4 Rd2 44. Kf3 Rd3+ 45. Kg2 hxg3 46. fxg3 Kg8 47. h4 Kg7 48. Kh3 Be7 49. Ne1 Rb3 50. Rc6 Bf6 51. Rd6 Re3 52. Nc2 Rd3 53. Kg4 ½ : ½.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) vs. Radoslaw Wojtaszek
Biel/Bienne, July 21, 2014
Photos: bielchessfestival.ch

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