Counterstereotype

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Nana Dzagnidze
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2015–16; 1st stage; Monte Carlo, October 10, 2015
French Defence C15

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qd3!? This rare variation used to be seventh Women’s World Chess Champion Maia Chiburdanidze’s favourite.
4. ... dxe4 5. Qxe4 Nf6 6. Qh4 c5 7. dxc5 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 Qa5 9. Qb4 Qc7 10. Nf3 0-0?! Here 10. ... Nc6 11. Bb5 e5 seems a safer course, Chiburdanidze – Bareev, Tolyatti 1985.
11. Bf4 Qd8 12. Rd1! A powerful novelty instead of 12. Bd6 Nc6 13. Qa3 Re8 14. Bb5 Bd7 15. 0-0 as in Stopa – Sipos, 1st International Open, Forni di Sopra 2011.
12. ... Nd5 12. Qa3 Bd7 13. Bd6 Re8 14. c4 Ne7

16. Bxb8! 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s strategic “anti-stereotyping” will turn out to be infinitely stronger than the “natural” 16. Bd3 — which a coffee player would most likely have preferred.
16. ... Rxb8 17. Ne5 Qc7 18. Nxd7 Rbd8 19. Qxa7 Rxd7 20. Rxd7 Qxd7 21. Be2 Nc6 22. Qa3 e5 23. 0-0 e4 24. Rd1 Qe7 25. Qe3 Qe5 26. c3 Ra8 27. Rd5 Qe6 28. Qd2 h6 29. h3 Qf6 30. Rd7 Rd8 31. Rxd8+ Nxd8 32. Bg4 Nc6 33. Bc8 Na5 34. Qd4 Qg5 35. Qxe4 g6 36. Qd4 h5 37. Bxb7! Very elegant solution.
37. ... Nxb7 38. c6 Qe7 39. cxb7 Qxb7 40. a4 Qb1+ 41. Kh2 Qb8+ 42. g3 Qc7 43. h4 Qc6 44. a5 Qa4 45. Qd5 Qc2 46. Kg2 Qa2 47. Qa8+ Kg7 48. a6 Qxc4 49. Qb7 1 : 0.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). Photo: Anastasiya Karlovich.