Another Brick in the Wall

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Michael Adams
78th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 30, 2016
Spanish Game C67

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5. The Butterfly challenges the Spider’s web. 3. ... Nf6 4. 0-0 Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. h3 Ke8 10. Nc3 h5 11. Rd1 Be7 12. Ne2 Nh4 13. Nxh4 Bxh4 14. Bf4. If 14. f3 then 14. ... Bf5 15. Nd4 Bg6 16. Bf4 Be7 17. g4 (17. e6 Bd6!) 17. ... Rd8 18. Kg2 hxg4 19. hxg4 Bc5= Anand – Carlsen, 3rd Sinquefield Cup, Saint Louis 2015. 14. ... Be7 15. a4. The alternative is 15. Nd4 g5 (Mihail Marin suggests 15. ... a6 16. e6 Bd6! 17. exf7+ Kxf7) 16. Bh2 Rh6 17. e6 Bxe6 18. Bxc7 Rc8 19. Nxe6 Rxe6 20. Ba5 Bf6 21. Rab1 b6 22. Be1 Rd8 23. Rxd8+ Kxd8 24. Kf1 Rd6 25. Ke2 Re6+ 26. Kf1 Rd6 27. b3 Ke7 28. Ke2 Re6+ 29. Kf1 Rd6 30. Ke2 Re6+ 31. Kf1 ½ : ½ Harikrishna – So, 76th Tata Steel Masters Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2014. 15. ... g5!? 16. Be3 a5 (16. ... Nf5!?) 17. f3 g4∞ 18. Kh2 Bd7 19. Rd2 Rd8 20. Rad1 gxf3 21. gxf3 h4 22. Rg1 c5 23. Nc3 Bc6 24. Rxd8+ Kxd8 25. f4 Kd7 26. Rg7 Ke6 27. Nb5 Bxb5 28. axb5 c4 29. Kg2 a4 30. Bd4 Rd8 31. Bc3 Bc5

32. f5+ Kxf5 33. Rxf7+ Ke4 34. Rg7 Rf8 35. Rxc7 Rf2+ 36. Kh1 Rf1+ 37. Kg2 Rf2+ 38. Kh1 Be3 39. e6 Rf1+ 40. Kg2 Rf2+ 41. Kh1 Rf1+ 42. Kg2 Rf2+ ½ : ½. The “Spider” was not permitted to lose, not even against 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán).

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) vs. Michael Adams. Photo: Tata Steel Chess.