On the Road Again

Valentina Evgenyevna Gunina – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
19th European Women’s Chess Club Cup; Bilbao, September 15, 2014
Bogo-Indian Defence E11

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 a5 5. g3 d6 6. Bg2 Nbd7 7. 0-0 e5 8. Nc3 c6 9. dxe5 dxe5 10. Qc2 0-0 11. Rad1 Re8 12. a3. If 12. Be3 may follow 12. ... Qc7 13. Na4 Bf8 14. Ng5 h6 15. Ne4 Ng4 16. Bc1 f5 17. Nec3 Nc5 18. Nxc5 Bxc5 19. Na4 Bf8 20. Bh3! f4 21. Qg6 Nf6 22. Bxc8 Qxc8! 23. Kg2 Qe6 24. Nb6 Rad8 25. b3 Bd6 26. Bb2 Bc5! 27. Na4 Bd4 28. gxf4 b5?! 29. f5?! Qe7 30. Nc3 bxc4 31. e3 Bxc3 32. Bxc3 cxb3 33. axb3 Rf8 34. Bxa5 Rxb3 35. Rb1 Rb5! with advantage to Black, Komljenović – Lalić, Benasque 1994. 12. ... Bf8 13. h3 Qc7 14. Nh4 Nc5 15. Bg5 Nfd7 16. Ne4 a4 17. Kh2 Ne6 18. Be3 Ndc5 19. Nxc5 Bxc5 20. Nf5 g6 21. Bxc5 Nxc5 22. Nd6 Rd8 23. Qc3 f6 24. Qe3 Nb3 25. Ne4 Kg7

26. Nxf6? In search of the Holy Grail White unnecessarily sacrifices a Knight. More realistic was 26. c5 Ra5 27. Rd6 Rxd6 28. cxd6 (28. Nxd6 Bd7) 28. ... Qd8 29. g4 f5 with mutual chances. 26. ... Kxf6 27. Rxd8 Qxd8 28. f4. More consistent looks 28. Qh6, e.g. 28. ... Qe7 29. f4 e4 30. f5! Bxf5 31. g4 Ra5 32. gxf5 Rxf5 33. Qh4+ g5 34. Rxf5+ Kxf5 35. Qg4+ Kf6 36. Bxe4 Qe5+ 37. Kg2 h5! and Black’s advantage is striking, but perhaps not yet decisive. 28. ... Qe7 29. fxe5+ Kg7 30. Rf6 Ra5 31. Bd5 cxd5 32. Qg5. A last, desperate threat: Rf6xg6+. 32. ... Qe8 33. Rd6 Ra6! Elegant and timely defence. 34. Qf6+ Kg8 35. Rxa6 bxa6 36. cxd5 Nc5 37. Qd6 Qf8 38. Qc7 Qf2+ 39. Kh1 Qf1+ 40. Kh2 Qxh3+ 41. Kg1 Qxg3+ 42. Kh1 Bf5 0 : 1.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) is playing for the Cercle d’Échecs de Monte-Carlo. Photo: Bilbao Chess (@bilbaochess).