Saturday, April 4, 2015

Hawaiian Mythology

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

13th Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) preferred a holiday at Waikīkī Beach rather than enter the Knockout Women’s World Chess Championship Tournament on the Russian roller coasters of Krasnaya Polyana. Her managerial team is very optimistic that the time is come for gold rush to begin.
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 14. Ne4 c5 15. g4 c4 16. Qe2 Nxe4 17. Qxe4 Qb6 18. c3 Nf6 19. Qe2 Nd5 20. Ka1 Qa5 21. Ne5 b5 22. Rh3 f6. Grandmaster Alejandro Tadeo Ramírez Álvarez mentions here a pretty variation: 22. ... b4 23. cxb4 Bxb4 24. Ra3! Qb5 25. Bxb4 Qxb4 26. Ng6! with a powerful initiative.
23. Ng6


23. ... Rc6! 24. Qe4! This is the only move as 24. Nxh8?? Ra6 would give Black an irresistible attack.
24. ... Ra6 25. Qb1 Rg8 26. f4 Bd6 27. f5 exf5 28. gxf5 Kd7 29. b4? A grave tactical mistake. 29. Re1 Re8 would have kept the game unclearly balanced.
29. ... Qa3. 29. ... cxb3! 30. Qxb3 Qa4 was much simpler and stronger.
30. Bc1 Qb3. If 30. ... Qxc3+ then 31. Rxc3 Nxc3 32. Qc2 Rxa2+ 33. Qxa2 Nxa2 34. Kxa2 Bxb4 (Ramírez Álvarez’s analysis) with an unclear endgame (Black has three Pawns for the Knight). Best seems, however, 30. ... Qa4! 31. Re1 Re8 with Black clearly on top.
31. Qxb3 cxb3 32. a3 Re8 33. Kb2 Nb6. 33. ... Ra4 34. Kxb3 a5 may offer more chances of playing for a dynamic advantage.
34. Kxb3 Nc4 35. Rhh1 Bg3? This seems the losing move. After 35. ... Re2! 36. Rhe1 Rf2 37. Ne5+! fxe5 38. dxe5 Rxf5 39. exd6 Rxd6 Black gets the Pawn back with an even endgame.
36. Rhf1 Kc6 37. Rf3 Bd6 38. d5+ Kd7 39. Rf2 Re4 40. Ra2 Nb6 41. Rg2 Nc4 42. Nh8 Bf8 43. Rf1 Nb6 44. Ng6 Bd6 45. Nf4. There is nothing to do for Black, except wait and see.
45. ... Re7 46. Ne6. The rest is easy. 46. ... Nxd5 47. Rd1 Rxe6 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 “calm port” in the Pacific Ocean. Photo: Shawn Starr.

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