Double Eclipse

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik
43rd Sparkassen Chess Meeting; Dortmund, June 28, 2015
Spanish Game C65

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. Qe2 Bc5 5. c3 0-0 6. d3 h6!? 7. Nbd2 d6 8. 0-0 Ne7 9. d4 a6!? A subtle Pawn sacrifice. 10. dxc5?! White grabs it, though to the detriment of her own development. 10. Bd3 exd4 11.cxd4 Ba7∞ was probably the best policy. 10. ... axb5 11. cxd6 Qxd6 12. Qxb5 Ng6 13. Re1. Also 13. Nc4 Qd3 14. Qc5 (14. Re1 Bg4) 14. ... b6 15. Qxc7 Ba6 would leave Black with a very comfortable game. 13. ... b6 14. Nc4?! Oblivious to the danger. 14. Qf1! and if 14. ... Ba6 then 15. c4 eventually followed by b2-b3. 14. ... Qe6 15. Ne3?! (15. Qb3 Bb7⩱/∓) 15. ... Nxe4 16. Qd5

16. ... Nc5! An astonishing refutation. 17. b4. The Rook is taboo, for if 17. Qxa8 Bb7 18. Qa3 then 18. ... Bxf3! 19. gxf3 Nh4! 20. Kh1 Nd3! finis. 17. ... Bb7 18. Qxe6 Nxe6 19. Nf5 Rfd8! Kramnik finishes energetically. 20. a4 Rd3 21. Be3 Rxc3 22. a5 Rb3 23. axb6 cxb6 24. Rxa8+ Bxa8 25. Bxb6 Bxf3 26. gxf3

27. ... Ng5! 27. Kh1 Nxf3 28. Re4 Nf4 0 : 1.

Grandmaster Vlastimil Hort made the first move for 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). Photo: Dagobert Kohlmeyer.