侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk
Women’s World Chess Championship 2016; match game 2; Lviv, March 3, 2016
Spanish Game C83
Women’s World Chess Championship 2016; match game 2; Lviv, March 3, 2016
Spanish Game C83
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3
d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9. Be3 Be7 10. c3 0-0 11. Nbd2 Qd7 12. Bc2. Of course 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) is searching for more than 12. Re1 Nxd2 13. Bxd2 Rad8 14. Nd4 Nxd4 15. cxd4 c5 16. dxc5 Bxc5 17. Rc1 Rc8 18. h3 d4 19. Qf3 d3 20. Red1 Bd4 21. Rxc8 Rxc8 22. Bxe6 Qxe6= M. Adams – M. O. Muzychuk, 6th Chess World Cup, Baku 2015, match game 1.
12. ... Nxd2 13. Qxd2 Bg4 14. Bf4. If 14. Qd3 then 14. ... g6 15. Bh6 Rfe8 16. Rfe1 Bf5 17. Qd2 Bxc2 18. Qxc2 Nd8 19. Rad1 Ne6 20. h4 c5 with a satisfactory game, Kokarev – Short, 2nd International GM Open, Kolkata 2015.
14. ... Bxf3 15. gxf3 Rad8!? Here comes the novelty. Old theory books mention 15. ... Nd8 16. Rad1 c6 17. Kh1 f5 18. Rg1 Ne6 with a solid defence, Nyman – Lilloni, Semifinal of 8th World Correspondence Chess Championship Tournament, 6th Section, 1972.
12. ... Nxd2 13. Qxd2 Bg4 14. Bf4. If 14. Qd3 then 14. ... g6 15. Bh6 Rfe8 16. Rfe1 Bf5 17. Qd2 Bxc2 18. Qxc2 Nd8 19. Rad1 Ne6 20. h4 c5 with a satisfactory game, Kokarev – Short, 2nd International GM Open, Kolkata 2015.
14. ... Bxf3 15. gxf3 Rad8!? Here comes the novelty. Old theory books mention 15. ... Nd8 16. Rad1 c6 17. Kh1 f5 18. Rg1 Ne6 with a solid defence, Nyman – Lilloni, Semifinal of 8th World Correspondence Chess Championship Tournament, 6th Section, 1972.
16. Rfd1! A far from obvious move which took 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) nearly half hour.
16. ... Qe6. 16. ... f5? is a serious positional mistake, and not only positional, as after 17. Bb3 the d5-Pawn is doomed.
17. Qe3 Rd7. The game reached a first, critical moment which captured, among others, the attention of Grandmaster Kevin Spraggett: “Perhaps Mariya was a bit surprised by the ease with which she equalized and this could explain why she then unnecessarily played defensively. Her next three moves were 17. ... Rd7, 18. ... g6 and 19. ... Nd8 after which her game was a bit inferior, and the Chinese star steadily built up pressure.
It was suggested by commentators that Black should play more actively with 17. ... Na5!? and if 18. b3 (to stop any annoying ... Na5-c4) 18. ... c5 mobilizing the Pawns:”
16. ... Qe6. 16. ... f5? is a serious positional mistake, and not only positional, as after 17. Bb3 the d5-Pawn is doomed.
17. Qe3 Rd7. The game reached a first, critical moment which captured, among others, the attention of Grandmaster Kevin Spraggett: “Perhaps Mariya was a bit surprised by the ease with which she equalized and this could explain why she then unnecessarily played defensively. Her next three moves were 17. ... Rd7, 18. ... g6 and 19. ... Nd8 after which her game was a bit inferior, and the Chinese star steadily built up pressure.
It was suggested by commentators that Black should play more actively with 17. ... Na5!? and if 18. b3 (to stop any annoying ... Na5-c4) 18. ... c5 mobilizing the Pawns:”
“This is the standard procedure in the Open variation for Black to activate [her] game. No doubt Mariya was aware of it, but because she had only recently taken up the Open Variation, she seemed to not ‘feel’ the position as a more experienced Open-player would... This was born out in the post-game press conference where Mariya mentioned that though she had considered this line, she did not like White’s 19. a4(?!):”
“She correctly pointed out that after 19. ... Nc6(?!) 20. axb5 axb5 21. Ra6! the pin is quite unpleasant:”
“HOWEVER, Black could actually get the upper hand with 19... c4!”
“Now if 20. axb5 cxb3! or if 20. b4 Nb3!.
No doubt Muzychuk’s training staff will have already pointed this finesse out to her. It is curious how the mind works during a game, relying often on our ‘likes’ and ‘dislikes’ of a given move or variation. If we are then not careful, then we could easily lose our objectivity. Optimally, every move should be evaluated upon its own merits and not only on our emotional first-response”.
18. Bg3 g6. “This move I have to condemn. I don’t see any scenario where the move ... g7-g6 is useful for Black, as the move truly does little to diminish White’s ambition to push f3-f4-f5. If Black was preventing some kind of Qe3-d3 move, she should have waited until White committed this move to defend against the checkmate”, writes Grandmaster Alejandro Tadeo Ramírez Álvarez in his commentary for the ChessBase web site.
“Still playable was 18. ... Na5 19. f4 f5”, Grandmaster Adrian Bohdanovych Mikhalchishin suggests on his own part.
No doubt Muzychuk’s training staff will have already pointed this finesse out to her. It is curious how the mind works during a game, relying often on our ‘likes’ and ‘dislikes’ of a given move or variation. If we are then not careful, then we could easily lose our objectivity. Optimally, every move should be evaluated upon its own merits and not only on our emotional first-response”.
18. Bg3 g6. “This move I have to condemn. I don’t see any scenario where the move ... g7-g6 is useful for Black, as the move truly does little to diminish White’s ambition to push f3-f4-f5. If Black was preventing some kind of Qe3-d3 move, she should have waited until White committed this move to defend against the checkmate”, writes Grandmaster Alejandro Tadeo Ramírez Álvarez in his commentary for the ChessBase web site.
“Still playable was 18. ... Na5 19. f4 f5”, Grandmaster Adrian Bohdanovych Mikhalchishin suggests on his own part.
19. a4! Playing on both wings.
19. ... Nd8. Allows the opening of the a-file, but Muzychuk did not like 19. ... b4 20. a5 bxc3 21. bxc3 “and nobody knows what is my Rook doing on d7”.
20. axb5 axb5 21. f4 f6. Otherwise f4-f5 follows.
22. exf6 Qxf6. If 22. ... Qxe3 23. fxe3 Bxf6 then 24. e4! c6 25. exd5 cxd5 26. Bb3 winning the d-Pawn.
19. ... Nd8. Allows the opening of the a-file, but Muzychuk did not like 19. ... b4 20. a5 bxc3 21. bxc3 “and nobody knows what is my Rook doing on d7”.
20. axb5 axb5 21. f4 f6. Otherwise f4-f5 follows.
22. exf6 Qxf6. If 22. ... Qxe3 23. fxe3 Bxf6 then 24. e4! c6 25. exd5 cxd5 26. Bb3 winning the d-Pawn.
23. Qe2! c6 24. Qg4! Attacks the Rook and threatens f4-f5.
24. ... Rb7 25. f5! “Definitely after f4-f5 it’s hard to play”, said Muzychuk afterwards. And, to make things even more difficult, Black is also getting low on time here.
25. ... Bd6! 26. Ra6! (26. Bxd6!? Qxd6 27. Kh1↑)
26. ... Rg7! 27. fxg6
24. ... Rb7 25. f5! “Definitely after f4-f5 it’s hard to play”, said Muzychuk afterwards. And, to make things even more difficult, Black is also getting low on time here.
25. ... Bd6! 26. Ra6! (26. Bxd6!? Qxd6 27. Kh1↑)
26. ... Rg7! 27. fxg6
27. ... Bc5? 27. ... Bxg3 28. Qxg3 Qe6 (28. ... hxg6? 29. Rxd5! cxd5 30. Rxf6 Rxf6 31. Qe5+−) 29. Kf1 hxg6 offers Black chances for a draw.
28. Kg2! Getting out of the potential pin and preparing for the push of her f-Pawn. 28. Kh1! is a “dual”.
28. ... hxg6. “After the more resilient Queen retreat, 28. ... Qe7, White would have to find a subtle Rook transfer: 29. Rd2! protecting the f2-square and planning Rd2-e2 to secure the e5-outpost for the Bishop”, Grandmaster Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant writes in her commentary for Šahovski Informator (Chess Informant), No. 128, 2016, p. 264.
It’s just the case to say that 28. ... Bxf2 29. Rf1+− wins for White at once.
28. Kg2! Getting out of the potential pin and preparing for the push of her f-Pawn. 28. Kh1! is a “dual”.
28. ... hxg6. “After the more resilient Queen retreat, 28. ... Qe7, White would have to find a subtle Rook transfer: 29. Rd2! protecting the f2-square and planning Rd2-e2 to secure the e5-outpost for the Bishop”, Grandmaster Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant writes in her commentary for Šahovski Informator (Chess Informant), No. 128, 2016, p. 264.
It’s just the case to say that 28. ... Bxf2 29. Rf1+− wins for White at once.
29. Rxd5! Bxf2 If 29. ... cxd5 then 30. Rxf6 Rxf6 31. Qg5 winning material.
30. Bb3! An elegant finish.
30. ... Ne6 31. Rd6 Bc5 32. Qxe6+ 1–0.
30. Bb3! An elegant finish.
30. ... Ne6 31. Rd6 Bc5 32. Qxe6+ 1–0.
侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s White key symphony: starting on move 23, she makes 8 consecutive moves on the light squares! Photo: Vitaliy Hrabar. |
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