炼狱 (Purgatory)

Pentala Harikrishna – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
47th International Chess Festival “In Memoriam Hans Suri”; Biel/Bienne, July 24, 2014
Sicilian Defence B88

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bc4 e6 7. 0-0 Nc6 8. Nxc6!? bxc6 9. Qe2 d5 10. Bb3. More natural than 10. Bd3 Be7 11. e5 Nd7 12. Na4 Qc7 13. f4 Nb6 14. Nxb6 Qxb6+ 15. Kh1 a5 and White has obtained nothing special from the opening, Emms – Degraeve, Zonal Tournament, Mondariz 2000. 10. ... Be7. Black’s strategy looks like a fiction version of some games from the 1834 McDonnell – de la Bourdonnais match, namely 57th match game and 62th match game. 11. Ba4 Bd7 12. e5 Ng8 13. Qg4 g6 14. Ne2 h5 15. Qf3 Nh6 16. Bxh6 Rxh6

17. c4 Kf8 18. Nd4 Rc8 19. Rac1 c5 20. Bxd7 Qxd7 21. Ne2 d4 22. b4 h4 23. bxc5 Rh5. Breaking news: Black is tremendously short of time! 24. Rfd1 Rxe5. Tameless! It looks more balanced 24. ... Bxc5 25. Nf4 Rf5. 25. Nxd4 Qe8 26. Qf4 Rcxc5 27. Nb3 Rf5. After 27. ... Bg5 28. Qd4 Bf6 29. Nxc5 Re1+ 30. Rxe1 Bxd4 31. Nb3 the ensuing two Rooks plus Knight plus passed c-Pawn vs. Queen plus Bishop endgame would be very unpleasant for Black. 28. Qh6+ Kg8 29. Nxc5 Bxc5. Objectively speaking, after 29. ... Bg5 30. Qxg5 Rxg5 31. Ne4 Qe7 32. Nxg5 Qxg5 the two Rooks plus passed c-Pawn vs. Queen endgame is a little less dangerous than that one previously analyzed, since after 33. Rc3 or 33. h3 (on 33. c5 h3 34. g3 Qg4 White can hardly avoid the perpetual check) Her Majesty may block the Pawn by 33. ... Qc5. 30. Rc2. Black has no evidential compensation for the sacrificed Exchange. 30. ... Be7 31. Qe3 Qc6 32. Kh1 Kh7 33. Rd4 Kg7 34. Qe4 Qb6 35. Rd1 Bf6 36. Qe3 Qc6 37. c5 Kh7 38. h3 Be7 39. Rd4 Kg8 40. Rdc4 a5 41. Qc3 Rd5 42. Qf3 Qd7 43. Rc1 Rf5 44. c6. The intermediate check 44. Qa8+ is stronger yet, e.g. 44. ... Kg7 45. c6 Qc7 46. Qb7 with a winning game for White. 44. ... Rxf3 45. cxd7 Rd3 46. Rc7 Bd8 47. Rb7 Kf8 48. Kg1 Ke7 49. Kf1 Rd2 50. Rc8 g5 51. Ke1 Rd5 52. Ke2 f5 53. Ke3 Rd1 54. Ke2 Rd4 55. Rbb8 Rxd7 56. Rc3 Rd4 57. Rd3 Re4+ 58. Kd2 Rf4. Inspired despair! The alternative 58. ... Bc7 59. Rb7 Rc4 60. Rc3 transposes to the text endgame, so Miss 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) hopes for a miracle after 59. Rdxd8 Rxf2+ 60. Ke1 Rxg2. 59. f3. White denies any illusion. 59. ... Bc7 60. Rb7 Rc4 61. Rc3 Rxc3 62. Kxc3 Kd6 63. Kc4 Kc6 64. Ra7 Bb6 65. Ra8 Bc7 66. Ra7 Kb6 67. Ra8 Kc6 68. a4 Kd7 69. Ra6 Bd8 70. Kb5 Bc7 71. Kc5 Bd8 72. Ra7+ Bc7 73. Rb7 1 : 0.

Pentala Harikrishna vs. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
Biel/Bienne, July 24, 2014
Photos: bielchessfestival.ch