秀贵甘蔗 (Saccharum officinarum)

Grigoriy Alekseyevich Oparin – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
13th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 31, 2015
Nimzo-Indian Defence E46

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 0-0 5. Ne2 d5 6. a3 Be7 7. cxd5 exd5 8. g3 Nbd7 9. Bg2 Nb6 10. 0-0 a5 11. b3. Another continuation is 11. a4 Re8 12. f3 c5 13. g4! h6 14. b3 Bd7 15. dxc5 Bxc5 16. Qd3 Rc8 17. Bd2 Bc6 18. Nd4 Nbd7 19. Rad1 Ba7 20. Nce2! Ne5 21. Qb1 Ng6 22. Nf5! Qc7 23. Qb2 Kh7 24. Kh1 Bb8 25. Neg3 Ne5? (25. ... Ne7!) 26. f4! Nd3 (26. ... Nexg4 27. h3!) 27. Qd4 Nb4 28. g5!+− Spassky – Gurgenidze, 24th Soviet Chess Championship, Moscow 1957. 11. ... Re8 12. Qd3 Bf8 13. Bd2 g6 14. f3 c5 15. dxc5 Bxc5 16. Nd4 Nbd7 17. Na4 b6 18. Nxc5 bxc5 19. Nb5 Ba6 20. a4 Qb6 21. Rfc1 Ne5 22. Qc3 Bxb5 23. axb5 Qxb5 24. Re1. The safer course 24. Qxc5 Qxb3 25. Qd4 Re6 would keep the game equal; for example: 26. Bc3 Rc8 27. Rab1 Qa3 28. Ra1 Qb3 with a draw by repetition. 24. ... a4 25. bxa4 Rxa4 26. Rxa4 Qxa4 27. g4 h6 28. h3

28. ... Qc4. The exchange of Queens appears to dissipate Black’s light-square bind. A much stronger move would seem 28. ... Qa6! with a clear advantage to Black; it should be noted that White cannot free himself by 29. Bf1?? because of 29. ... Nxf3+! 30. Kg2 Qd6! 31. Kxf3 Ne4 with an irresistible attack. 29. f4 Nd3 30. Qxc4 dxc4 31. Rb1 Kf8 32. Bc6 Re6 33. Rb8+ Ke7 34. Bb5 Rd6 35. Bc3 g5 36. Rb7+ Nd7 37. fxg5 hxg5 38. Bxc4 f6 39. Kg2 Ne5 40. Bxe5 fxe5 41. Kf3 Rb6 42. Ra7 Rb4 43. Bd3 Kd6 44. Bf5 e4+ 45. Kg3 Ne5 46. Ra6+ Nc6 47. h4 gxh4+ 48. Kxh4 Kd5 49. g5 Ne7 50. Be6+ Ke5 51. Bg4 Nf5+ 52. Bxf5 Kxf5 53. Rc6 Rb3 54. Rxc5+ Kg6 55. Rc6+ Kg7 56. Rc7+ ½ : ½.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). Photo: Sophie Triay.