Miss Papaya

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Levon Grigori Aronian
77th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 18, 2015
Italian Game C54

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Bd2 Nxe4 8. Bxb4 Nxb4 9. Bxf7+ Kxf7 10. Qb3+ d5 11. Ne5+ Ke6. Clearly not 11. ... Kf6? on account of 12. f3 Nd6 13. Qxb4 Bf5 15. 0-0 and White stands better. 12. Qxb4 Qf8 13. Qxf8 Rxf8 14. f3 (14. Nc3 c6 15. f3 Nd6 16. Kf2 Nf5 17. Rhe1 Kd6 18. Rad1 g6 19. b4 Bd7 20. Na4 b6 21. Rd2 Rae8 22. Nc3 Re7 23. Rc1 Be8 24. Ne2 Ng7 25. Re1 Ne6 26. Nc1 Rf4 27. Ne2 Rf5 28. Nc3 Rf4 29. Ne2 Rf5 30. Nc3 Rf4 ½ : ½ Harikrishna – Aronian, 76th Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2014) 14. ... Ng5. Here are two references from the recent past: A) 14. ... Nd6 15. Nc3 c6 16. Kf2 Nf5 17. Rhe1 Kd6 18. Rad1 g6 19. g4 Ng7 20. h4 Ne6 21. Kg3 Bd7 22. Ne2 Rae8 23. Nd3 Re7 24. Rf1 Bc8 25. Ndf4 Ng7 26. Rd2 a5 27. Rc1 Bd7 28. Rc3 Ref7 29. Re3 Rg8 30. Nd3 Ne6 31. Ndf4 Ng7 32. Nd3 Ne6 33. Nef4 Nxf4 34. Nxf4 Rgf8 35. Nd3 b6 36. Ne5 Re7 37. Rb3 Kc7 38. f4 Be8 39. Rf3 Rg7 40. Rb3 Re7 41. Rc2 h5 42. g5 Re6 43. Rf2 Rf5 44. Re3 Bd7 45. Rfe2 Bc8 46. Nf3 Kd6 47. Rxe6+ Bxe6 48. Ne5 Bf7 49. Rd2 Be8 50. Kf3 Rf8 51. b3 Ke6 52. a3 Kd6 53. b4 a4 54. Rc2 b5 55. Re2 Bd7 56. Nxg6 Bg4+ 57. Kf2 Bxe2 58. Nxf8 Bd3 59. g6 Ke7 60. g7 Kf7 61. Nd7 Kxg7 62. Ne5 Bc4 63. Nxc6 Kf6 64. Kf3 Kf5 65. Ne7+ Ke6 66. Ng6 Kf5 67. Ne5 Bb3 68. Nd3 Bd1+ 69. Ke3 Bb3 70. Nc5 Kg4 71. f5 Bc2 72. f6 Bg6 73. Ne6 Kxh4 74. Kf4 Kh3 75. Kg5 Be8 76. Ng7 Bf7 77. Nxh5 Kg2 78. Nf4+ Kf3 79. Kf5 Ke3 80. Ke5 Kd2 81. Nxd5 Kc2 82. Nc7 Kb3 83. Nxb5 1 : 0 马群 (Mǎ Qún) – 温阳 (Wēn Yáng), 45th Chinese Chess Championship, 兴化 (Xīnghuà) 2014; B) 14. ... c5!? 15. Nd3 cxd4 16. Na3 Nd6 17. Nc2 Nf5 18. g4 Nh4 19. Nxd4+ Kd6 20. Rf1 Bd7 21. Kd2 Rac8 22. b3 g5 23. h3 Rf6 24. f4 gxf4 25. Rxf4 Rxf4 26. Nxf4 Rf8 27. Ke3 Re8+ 28. Kf2 Re4 29. Nfe2 Ng6 30. Rd1 Nf4 31. Nxf4 Rxf4+ 32. Kg3 Re4 33. Kh4 Kc5 34. Nf3 Bb5 35. Kg5 d4 36. Rc1+ Kd6 37. a4 Bc6 38. Nh4 Bd5 39. Nf5+ Ke5 40. Rc8 Bxb3 41. Re8+ Be6 42. Ng7 Kd6 43. Kf6 Bd5 44. Nf5+ Kc5 45. Rxe4 Bxe4 46. Ke5 Bg2 47. Nxd4 Bxh3 48. g5 Kb4 49. Kf6 Bf1 50. Ne6 Bd3 51. Nd8 Kxa4 52. Nxb7 Kb4 53. Ke5 a5 54. Kd4 Bc2 55. Ke3 a4 56. Kd2 Be4 57. Nd6 a3 58. Kc1 Bd3 59. Nb7 Kc3 60. Nc5 Bc2 0 : 1 曾重生 (Céng Chóngshēng) – 修德顺 (Xiū Déshùn), 45th Chinese Chess Championship, 兴化 (Xīnghuà) 2014. 15. Nc3 c6 16. h4 Nf7 17. Nd3 Kd6 18. Kf2 Nd8 19. g3 Ne6 20. Ne2 a5. Black prepares the way for a “Rook lift”. 21. Ndf4 Ra6 22. Rad1 Rb6 23. Rd2 Rb4 24. Re1 Nxf4 25. Nxf4 Rc4 26. a3 Bf5 27. Re3 b6 28. Rb3 b5 29. Re3 b4 30. Ne2 h5 31. Ke1 g6 32. b3 Rc2 33. Rxc2 Bxc2 34. a4 Bf5 35. Nf4 Rc8 36. Kd2 c5

37. Re5! cxd4 38. Rxd5+ Ke7 39. g4! hxg4 40. fxg4 Bxg4 41. Nxg6+ Kf6 42. Rxd4. 42. Rd6+ Kg7 43. Ne5 Bf5 44. Nc4± might still be drawable for Black, but not easily at all. 42. ... Be6 43. Rd6 Kf7 44. Ne5+ Ke7 45. Rd3. 45. Ra6 Bxb3 46. Rxa5 Rc2+ 47. Ke3 Ra2 also draws. 45. ... Kf6 46. Nf3 Bg8 47. Ng5 Kf5 48. Nf3 Kf6 49. h5 Rc5 50. h6 Rh5 51. Rd6+ Ke7 52. Ra6 Bxb3 53. h7 Bxa4 54. Rxa5 Rxh7 55. Rxa4 ½ : ½.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). Photo: Alina l’Ami.