太陽帝國

Fabiano Caruana – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
77th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 20, 2015
Sicilian Defence B90

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. h3 e5 7. Nde2 h5 8. g3 Be7 9. Bg2 b5 10. Nd5 Nbd7 11. Nxe7 Qxe7 12. Bg5 Bb7 13. Nc3 Qe6 14. a3. For 14. h4 b4 see Shirov – Palliser, 4NCL Division 1c, Hinckley 2013, whereas for 14. Nd5 Rc8 15. c3 Nxd5 16. exd5 Qg6 17. h4 see Shirov – Sjugirov, Loo 2013. 14. ... 0-0 15. 0-0. After about 42 minutes’ thought. 15. ... Rfc8 16. Re1 Rab8 17. Re2 Nb6 18. Qe1 Nc4 19. Bc1 Nb6 20. b3 Nbd7 21. h4 d5. Black has finally succeeded in playing her thematic counter! 22. exd5 Nxd5 23. Ne4 N5f6 24. Nxf6+ Qxf6 25. Bg5 Qf5 26. Bxb7 Rxb7 27. Qa5 Rbc7. Black decides on a drastic step, sacrificing her Pawns on the Queenside for a powerful initiative on the Kingside. 28. Qxa6 Rxc2 29. Be3 Nf6 30. Qxb5 Ng4 31. Rf1 Rxe2 32. Qxe2 Rc2. “It’s a pity Hóu didn’t continue her series of power moves with 32. ... Rc3!=/+, when White’s position is getting very uncomfortable. Aside from taking aim at White’s Queenside passers, Black may also play ... Qf5-e4 and pile up on the Bishop, or play ... e5-e4 and ... Ng4-e5”, Dennis Monokroussos writes. 33. Qd1 Rb2 34. Bc5 e4 35. Bd4 Ra2 36. a4 Kh7. “A move that reminds me of Kasparov: always improving the King before looking for final blows”, Grandmaster Alejandro Tadeo Ramírez Álvarez writes. 37. b4

37. ... Ra3! Initiating a most original horizontal attack. 38. a5? White underestimates Black’s initiative. Better was 38. Qc2 Qf3 39. a5 Rd3 40. Bb6 Ne5∞ (Ramírez Álvarez’s analysis). 38. ... Rf3? “38. ... Rd3! This move is a winner! 39. Qa1 Qf3 (threatening ... e4-e3) 40. Qb2□ g5! Black’s attack on the Kingside is too fast and too strong. White collapses. 41. Bh8 (41. hxg5 h4 42. gxh4 Qf4!-+; 41. a6 gxh4 42. a7 h3 is too slow for White) 41. ... f6-+”, Ramírez Álvarez writes. 39. Qb1 Rd3 40. Qb2 Qd5 41. Bc5. “41. Be3 is worse for White, but survivable”, Ramírez Álvarez argues. 41. ... Ne5 42. Be3 Nf3+. “42. ... f5! This move first! It would have prevented the counterplay in the game. 43. Rc1 f4 44. Bxf4 Nf3+ 45. Kf1 (45. Kg2 e3-+ 46. Bxe3 Nxh4+ 47. Kh3 Qg2+ 48. Kxh4 Kg6!! and White is helpless against ... Qg2-h2 mate. A very difficult thing to see, for sure) 45. ... Rd1+ 46. Kg2 Ne1+ 47. Kh2 e3! 48. Qb1+ Kg8 49. Rc8+ Kf7 50. Rc7+ Ke8! 51. Qg6+ Kd8-+”, Ramírez Álvarez writes. The casting out nines is, however, 42. Qc2 (instead of 43. Rc1) 42. ... Ne5 43. Be3 Nf3+ 44. Kg2 f4 45. Qc5 fxe3 46. Qxd5 Rxd5 47. fxe3 Rd2+ 48. Rf2 Ne1+ 49. Kf1 Rxf2+ 50. Kxf2 Nd3+ and although Black wins the b4-Pawn, it appears impossible to win: 51. Ke2 Nxb4 52. Kd2 Kg6 53. Kc3 Nc6 54. a6 Kf5 55. Kc4 Ke6 56. Kc5 Kd7 57. Kb6 Kd6 58. Kb5 Kc7= and no win is in sight! 43. Kg2 f5 44. Rc1! The saving clause! 44. ... f4 45. Rc7! Nxh4+! 46. gxh4 f3+ 47. Kg3 Qd6+ 48. Bf4 Qg6+ 49. Bg5 Qd6+ ½ : ½.

Tarjei J. Svensen (@TarjeiJS)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
Photo: Alina l’Ami