Monday, April 6, 2015

A Pearl in the Ocean

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Samuel L. Shankland
22nd Hawaii international Chess Festival “Grandmaster Challenge”; time control: 25 minutes plus 5 seconds per move; Waikīkī Beach, Honolulu, March 23, 2015
Caro-Kann Defence B19

Notes by Grandmaster Niclas Huschenbeth, Chess Informant, No. 124, 2015, pp. 224-225.

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 Nd7 8. h5 Bh7 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 e6 11. Bd2 Ngf6 12. 0-0-0 Be7 13. Kb1 Rc8 [RR 13. ... Qb6 14. Ne4 Rd8 15. c4 0-0 16. Qe2 c5 17. Bc3 cxd4 18. Bxd4 Qc6 19. Nxf6+ Bxf6 20. g4 Bxd4 21. Nxd4 Qc5 22. Nf3 Nf6 23. Ne5 Rd4 24. Rxd4 Qxd4 25. Rd1 Qf4 26. Re1 Qd4 27. Rd1 Qf4 28. f3⩲ 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – So, 43rd Sparkassen Chess Meeting, Dortmund 2015]
14. Ne4 c5 15. g4!


15. ... c4TN (15. ... Nxg4?! 16. Rhg1 f5 17. d5↑; 15. ... cxd4 16. Nxd4 0-0∞)
16. Qe2 Nxe4 17. Qxe4 Qb6 18. c3 Nf6 19. Qe2 Nd5 20. Ka1! Qa5 21. Ne5 b5 22. Rh3! f6!? [22. ... b4 23. cxb4 Bxb4 24. Ra3! (24. Nxc4 Qc7 25. Bxb4 Nxb4 26. Rc3⩲) 24. ... Qb5 25. Bxb4 Qxb4 26. Ng6! Rg8 27. Ne5↑]
23. Ng6 Rc6


24. Qe4! (24. Nxh8? Ra6 25. a3 Bxa3−+; 24. Bc1 Ra6 25. a3±)
24. ... Ra6 25. Qb1 Rg8 26. f4 Bd6 27. f5 (27. g5 Kd8 28. gxf6 gxf6 29. f5 exf5 30. Rf3 f4 31. Nxf4±)
27. ... exf5 28. gxf5 (28. Rf3! fxg4 29. Rf5 Nc7 30. Bf4→)
28. ... Kd7 29. b4? (⌓ 29. Re1 Re8 30. Re6!? Rxe6 31. fxe6+ Kxe6 32. a3 Bxa3 33. Qe4+ Kd6 34. Kb1 Bxb2 35. Bf4+ Nxf4 36. Qxf4+ Kc6 37. Qe4+ Kb6 38. Qe6+=)
29. ... Qa3 (29. ... cxb3! 30. Qxb3 Qa4∓)
30. Bc1 Qb3 (30. ... Qxc3+!? 31. Rxc3 Nxc3 32. Qc2 Rxa2+ 33. Qxa2 Nxa2 34. Kxa2 Bxb4⯹)
31. Qxb3 cxb3 32. a3 Re8 33. Kb2 Nb6? (33. ... Ra4 34. Kxb3 a5⇄)
34. Kxb3 Nc4 35. Rhh1 Bg3 (35. ... Re2! 36. Rhe1 Rf2 37. Ne5+ fxe5 38. dxe5 Rxf5 39. exd6 Rxd6 40. Rxd6+ Kxd6 41. Rg1=)
36. Rhf1 Kc6 37. Rf3 Bd6 38. d5+ Kd7 39. Rf2 Re4 40. Ra2? (⌓ 40. Rdf1 Δ Ng6-f4)
40. ... Nb6 41. Rg2 Nc4 42. Nh8!? Bf8 43. Rf1 Nb6? (43. ... Ra4⩲)
44. Ng6+− Bd6 45. Nf4 Re7 46. Ne6 Nxd5 47. Rd1 Rxe6 (47. ... Nc7 48. Nc5++−)
48. fxe6+ Kxe6 49. Rxg7 Rc6 50. Rd3 Be5 51. Bd2 a6 52. Rg6 Rc4 53. Rxh6 Rh4 54. Rh8 Nb6 55. h6 Nc4 56. Ra8 Kf5 57. Rd7 Rh2 58. h7 1 : 0.

A shark named like a woman. Photo: Shawn Starr.

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