A Woman in the Middle East

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 卢尚磊 (Lú Shànglěi)
2nd Qatar Masters Open; Doha, December 28, 2015
Giuoco Piano C54

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 Nf6 5. Nbd2 d6 6. c3 0-0 7. h3 Bb6 8. Bb3 Ne7 9. Nf1 Ng6 10. Ng3 h6 11. 0-0 Re8. If 11. ... Nh7 then 12. d4 c6 13. Be3 Ng5 14. Kh1 Qf6 15. Nh2 Re8 16. Ng4 Qd8 17. f4 exf4 18. Bxf4 d5 19. e5 Nxf4 20. Rxf4 c5 21. Qf1 cxd4 22. cxd4 Be6 23. Bc2 Rc8 24. Ne3 Qd7 25. Bd3 a6 26. Nh5 Rc6 27. Nf5 Bxf5 28. Bxf5 Qe7 29. h4 Nh7 30. Nxg7 Kxg7 31. Bxh7 Bxd4 32. Rxd4 Kxh7 33. Qf5+ Kh8 34. Rf1 Qxe5 35. Qxf7 Rce6 36. Rdf4 Qxb2 37. Qh5 Qg7 38. Qxd5 Re1 39. Rxe1 Rxe1+ 40. Kh2 Qc7 41. Qd4+ Kg8 42. g3 Re2+ 43. Kh3 Re7 44. Qd5+ Kh7 45. Qf5+ Kh8 46. Qf8+ Kh7 47. Qf5+ Kh8 48. Qg6 Qc8+ 49. Kg2 Re6 50. Qd3 Qc6+ 51. Kh2 Qe8 52. Qc3+ Kh7 53. Qc2+ Kh8 54. Qb2+ Kh7 55. Qxb7+ Kh8 56. Qb2+ Kh7 57. Qc2+ Kh8 58. Qc3+ Kh7 59. Qd3+ Kh8 60. Rf2 h5 61. Qf3 Kh7 62. Qf5+ Kh8 63. Kh3 Re1 64. Qf6+ Kh7 65. Qf5+ Kh8 66. Qd5 Re5 67. Rf8+ Qxf8 68. Qxe5+ Kg8 69. Qg5+ Kh7 70. Qxh5+ Kg7 71. Qe5+ Kh7 72. Kg4 Qg8+ 73. Kf5 Qxa2 74. Qe7+ Kh8 75. Qf6+ Kh7 76. Qg6+ Kh8 77. Qh6+ Kg8 78. Qe6+ 1 : 0 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Stefanova, Women’s Grand Prix 2009–2011, 1st stage, Instanbul 2009. 12. Re1 Be6 13. a4 a5 14. d4 Bxb3 15. Qxb3 d5 16. exd5 exd4 17. Rxe8+ Qxe8. International Master Georgios Souleidis also considers 17. ... Nxe8 18. c4 Nd6 (18. ... Nf6 19. Nf5⩲) 19. Qc2 Qf6 20. Nh5 Qf5 21. Qxf5 Nxf5 22. Kf1⩲ with a slightly favourable endgame.

18. Bd2. The most promising is probably Souleidis’ suggestion: 18. c4! Qd8 19. Nf5 c6 20. d6 (20. Bxh6!? gxh6 21. Nxh6+ Kg7 22. Nxf7 Kxf7 23. Ng5+ Kg8 24. Ne6 Qe7 25. Qxb6 cxd5 26. Nc7 Rf8 27. Nxd5=) 20. ... Nd7 21. g4! Nc5 22. Qc2 Ne6 23. h4 Bc5 24. h5 Ngf4 25. Bxf4 Nxf4 26. Ne7+ Kh8 27. Ne5 Nh3+ 28. Kg2 Ng5 29. Qf5 Bxd6 30. Qxg5 Qxe7 (or 30. ... Qe8 31. Qf4 Bxe7 32. Qxf7⩲) 31. Qxe7 Bxe7 32. Nxf7+ Kh7 33. Ne5⩲ with a little better ending for White. 18. ... dxc3 19. Bxc3 Ne4 20. Nxe4 Qxe4 21. Re1 Qf4 22. Bd2 Qd6 23. Qb5 Kh7 24. b4 axb4 25. Bxb4 c5 26. dxc6 Qxc6 27. Qxc6 bxc6 28. a5 Bc7 29. Kf1 Nf4 30. Ra1 Ra6 31. Bd2 Kg6 32. Nd4 c5 33. Nb5 Be5 34. Ra4 Ne6 35. Ke2 Kf6 36. Kd3 Ke7 37. g3 Kd7 38. f4 Kc6 39. Kc4 Bf6 40. Ra3 Nd8 41. Nc3 Nb7 42. Ne4 Bd8 43. f5 Nxa5+ ½ : ½.