吶喊 (The Scream)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – David Navara
78th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 19, 2016
Caro-Kann Defence B12

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Nf3 e6 5. Be2 Nd7 6. 0-0 Bg6 7. Nbd2 Nh6 8. Nb3 Nf5 9. Bd2 Be7 10. g4 Nh4 11. Nxh4 Bxh4 12. f4 f5 13. c4! A powerful move, cramping her opponent’s game. 13. exf6 Qxf6 14. g5 Qf7 15. Na5 Nb6 16. Bd3 Bh5 17. Nxb7 Nc8 18. Be2 Bxe2 19. Qxe2 Qxb7 20. Qh5+ Qf7 21. Qxh4 Nd6 22. Qh3 Qf5 23. Qxf5 exf5 24. Rf3 Kd7 25. Re1 Ne4 26. Bb4 a5 27. Bc5 h6 is sharply balanced, 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) – Gunina, 77th Tata Steel Challengers Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2015. 13. ... a5 14. a4 0-0 15. g5 h6 16. gxh6 gxh6 17. Kh1 Kh7 18. cxd5 cxd5 19. Rc1 b6. Guards c5, but weakens c6. It’s hard to say what’s better. 20. Rc6 Rc8!? Rightly or wrongly sensing that an ordinary continuation such as 20. ... Bf7 could not be satisfactory — at least in the mid-long run — (21. Be1 Be7 22. Rc3), Navara seeks complications.

21. Rxe6! 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) brilliantly sacrifices the Exchange to begin a very powerful attack against the enemy King. 21. ... Bf7 22. Rd6 Be7 23. Bd3! The pointe. 23. ... Bxd6 24. Bxf5+ Kh8. Not 24. ... Bg6?? 25. Bxg6+ Kxg6 26. f5+ Kh7 27. Qh5 and wins. 25. Qg4 Rc7. Not the obvious, and not the best. But Black’s position was very precarious anyway. For instance, if 25. ... Rg8 then 26. Qh3 Bf8 27. e6 gaining back the material compensation while still keeping a powerful attack. 26. Qh3 h5 27. exd6 Ra7 28. Be6! Nf6. Clearly not 28. ... Bxe6?? on account of 29. Qxh5+ Kg7 30. Rg1+ and mate next move. 29. f5! The White dark-squared Bishop is ready to enter f4 and e5 with devastating effect. 29. ... Qxd6 30. Bf4 Qd8 31. Be5. “侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) is doubling the Bishops on the e-file!”, Martin Bennedik said. 31. ... Bg8 32. Qxh5+ Rh7 33. Qg5 Qe7 34. Nc1. The Knight heads for g6 with overwhelming force! 34. ... Qg7 35. Qxg7+ Rxg7 36. Nd3 Rg4 37. Nf4 Kh7 38. h3 Rg3 39. Ng6 Rxh3+ 40. Kg2 1 : 0. A very fresh attacking game by 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), who is evidently aiming for much more than a honourable rank in the final standing.

“With my Bishop on e5, my position became... pretty comfortable”, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) eventually said. Photo: Tata Steel Chess.