Marienkirche

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Elisabeth Pähtz
19th Women’s European Club Cup; Bilbao, September 16, 2014
French Defence C18

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Nc6 7. Qg4 g6 8. Qd1 Qa5 9. Bd2 Qa4 10. Nf3 c4 11. h4 h6 12. Qc1. The alternative 12. Nh2 f6 13. f4 h5 does not promise any meaningful advantage to White, Volokitin – Ward, Copenhagen 2002. 12. ... Bd7 13. g3 0-0-0 14. Bg2 Kb8 15. 0-0 Ka8 16. Nh2. Vaguely similar is 16. Rb1 Rc8 17. Nh2 Nce7 18. Qb2 Bc6 19. Qa2 Re8 20. Rb4 Qa5 21. a4 Nc8 22. Ng4 Nb6 23. Ra1 Rc8 24. Qa3 Rh7 25. Ra2 Rh8 26. Ra1 ½ : ½ Zontakh – Kruppa, Kiev 2006. 16. ... Nce7 17. Ng4 Nf5 18. Qb2 Bc6 19. Rfb1 Qa5 20. a4 Nge7 21. Qc1 h5 22. Nf6 Nc8 23. Rb4 Qc7 24. Qa3 Qe7. Intending ... a7-a5. 25. Qa2 Qc7 26. Rbb1 Qa5 27. Rb4 Qc7 28. Rab1 Qa5 29. Qa3 Nb6 30. Ra1 Nc8 31. Bg5 Qc7 32. Bf3 Nb6 33. Rab1 Nc8 34. Kh2 Nb6 35. Be2 Nc8 36. f3 Rdf8 37. Kg2 Ng7 38. g4 Ne8 39. R4b2 Nxf6 40. Bxf6 Rhg8 41. a5 Re8 42. Kf2 a6 43. Qc5. The threat is Rb2xb7. 43. ... Qd7 44. Rg1 Trying to open up another front.

44. ... Rh8. An ingenious Exchange sacrifice, in order to counter the opponent’s Bishop pair and the strong grip on the dark squares. The text is reminiscent of Fischer’s 37. ... Rh8 in the epic partie Spassky – R. J. Fischer, Reykjavík 1972, match game 13. 45. Bxh8 Rxh8 46. gxh5 Rxh5 47. Qf8 Kb8 48. Rg4 Qc7 49. Ra2 Rf5 50. Rg5 Rxg5 51. hxg5 Qe7 52. Qh6 b6 53. f4 Kb7 54. Ke3 bxa5 55. Rxa5 Na7 56. Kd2 Nb5 57. Ra2 Be8 58. Qh1 Bc6 59. Qa1 Nc7 60. Qb2+ Nb5 61. Ra1 Be8 62. Qa2 Nc7 63. Rh1 Kb6 64. Ra1 Kb7 65. Bf3 Bb5 66. Rb1 Kb6 67. Ra1 Kb7 68. Qa5 Qf8 69. Rh1 Kc6 70. Rh6 Kb7 71. Qa1 Be8 72. Qa5 Bb5 73. Qb4 Qxb4 74. cxb4 Kc8 75. f5 exf5 76. e6 Nxe6 77. Bxd5 Nxg5 78. Ke3 Kd7 79. Kf4 Ne6+ 80. Ke5 Ng5 81. Kf6 Kd6 82. Bb7 Ne6 83. c3 Nd8 84. Bg2 Ne6 85. Kxf7 Nf4 86. Bf3. Maybe the most promising way is to return the Exchange, trying to exploit the passive position of the Black’s King and the Queen’s Bishop: 86. Rxg6+! Nxg6 37. Kxg6. 86. ... Bc6 87. Bxc6 Kxc6 88. Kf6 Kd5 89. Kg5 Ne2 90. Rxg6 Nxc3 91. Rxa6 Kxd4 92. Kxf5 Nd5 93. Rd6 c3 94. Ke6 Kc4 95. Rc6+. Of course, on 95. Rxd5 Kxb4 draws at once. 95. ... Kd4 96. b5 Nb4 97. Rc8 Kd3 98. b6 c2 99. b7 Na6 100. Rc6 Nb8 101. Rc8 Na6 102. Kd6 Kd2 103. Rc4 c1=Q 104. Rxc1 Kxc1 105. Kc6 Nb8+ 106. Kc7 Na6+ 107. Kb6 Nb8 108. Kc7 Na6+ ½ : ½.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
Photo: Bilbao Chess