Reverence for Life

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)
77th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 11, 2015
Caro-Kann Defence B13

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 Be6 7. Nge2 dxc4 8. Nf4 Nxd4 9. Nxe6 Nxe6 10. Bxc4 Qxd1+ 11. Rxd1 a6 12. Bxe6 fxe6 13. 0-0 h6 14. Bc1. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) has entered a less-known line of the Panov Attack in which White sacrifices a Pawn for positional compensations. 14. ... g5 15. f4 g4 16. Na4 Rc8 17. b4 Kf7 18. Nc5 b6 19. Nd3 Nd7 20. Be3 b5

21. Ne5+? White is anxious to regain her Pawn, but the text leads to a very unfavourable ending where she remains with the bad Bishop and a weak e-Pawn. Better seems 21. f5 e5 22. Nf2 Nf6 23. Nd3 Nd7 with equality. 21. ... Nxe5 22. fxe5+ Kg6 23. Rd7 Bg7! 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) does not hesitate to give back the Pawn for positional and dynamic advantage. 24. Rxe7 Rhe8 25. Ra7 Rc6 26. Rc1 Rec8 27. Rxc6 Rxc6 28. Bd4 h5 29. a3 Bh6 30. Bc5 Bf4 31. h3 gxh3 32. gxh3 Bxe5. The weak e5-Pawn has finally fallen, leaving Black with a won ending. 33. Rd7 Bb2 34. Rd3 e5 35. Kf2 e4 36. Rb3 Bc1 37. Rc3 Bb2 38. Rb3 Bc1 39. Rc3 Bg5 40. Ke2 Kf5 41. a4 Be7 42. axb5 axb5 43. Ke3 Bxc5+ 44. bxc5 Ke5 45. Rc1 Kd5 46. Rd1+ Kxc5 47. Kxe4 Re6+ 48. Kf4 b4 49. Rc1+ Kb5 50. Rb1 Rg6 51. Re1 b3 52. Re5+ Kb4 53. Re8 b2 54. Rb8+ Kc3 55. Rc8+ Kb3 56. Rb8+ Kc2 57. Rc8+ Kb1 58. Rh8 Rb6 0 : 1.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) vs. 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén). Photo: Tata Steel Chess.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). Photo: Tata Steel Chess.