Savage Grace

Anish Giri – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
78th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 31, 2016
Queen’s Pawn Game D02

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. Bf4 d5 4. e3 c5 5. c3 Nc6 6. Nbd2 Bd6. Giri is always worried when he has to play against 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), and on this special occasion he decided to bet on a close game, which looks like a hybrid between the Colle System and the London System. What should you say? A wish must offer a good reason for believing in a miracle. 7. Ne5 Qc7 8. Ndf3 0-0 9. Bd3 b6! (9. ... Ne4 10. Bg3 f5 11. Nxc6 bxc6 12. Bxd6 Qxd6 13. Ne5 Nc6 8. c3 Qc7 9. Ndf3 Ne4 10. Bg3 f5 11. Nxc6 bxc6 12. Bxd6 Qxd6 13. Ne5 cxd4 14. exd4 c5 15. 0-0 Qb6 16. f3 Nd6 17. dxc5 Qxc5+ 18. Kh1 f4 19. Qa4 Rb8 20. Rab1 Qc7 21. Rfe1 Rb6 22. Re2 Nb7 23. Qc2 g6 24. b4 Nd6 25. a4 Nf5 26. Bxf5 Rxf5 27. Rbe1 Bd7 28. Ng4 Kg7 29. Qd2 Qc4 30. Re4 dxe4 31. Qxd7+ Kg8 32. Qe8+ Rf8 33. Nh6+ Kg7 34. Qe7+ Kxh6 35. Qxf8+ Kg5 36. h4+ Kxh4 37. Qh6+ 1 : 0 Helling – Keres, Dresden 1936) 10. Nxc6 Qxc6 11. Ne5 Qc7 12. Qf3? Giri should have resigned himself to 12. 0-0 Nd7 with approximate equality. Now Black seizes the upper hand.

12. ... Ne4! 13. Nc4? This pseudo-active move only makes matters worse. A much lesser evil was 13. Ng4. 14. ... Bxf4 14. Qxf4 Qxf4 15. exf4 Ba6! 16. Bxe4. If 16. f3 then 16. ... Nxc3 and Black wins a Pawn. 16. ... dxe4 17. Nd2 cxd4 18. Nxe4 f5 19. Ng5 dxc3 20. 0-0-0! White stands badly, and Giri — who is a very strong defender — decides to take extraordinary measures. 20. ... Bc4 21. b3 Bd5 22. Rhe1 Rfe8 23. Re3 Rac8 24. Rdd3 Bxg2 25. Rd7 Red8 26. Rxd8+ Rxd8 27. Nxe6 Rd6 28. Ng5. A silent threat: Re3-e8 mate. 28. ... Bc6 29. Rxc3 h6 30. Nh3. It’s true that 30. Nf3 Bxf3 31. Rxf3 Rd4 leads to a bit uncomfortable endgame for White, but it’s not clear at all that keeping minor pieces on the board will ease the situation. 30. ... Bb5 31. Re3 Bf1 32. Ng1 Rd4. Black’s Rook and Bishop dominate the board. 33. Re1 Bg2! 34. Ne2 Re4 35. Kd2 Bf3. Black is finally cashing in! 36. Ng3 Rxf4 37. Re8+ Kf7 37. Re8+ Kf7 38. Ke3 g5 39. Rh8 Kg7 40. Rc8 Bg4. White must lose at least another Pawn. 41. Rc7+ Kf6 42. h3 Rf3+ 43. Kd4 Bxh3 44. Rc6+ Ke7. I find it difficult to understand, so it must be good. 45. Rxh6 Bg4 46. Rg6 Rxf2 47. Rxg5 Kf7. Not 47. ... Kf6?? 48. Rxg4! winning a piece. 48. b4 Rf3! Very accurately played. 49. Ne2 Rh3 50. Nc3 Rh8 51. Nd5 Re8 52. a3 Re4+ 53. Kd3 Be2+ 54. Kd2 Rd4+. A very responsible decision. Perhaps it was not necessary, but certainly there’s nothing wrong with it. Of course, you’ll read plenty elsewhere about 54. ... Ba6 (and if 55. Nc7 then 55. ... Kf6), but don’t believe it’s “Grandmaster’s analysis” — it’s just the engines’ first line. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s move features the most quintessential hallmarks of being human. 55. Kxe2 Rxd5 56. Rh5 Kg6 57. Rh8 Rd7 57. Rh8 Rd7 58. a4 Kf6 59. a5 Ke5 60. Rc8 bxa5 61. bxa5 Rd5 62. a6. Anish has put up a fierce resistance, and doesn’t seem so easy for Black — at least at first glance — to break up the status quo. 62. ... Ra5 63. Rc6 Kd5 64. Rf6 Ke4 65. Re6+ Kf4 66. Kd3 Ra4 67. Rg6 Kf3 68. Kc3 f4 69. Kb3 Ra1 70. Kb4 Ke3? Black apparently misses the win: 70. ... Ke4! in order to met 71. Kb5 by 71. ... f3 72. Re6+ Kf5 73. Re8 Ra2 winning easily. 71. Kb5. Now it’s a theoretical draw, but still Giri must earn it. 71. ... f3 72. Re6+ Kd4 73. Rf6 Rb1+ 74. Ka4 Rf1 75. Kb3 Ke3 75. Kb3. Just so. 75. ... Ke3 76. Re6+ Kd2 77. Rd6+ Ke3 78. Re6+ Kd4 79. Rf6 Ke4. After 79. ... f2 80. Kb2 she goes to draw anyway. 80. Rf7 Ra1 81. Re7+ Kd4 82. Rf7 Ke3 83. Re7+ Kd2 84. Rd7+ Ke1 85. Re7+ Kf1 86. Rxa7 f2 87. Kc4 Ke2 88. Re7+ Kd2 89. Rf7 f1=Q+ 90. Rxf1 Rxf1 91. Kb5 Kc3 92. a7 Rf8 93. Kc6 Kb4 94. Kb7 Rf7+ 95. Kb6 Rxa7 ½ : ½.

Looking elsewhere. Photo © Orange Pictures.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) speaking with 彭肇勤 (Péng Zhàoqín). Photo: Alina l’Ami.