The Other Side of the Moon

丁亦昕 (Dīng Yìxīn) – 沈阳 (Shěn Yáng)
1st China Chess Queen; match game 1; 台州 (Tāizhōu), November 24, 2015
Four Knights Game C48

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bd6!? A very strange move, but – I must confess – very often I don’t understand chess as it is played today. 5. d3 h6 6. a3 a6 7. Ba4 b5 8. Bb3 Bb7 9. Be3. For 9. Ne2 Bc5 10. Ng3 d6 11. Be3 0-0 12. 0-0 Nd4 13. Bxd4 Bxd4 14. Nxd4 exd4 15. Nf5 see Naiditsch – B. Tóth, 5th International Chess Festival, Basel 2015. 9. ... 0-0 10. Ne2 Re8 11. Ng3 Bf8 12. 0-0 d5 13. exd5 Nxd5 14. Nf5 Re6 15. Nd2 Rf6 16. Ng3 Nd4 17. Ba2 c5 18. Nde4 Rg6 19. Qd2 Qh4 20. f4? A very imprudent decision. She should have first played 20. Bxd5 Bxd5 and only then 21. f4. 20. ... Nxe3 21. Qxe3 Nxc2 22. Qf2 Bxe4? Not 22. ... Nxa1? on account of 23. fxe5 Kh7 (what else?) 24. Qxf7 Be7 25. Rf4 and wins. However, here 22. ... exf4 23. Qxc2 c4 looks much stronger. 23. Qxc2 Bc6 24. fxe5 Qd4+ 25. Kh1 Ra7 26. Rae1 Qd8

27. e6!? To light the Dragon’s fire. 27. ... fxe6? 沈阳 (Shěn Yáng) panics and opens up lines for White’s Bishop as well as her Rook. Correct was 27. ... Bd5 28. exf7+ Rxf7 29. Rxf7 Kxf7 30. b4 Rc6 when Black should hold her own. 28. Rxe6 Rxe6 29. Bxe6+ Kh8 30. d4! The decisive break-up of the Black’s castled position, even if it’s far (very far!) from His Majesty’s position! 30. ... c4. Clearly bad, but after 30. ... Bd6 31. Nf5 Qf6 32. d5 Black is helpless anyway. 31. Qg6. With the threat of Be6-f5. 31. ... Bd7 32. Bd5 Be7 33. Nh5 Bf6. Else 33. ... Bf8 34. Be4 mates in a few moves. 34. Nxf6 1-0.

沈阳 (Shěn Yáng)
Photo: qipai.org.cn