刀鋒 (The Razor’s Edge)

余泱漪 (Yú Yāngyī) – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
13th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, February 2, 2015
Sicilian Defence B82

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Be3 Nc6 7. f4 Be7 8. Qf3 Qc7 9. 0-0-0 a6 10. g4 Nd7 11. g5 b5 12. Bd3 Nc5. If, instead, 12. ... Bb7 then 13. Qh3 Nc5 14. g6! with powerful initiative, Zawadzka – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 1st World Mind Sports Games, Women’s Rapid Tournament, 北京市 (Běijīng) 2008. 13. Kb1 Bb7 14. h4 (14. Rhg1 Rc8 15. Nce2 Na5 16. Bc1 Nc4 17. f5 Ne5 18. Qh3 Nexd3 19. cxd3 e5 20. f6 exd4 21. fxg7 Rg8 22. Qxh7 Kd7 23. Nxd4 Ne6 24. Nxe6 fxe6 25. h4 Qc2+ 26. Ka1 Qf2 27. h5 Qd4 28. h6 d5 29. Qg6 b4 30. e5 b3 31. axb3 Qb4 32. d4 Qxb3 33. Qd3 Rxc1+ 0 : 1 Lukin – Kr. Georgiev, 12th International Tournament, Plovdiv 1984) 14. ... Rc8 15. h5 Nxd4 16. Bxd4 b4 17. Ne2 e5. “It’s always difficult to describe exactly what is happening in a Sicilian. Black’s last move is strategically desirable, but it is risky as it opens the f-file for the White Queen”, Grandmaster Alejandro Tadeo Ramírez Álvarez writes.

18. Bxc5. It is significant that all engines agreed on the “best” line 18. fxe5 dxe5 19. g6 — whereas 余泱漪 (Yú Yāngyī) prefers “human-like” methods instead. 18. ... Qxc5 19. g6! hxg6. On 19. ... f5 20. h6! is very strong. 20. hxg6 Rxh1 21. Rxh1 Bf6! 22. Qg4 Ke7 23. gxf7. Intending Ne2-g3-f5+ as ... Ke7xf7 is met by Bd3-c4+. 23. ... Rf8 24. f5 a5 25. Ng3 a4 26. Nh5 a3 27. Qg1 Rxf7 28. Qxc5 dxc5 29. bxa3 bxa3 30. c4 Kd8 31. Kc2 Bc6 32. Nxf6 gxf6 33. Kb3 Rg7 34. Rh3 Rg4 35. Re3 Kc7 36. Kxa3 Kb6 37. Kb3 Ka5 38. a3 Rh4 39. Kb2 ½ : ½. White’s extra Pawn is meaningless.

No entry allowed. Photo © John Saunders.