Magnus Carlsen – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
78th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 29, 2016
8/1p1k4/p1p4p/2Pp1p2/P4P2/1PK4P/2P5/8 b - - 0 45
78th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 29, 2016
8/1p1k4/p1p4p/2Pp1p2/P4P2/1PK4P/2P5/8 b - - 0 45
Position after 45. Kb2xc3
Notes by Grandmaster Lubomir Kavalek, The Huffington Post, February 9, 2016.
Notes by Grandmaster Lubomir Kavalek, The Huffington Post, February 9, 2016.
This was a critical position and the game continued: 45. ... h5? 侯 (Hóu) played this blunder rather quickly, allowing the White King to sneak to the square b6. 46. Kb4 Kc8 47. Ka5 Kc7 48. h4 Kb8 49. Kb6 Kc8 50. b4 Kb8 51. b5 cxb5 52. axb5 axb5 53. Kxb5 Kc7 54. c3 and 侯 (Hóu) resigned. She is in zugzwang and has to surrender the square b6. White wins the Pawn d5 after 54. ... Kd7 55. Kb6 Kc8 56. c6.
Instead of the faulty 45. ... h5, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) could have blocked the entrance to the square b6 with 45. ... a5! 46. b4. The only way to open the Queenside. 46. h4 h5 47. b4 just transposes.
Instead of the faulty 45. ... h5, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) could have blocked the entrance to the square b6 with 45. ... a5! 46. b4. The only way to open the Queenside. 46. h4 h5 47. b4 just transposes.
It seems that Black now has two ways to make a draw but only one solves it with precise play.
A. 46. ... axb4+?! This comes deceptively close to a draw, but White can continue playing. 47. Kxb4 Kd8! Black’s defense is based on a stalemate and zugzwang. Here again 47. ... h5? loses to 48. Ka5 Kc7 49. h4 Kc8 50. Kb6 Kb8 51. a5 Ka8 52. a6 Kb8 53. axb7 wins. 48. Ka5 (48. Kc3 Ke7 49. a5 Kd7=) 48. ... Kc7 49. h4 h5 50. c3. Unfortunately, White has to move his c-Pawn to make progress. White wins with the Pawn on c2. 50. ... Kc8! One square makes a difference: 50. ... Kb8? 51. Kb6 Kc8 52. a5 Kb8 53. a6 bxa6 54. Kxa6 and White wins the c6 Pawn. 51. Kb6 Kb8 52. a5 Ka8! After 52. ... Kc8? 53. Ka7 Kc7 54. a6 wins. 53. Kc7. After 53. a6 Kb8! 54. axb7 d4 55. cxd4 stalemates, but not 55. Kxc6? dxc3 56. Kb6 c2 57. c6 c1Q Black wins. Even after some magic, Black is not out of the woods: 53. ... Ka7 54. Kd6 Ka6 55. Ke5 Kb5! 56. Kxf5 Kc4! 57. Kg6 Kxc3 58. f5 d4 59. f6 d3 60. f7 d2 61. f8=Q d1=Q 62. Qh8+ Kc4 63. Qxh5 and I am sure Magnus would still try to win it from here.
B. 46. ... Ke7! Hoping that the White Pawns can block the Queenside entrance for the White King. It is amazing to see the Black pieces placed on the right squares — a strange coincidence. 47. bxa5. A critical position. The defense is based on the resistance equilibrium: Black has only one move to hold a draw. 47. ... Kd7! A position with a mutual zugzwang. White to move: draw; Black to move: White wins. After 47. ... Kd8? 48. Kd4 Ke7 49. Ke5 White wins. 48. Kb4. Two other examples show how Black has to find the only one correct square for her King: 1a. 48. Kd3 Ke7!= (48. ... Ke6? 49. Kd4 Kf6 50. Kc3 Ke6 51. Kb4 Kd7 52. a6 bxa6 53. Ka5+−); 1b. 48.Kd4 Ke6!=. 48. ... Kc7 49. Kb3 Kc8 (or 49. ... Kd8) 50. Kc3 Kd7! Draw.
A. 46. ... axb4+?! This comes deceptively close to a draw, but White can continue playing. 47. Kxb4 Kd8! Black’s defense is based on a stalemate and zugzwang. Here again 47. ... h5? loses to 48. Ka5 Kc7 49. h4 Kc8 50. Kb6 Kb8 51. a5 Ka8 52. a6 Kb8 53. axb7 wins. 48. Ka5 (48. Kc3 Ke7 49. a5 Kd7=) 48. ... Kc7 49. h4 h5 50. c3. Unfortunately, White has to move his c-Pawn to make progress. White wins with the Pawn on c2. 50. ... Kc8! One square makes a difference: 50. ... Kb8? 51. Kb6 Kc8 52. a5 Kb8 53. a6 bxa6 54. Kxa6 and White wins the c6 Pawn. 51. Kb6 Kb8 52. a5 Ka8! After 52. ... Kc8? 53. Ka7 Kc7 54. a6 wins. 53. Kc7. After 53. a6 Kb8! 54. axb7 d4 55. cxd4 stalemates, but not 55. Kxc6? dxc3 56. Kb6 c2 57. c6 c1Q Black wins. Even after some magic, Black is not out of the woods: 53. ... Ka7 54. Kd6 Ka6 55. Ke5 Kb5! 56. Kxf5 Kc4! 57. Kg6 Kxc3 58. f5 d4 59. f6 d3 60. f7 d2 61. f8=Q d1=Q 62. Qh8+ Kc4 63. Qxh5 and I am sure Magnus would still try to win it from here.
B. 46. ... Ke7! Hoping that the White Pawns can block the Queenside entrance for the White King. It is amazing to see the Black pieces placed on the right squares — a strange coincidence. 47. bxa5. A critical position. The defense is based on the resistance equilibrium: Black has only one move to hold a draw. 47. ... Kd7! A position with a mutual zugzwang. White to move: draw; Black to move: White wins. After 47. ... Kd8? 48. Kd4 Ke7 49. Ke5 White wins. 48. Kb4. Two other examples show how Black has to find the only one correct square for her King: 1a. 48. Kd3 Ke7!= (48. ... Ke6? 49. Kd4 Kf6 50. Kc3 Ke6 51. Kb4 Kd7 52. a6 bxa6 53. Ka5+−); 1b. 48.Kd4 Ke6!=. 48. ... Kc7 49. Kb3 Kc8 (or 49. ... Kd8) 50. Kc3 Kd7! Draw.
Magnus Carlsen vs. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). Photo: Fiona Steil-Antoni.
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