Closing Time

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Alina l’Ami
Sharjah; September 6, 2014
Vienna Game C26

1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. g3 Nc6 4. Bg2 Bc5 5. Nge2 0-0 6. 0-0 a6 7. h3 d6. If 7. ... Nd4 then 8. Kh2 b5 9. d3 Bb7 10. f4 with an edge, Kholmov – Kurajica, Skopje 1969. 8. Kh2 Ne8 9. d3 f5 10. f4 fxe4 11. Nxe4 Bb6 12. N2c3 d5 13. Ng5 Nf6 14. fxe5 Nxe5 15. d4 Ng6

16. Rxf6! Rxf6. 16. ... gxf6 is met by 17. Nxh7! with an overwhelming attack. And also after 16. ... Qxf6 17. Nxd5 Qxd4 18. Qxd4 Bxd4 19. Nxc7 Rb8 20. Nce6 White stands much better. 17. Qh5 c6 18. Qxh7+ Kf8 19. Nf3 Bc7 20. Ne2. Clearly not 20. Bg5? since 20. ... Bxg3+! 21. Kxg3? Rxf3+! turns the tables. 20. ... Qe8 21. Bg5 Rf5 22. Re1 Qf7 23. Bd2 Rxf3?? A grave blunder. Black should have played 23. ... Qf6, although after 24. Nf4 White would have retained at least the initiative. 24. Bb4+ Ne7 25. Qh8+ 1 : 0.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) vs. Alina l’Ami
Sharjah; September 6, 2014
Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova

Tatiana Anatolyevna Kosintseva – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)
Sharjah; September 6, 2014
Sicilian Defence B32

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5 5. Nb5 d6 6. N1c3 a6 7. Na3 b5 8. Nd5 Nge7 9. c4 Nxd5 10. exd5 Nd4 11. cxb5 Be7 12. Bd3 0-0 13. 0-0 f5 14. bxa6. For 14. Kh1 Bf6 see González de la Torre – Maze, Elgoibar 2005. 14. ... f4 15. Nc2 f3 16. Nxd4 exd4 17. gxf3 Bg5 18. Kh1 Bf4 19. Bxf4 Rxf4 20. Rg1 Bxa6 21. Bxa6 Rxa6 22. Qe2 Ra8 23. a4 Qf6 24. Ra3 Kf8 25. Qe6 Rxf3 26. Qxf6+ Rxf6 27. Kg2 Rf5 28. b4 Rxd5 29. Rd1 Ke7 30. a5 Rb8 31. a6 Ra8 32. Kf3 Kd7 33. Ke4 Rb5 34. Rxd4 Ra7 35. Ra4 Rb6 36. Kd5 Rbxa6 37. Rxa6 Rxa6 38. Rf4 Rb6 39. Rf7+ Ke8 40. Rf4 Kd7 41. Kc4 Kc6 42. Rf7 d5+ 43. Kb3 Rb8 44. f4 Rg8 45. f5 Kd6 46. h4 d4 47. Kc4 Ke5 48. Re7+ Kxf5 49. Kxd4 Kg4 50. Re4+ Kf3 51. Re3+ Kg4 52. Re4+ Kf3 53. Re3+ Kg4 54. Re4+ ½ : ½.

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)
Sharjah; September 6, 2014
Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova