灵魂伴侣 (Soulmate)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – David Wei Liang Howell
13th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, February 5, 2015
Four Knights Game C48

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. Nc3 Bc5 5. 0-0 0-0 6. d3 Re8 7. Bg5 h6 8. Bxf6 Qxf6 9. Nd5 Qd8 10. c3 a6 11. Ba4 Ba7 12. h3 Ne7 13. d4 Nxd5 14. exd5 exd4 15. Nxd4 b5 16. Bc2 Qf6 17. Qd3 g6 18. a4 c5 19. dxc6 dxc6 20. axb5 cxb5 21. Rae1 Rxe1 22. Rxe1 Bb7 23. Bb3 Rd8 24. Qg3 Bxd4 25. cxd4 Kg7 26. Rd1 Rd7 27. Qc3 h5 28. Ba2 Qc6 29. Qxc6 Bxc6 30. b4 Kf6 31. d5 Bb7 32. f4 Ke7 33. d6+ Kf6. It was probably safer to play 33. ... Rxd6 34. Rxd6 Kxd6 35. Bxf7 Be4 36. g4 hxg4 37. hxg4 Kc6! 38. Kf2 Kb6 39. Ke3 Bb1 40. Kd4 (clearly not 40. Bxg6?? because of 40. ... Bxg6 41. f5 Be8 42. g5 a5 and Black wins) 40. ... a5 with equality, as originally shown by Dennis Monokroussos. 34. g4 hxg4 35. hxg4 g5? “The tide had already turned in White’s favor, but now Black is in serious trouble”, Monokroussos writes. 36. fxg5+ Kg6. If 36. ... Kxg5 then 37. Bxf7! Bf3 38. Be6 (38. Rd4 Bxg4 39. Rxg4+ Kf6 followed by ... Rd7xd6, ... a6-a5 and ... Rd6-a6 with a theoretical draw) 38. ... Rd8 39. Rd4 Kf6 40. Kf2 Bc6 41. Bf5 Ke5 42. Ke3 Rxd6 43. Rxd6 Kxd6 44. Kd4 Be8 45. Be4 Ke6 46. g5 Bh5 47. Kc5 Ke5 48. Bb1 and wins (Monokroussos’ analysis). 37. Bb1+. The staff of Chess-News.ru recommends the straightforward 37. Bd5! forcing the transition into a won Rook endgame: 37. ... Bxd5 (37. ... Bc8 38. Bc6 is no better) 38. Rxd5 f6 (also after 38. ... a5 39. bxa5 b4 40. a6 b3 41. Rd2 White has an easy win) 39. Kf2 fxg5 40. Ke3 Kf6 41. Kd4 Ke6 42. Kc5 and White wins. 37. ... Kxg5 38. Bf5 Rd8 39. d7 Bf3 40. Rd4 Kf6 41. Rd3 Bb7 42. Kf2 Ke7 43. Re3+ Kd6 44. Re8 Kc7

45. g5? A miscalculation. White ought to play 45. Re7! first, so that if 45. ... Bd5 then 46. g5! followed by the decisive King’s entrance on the scene. Similarly, also “45. Ke3! was absolutely crushing. Black runs out of moves: 45. ... Bc6 46. Re7 f6 (46. ... Rf8 47. Kd4 Kd8 48. Re5! and the Pawn is still untouchable while the King slowly waddles in) 47. Rf7 Bxd7 48. Ke4 Kc8 49. Bxd7+ Rxd7 50. Rxf6 with a winning Rook endgame”, Grandmaster Alejandro Tadeo Ramírez Álvarez writes. 45. ... Bc6! 46. Re7 Rg8! “Hóu Yìfán must have missed this counterattacking move. Once the g-Pawn disappeares there is nothing left to play for”, Ramírez Álvarez writes. ½ : ½.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). Photo: Sophie Triay.