Victorian Embroidery

Nafisa Muminova – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2013–14; 6th stage; Sharjah, August 25, 2014
Sicilian Defence B31

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. 0-0 Bg7 5. c3 Nf6 6. Re1 0-0 7. h3 Qb6 8. Ba4 Rd8 9. d3 d5 10. e5 Nd7 11. d4 Nf8!? Much more accurate than 11. ... cxd4 12. cxd4 Nf8 13. Nc3 Ne6 14. Bxc6 bxc6? (this leads to a quick disaster) 15. Na4 Qb4 16. Bd2 Qb5 17. Rc1 f6 18. exf6 Bxf6 19. Be3 c5 20. Nxc5 Qxb2 21. Qa4 Nxc5 22. dxc5 Bf5 23. Bd4 Bxd4 24. Nxd4 Rf8 25. f3 Bd3 26. Rcd1 Qc3 27. Re3 Bb5 28. Qb3 1 : 0 Jakubiec – Brodowski, 23rd Open, Kraków 2012. 12. Na3 cxd4 13. cxd4 Bf5 14. Be3 Ne6 15. Qd2 Be4 16. Rad1? Of course, 16. Ng5 Nxg5 17. Bxg5 f6!? (17. ... h6!?) is okay for Black, but it would have avoided the positional massacre which will follow. 16. ... Bxf3 17. gxf3 Rac8 18. f4 Kh8 19. Bb5 Bh6 20. Be2 Ng7 21. Nb5 Nf5 22. Nc3 e6 23. Bg4 Nh4 24. Kh1 Rg8 25. Rc1 Bf8 26. Red1 Qd8 27. Qe2

27. ... Rg7!! A “mysterious” Rook move which pretty soon will become quite obvious. 28. Na4 h5 29. Bf3 Nf5 30. Bg2 Qh4 31. Qd2 Be7 32. Nc5 g5 33. Nxb7 gxf4 34. Bxf4 Rcg8. And this finally solves the mystery! 35. Bg3 Rxg3! 36. fxg3 Nxg3+ 37. Kg1. 37. Kh2 is equally met by 37. ... Bg5 (eventually followed by ... Bg5-f4). 37. ... Bg5 38. Qf2 Bxc1 39. Rxc1 Nxd4 40. Re1 Ngf5 41. Nd6 Nf3+ 42. Qxf3 Qxe1+ 0 : 1. For after 43. Qf1 (or 43. Kh2 Qxe5+ followed by ... Nf5xd6) 43. ... Rxg2+! 44. Kxg2 Ne3+ mate follows in a few moves.

Nafisa Muminova vs. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova.