东南亚 (Southeast Asia)

Wesley So – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
77th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Rotterdam, January 15, 2015
Queen’s Gambit Declined D38

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bxf6 Qxf6 7. e3 0-0 8. Rc1 dxc4 9. Bxc4 c5 10. 0-0 cxd4 11. Nxd4 Bd7 12. Ne4 Qe7 13. Qh5 Nc6 14. Nb3 Be8 15. a3. A sharp tactical skirmish begins. 15. ... f5 16. Qe2 Bxa3 17. bxa3 fxe4 18. Nc5 Ne5 19. Ba2 Nf3+ 20. Kh1

20. ... Qh4. “A somewhat strange game. A Ragozin turned into a strange structure where 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s attack on the Kingside (which came out of nowhere) netted her an extra Pawn, but with a dubious pawn structure. So did not respond in the best way and Black’s Bishop and potential passed Queenside Pawn promised her good chances in the endgame. After a mistake in time pressure, it was Hóu Yìfán who was against the ropes as she underestimated the danger against her exposed King”, Grandmaster Alejandro Tadeo Ramírez Álvarez writes. 21. gxf3 Bh5 22. Bxe6+ Kh8 23. Bg4 exf3 24. Qb2 Bxg4 25. Rg1 Rf7 26. Qd4 h5 27. Nd3 Rd8 28. Qe4 Qe7 29. Qxe7 Rxe7 30. Nf4 Kh7 31. Rc5 g6 32. h3 Bf5 33. Nxh5 Bxh3 34. Kh2 Bf5 35. Nf6+ Kh6 36. e4 Rf8 37. e5 b6 38. Rd5 Kg7 39. Kg3 Be6 40. Rh1 Bg8 41. Kf4 Rc8 42. Rd4 b5 43. Re1 a5 44. Kxf3 Rc3+ 45. Kf4 Rxa3 46. Nxg8 Kxg8 47. e6 Ra4! Black forces the exchange of Rooks. 48. Rxa4 bxa4 49. Ke5 Kg7 50. Kd6 Kf8 51. Rc1. If, instead, 51. Rh1 then 51. ... Ra7! is sufficient to hold the draw. 51. ... Re8 52. Ke5 a3! 53. Kf6 a2! 54. Ra1. “54. f4! Rb8□ 55. Rd1! Ke8□ 56. Rh1! Kd8□ 57. Kf7! Rb1□ 58. e7+ Kc7 59. e8=Q a1=Q 60. Qe7+ Kc8 61. Qc5+ Kb7 White has the initiative and some practical chances here”, Dennis Monokroussos writes. 54. ... Rb8 55. f4 Rb4 56. f5 gxf5 57. Rxa2 Rh4 58. Rd2 Rh6+ 59. Ke5 Rh1 60. Kd6 Ke8 61. Rg2 Rd1+ 62. Ke5 Rh1 63. Rg6 Ke7 64. Rg7+ Ke8 65. Kf6 Rh6+ 66. Ke5 Rh1 ½ : ½.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). Photo: Pro Shots/Martijn Buskermolen.