Rock or Bust

Arghyadip Das – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
13th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 28, 2015
Sicilian Defence B83

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Be2 Be7 7. 0-0 Nc6 8. Be3 0-0 9. a4 Bd7 10. f4 Nxd4 11. Qxd4 Bc6 12. Bf3 (12. b4 e5 13. Qd3 exf4 14. Rxf4 Nd7 15. Bd4 Ne5 16. Qg3 Bg5 17. Rf5 Bh4 18. Qe3 Bd7 19. Rff1 Nc6 20. Nd5 Nxd4 21. Qxd4 Be6 22. Kh1 Rc8 23. c4 a5 24. bxa5 Bxd5 25. Qxd5 Bf6 26. Ra3 Qe7 27. Rb3 Rc5 28. Qxb7 Qxb7 29. Rxb7 Rxa5 30. Bd1 Bd4 31. g3 g6 32. Rb5 Rfa8 33. Rb7 Rf8 34. Bb3 Ra7 35. Rxa7 Bxa7 36. c5 dxc5 37. Rf6 Kg7 38. Ra6 Rb8 39. Bd5 Rb1+ 40. Kg2 Bb8 41. a5 Ra1 42. Ra8 Bc7 43. a6 Bb6 44. Kf3 Ra4 45. Bc6 Ra3+ 46. Ke2 c4 47. Bb5 Ra2+ 48. Kd1 c3 49. Rc8 Rd2+ 50. Kc1 Rb2 51. Ba4 Be3+ 52. Kd1 Ra2 53. Bc2 Bg1 54. h3 Rxa6 55. Rxc3 Rf6 56. Ke1 Bb6 57. Rb3 h5 58. Bd1 Bc7 59. Rf3 Rxf3 60. Bxf3 Bxg3+ 61. Kf1 Kf6 62. Bd1 ½ : ½ Houska – Smeets, 5th Staunton Memorial, London 2007)
12. ... Nd7 (12. ... d5 13. e5 Ne4 14. Nxe4 dxe4 15. Qxd8 Rfxd8 16. Be2 f5 17. b3 h6 18. Rfd1 g5 19. Rxd8+ Rxd8 20. g3 gxf4 21. gxf4 a6 22. Kf2 Bh4+ 23. Kf1 Be7 24. Rd1 Rxd1+ 25. Bxd1 Bb4 26. Ke2 Be8 27. Kf2 Bc3 28. Be2 b5 ½ : ½ H. H. Stefánsson – Murey, 34th Canadian Open, Winnipeg 1997)
13. Qd2 b6 14. b4 a6 15. Ne2 Bb7 16. c4 a5 17. b5 Rc8 18. Rac1 Rc7 19. Nd4 Qc8 20. Rfd1 Rd8 21. Qc2 g6 22. Nb3 Qa8 23. Qf2 Rdc8 24. Nd2 Nc5 25. Bxc5 Rxc5 26. Qe3 Bf8 27. Kh1 d5 28. exd5 exd5 29. Nb3 Rxc4 30. Qxb6 Bb4 31. Rxc4 Rxc4 32. Qf6 Qc8 33. h3 Qc7

34. b6 (34. Bxd5 Rxf4 35. b6 Rxf6 36. bxc7 Bc8 37. Nd4 Rd6 38. Nb5 Rd7 39. Kh2 Kf8 40. Bb7 Rxd1 41. Bxc8 Rc1 42. Bxa6 Rxc7 43. Nxc7 Bd6+=)
34. ... Qd7 35. Nd4 Bf8 36. Nb5 Rxa4 37. Nc7 Bg7 38. Qg5 h6

39. Qg3? 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) has kept up the pressure until her opponent — who was terribly short of time — slipped fatally. 39. Qg4 was called for.
39. ... Rd4! 40. Re1 Rb4 41. f5 Qxf5 42. Ne8 Bc3! 43. Qb8 Kh7 44. Nd6

44. ... Qd7. Black played the text move very quickly, apparently oblivious to the fact that 44. ... Rb1! 45. Nxf5 (or 45. Rxb1 Qxb1+ 46. Kh2 Be5+ 47. g3 Qc2+−+) 45. ... Rxe1+ 46. Kh2 Be5+ 47. Qxe5 Rxe5 48. Nd6 Re7 would have won much more rapidly.
45. Rc1 Rxb6 46. Nxf7 Qe7. The silly 46. ... Rb3?? would be refuted by 47. Rxc3! turning the tables.
47. Qf4 Bg7 48. Rc7 Qe1+ 49. Kh2 Qb4 50. Qg3 Rc6 51. Rd7 Bc8 52. Rxd5 Be6 53. Nd8 Bxd5 54. Nxc6 Qc5 55. Bxd5 Qxd5 56. Qxg6+ Kxg6 57. Ne7+ Kf6 58. Nxd5+ Ke5 59. Nb6 Ke4 60. Kg3 Bd4 61. Na4 Kd3. The Knight is doomed.
62. Kf3 Kc2 63. Ke4 Bf2 64. Kf3 Ba7 65. g4 Kb3 66. h4 Kxa4 67. Ke4 Bf2 0 : 1.

Play like a man, win like a woman. Photo © Sophie Triay.