Bug-out bag

Fabiano Caruana – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
43rd Sparkassen Chess Meeting; Dortmund, July 4, 2015
Nimzo-Indian Defence E53

1. c4 e6 2. Nc3 d5 3. d4 Bb4 4. a3 Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 Nf6 6. e3 c6 7. a4 0-0 8. Nf3 b6 9. cxd5 exd5. The alternative is 9. ... cxd5 10. Ba3 Re8 11. Bb5 Bd7 12. Bd3 Nc6 13. Bd6 Ne4 14. Bxe4 dxe4 15. Nd2 e5 16. d5 Bf5 17. g4 Bg6 18. Nc4 Ne7 19. Bxe5 f6 20. Bg3 Qxd5 21. Nd6 Red8 22. Qxd5+ Nxd5 23. c4 Nb4 24. O-O Rd7 25. a5 Rad8 26. axb6 axb6 27. Rfb1 Nc6 28. Rxb6 Rxd6 29. Bxd6 Rxd6 30. c5 Re6 31. Ra8+ Re8 32. Raa6 Ne5 33. Ra7 Rc8 34. Rbb7 Kf8 35. h3 Rxc5 36. Rb8+ Be8 37. Raa8 Nf3+ 38. Kg2 Re5 39. Kg3 Re7 40. Ra4 Kf7 41. Rc4 Ne1 42. Rd4 Bc6 43. Rb6 Re6 44. Rc4 Bd5 45. Rxe6 Kxe6 46. Rc7 g5 47. Rxh7 Nf3 48. Ra7 Nh4 49. Ra6+ Ke5 50. Ra5 Ke6 ½–½ 赵骏 (Zhào Jùn) – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 42nd Chinese Chess Championship, 兴化 (Xīnghuà) 2011.
10. Bd3 Ba6 11. 0-0 c5 12. Ne5 Re8 (12. ... Bxd3 13. Qxd3 Re8 14. c4 cxd4 15. exd4 dxc4 16. Qxc4 Qd5 17. Qb5 Qxb5 18. axb5 Nd5 19. Bd2 f6 20. Nc4 Nd7 21. Rfc1 Nf8 22. Ne3 Red8 23. Rc6 Rd7 24. g3 Nc7 25. Nf5 Nxb5 26. Rxb6 Nxd4 27. Nxd4 Rxd4 28. Be3 Rd7 29. Rba6 Kf7 30. Rxa7 Rdxa7 31. Rxa7+ Rxa7 ½–½ Chatalbashev – Cheparinov, 79th Bulgarian Chess Championship, Pleven 2015)
13. a5 Bxd3 14. Nxd3 Nc6!? An unnecessary, but certainly interesting, Pawn sacrifice. Otherwise, she ought to be content with 14. ... Nbd7 — pretty near to equality.
15. axb6 axb6 16. Rxa8 Qxa8 17. dxc5 bxc5 18. Nxc5 Ne5?! International Master Tomislav Paunović suggests as better 18. ... Ne4!? 19. Nxe4 dxe4 20. c4⩲ with an edge for White.
19. Nd3! Nc4 20. Nf4 (20. Nb4!?)
20. ... h6 21. Qd4 Re4 22. Qc5 Re5?! (22. ... Ne5!?)
23. f3!± Qa2 24. Qd4 Qa4 25. h4 (25. Re1!?)
25. ... Qb5 26. g4 Nd7 27. Nd3 Re6 28. Kg2 Ndb6 (28. ... Rd6!? 29. Re1 Nf8)
29. Nf4 Re5 30. Nh5! (Δ Nh5xg7)
30. ... Qb1?!

31. e4! A shocking “interference” sacrifice which in fact wins for White. Black was hoping instead to exchange Queens after 31. f4 Qe4+ avoiding, at least for a while, worst-case outcomes.
31. ... dxe4 32. f4! Rxh5. The Exchange sacrifice is forced or else mate on g7 follows.
33. gxh5 Qc2+?! (33. ... Qb5 34. f5)
34. Kh1 Qe2 35. Rg1 Qf3+ 36. Rg2 g6?! (36. ... f6 37. Qd8+ Kf7 38. Qc7+ Ke6 39. Qc6+ Kf7 40. Qb7+ Ke6 41. Kh2+−)
37. hxg6 (37. Qd8+ Kg7 38. hxg6+−) 37. ... Qf1+ 38. Kh2 Qxc1 39. Qf6 1–0.

In spite of her brilliant and original play, in the end 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) was not even able to save the day. Photo: Dagobert Kohlmeyer.