Journey Through the Impossible

Cristóbal Henríquez Villagra – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
Match game 3; Punta Arenas, February 8, 2016
Queen’s Gambit Declined D32

Bad weather again today did not allow to fly to Antártica. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 c5 4. e3 a6. For 4. ... cxd4 5. exd4 d5 see Henríquez Villagra – Pérez Ponsa, 9th Continental de Ajedrez de las Américas, Praia da Pipa 2014. 5. Nc3 d5 6. dxc5 Bxc5 7. a3 0-0 8. b4 Bd6 9. Bb2 Nc6 10. Qc2 Qe7 11. Rd1 Rd8 12. cxd5 exd5 13. Be2 Be6 14. 0-0 Rac8 15. Qb1 b5 16. Qa1. Echoing Richard Réti. For 16. Rfe1 Bb8 17. e4 see Guimard – Palau, Buenos Aires 1934 16. ... Qf8 17. Nb1 Nd7 18. Nd4 Nb6 19. Nd2 Nc4. Seriously weakening her centre Pawns. 19. ... Nxd4 20. Bxd4 Nc4 seems more balanced. 20. Nxe6 fxe6 21. Nxc4 bxc4 22. Bg4. Targeting the weak centre Pawns. 22. ... Qf7? Black gives up a Pawn quite unnecessarily. 22. ... Re8 23. f4 Qf7 is ugly but much sounder.

23. Bxg7! e5!? There is nothing particularly attractive with Black’s Exchange sacrifice, but there also is nothing particularly better. If 23. ... Qxg7 then 24. Bxe6+ gaining decisive material. 24. Bxc8 Rxc8 25. Bh6 Qg6 26. Rxd5 Ne7. On 26. ... Qxh6 27. Qd1! is a pretty tactical refutation. 27. Rd2? Maybe too timid. After 27. Qd1! Nxd5 28. Qxd5+ Kh8 29. Bg5 White remains two healthy Pawns up. 27. ... Qxh6 28. Qd1 Rc6 29. Qg4+ Qg6. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) defending at her best. 30. Qxg6+ hxg6 31. Rc1 Nc8 32. e4 Nb6 33. Rdc2 Be7 34. Kf1 Kf7 35. g3 g5 36. h3 Rh6 37. Kg2 Rd6? Giving up the c-Pawn – even if in return for it she will get the a-Pawn – doesn’t seem a good idea. After 37. ... Rc6 38. Rc3 Rc8 it is hard to see how to make progress for White. 38. a4 Nxa4 39. Rxc4 Nb2 40. Rc6 Rd2? A serious error of judgement. Correct was 40. ... Rxc6 41. Rxc6 Bxb4 42. Rxa6 Nd3 43. h4 gxh4 44. gxh4 Kg7 with good drawing chances. 41. Rxa6 Nd3 42. Rc7. The move which Black may have overlooked. 42. ... Nxf2 43. Kf3. Not 43. Raa7? Ng4+ 44. Kf3 Nh2+ 45. Ke3 Nf1+ with perpetual check. 43. ... Nd1 44. g4. Not 44. Raa7? Rf2+ 45. Kg4 Kg6! 46. Ra3 (46. Rxe7?? Ne3#e) 46. ... Rf6! (Δ ... Nd1-f2#) 47. Rf3 Rxf3 48. Kxf3 Bxb4 and Black should hold. Now it’s over. 44. ... Kf8 45. Ra8+ Bd8 46. b5 Ke8 47. b6 Rf2+ 48. Kg3 Rb2 49. b7 1 : 0.

Cristóbal Henríquez Villagra vs. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). Photo: radiopolar.com.