Time is a Mother

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Pentala Harikrishna
3rd Gashimov Memorial; Shamkir, June 1, 2016
Russian Defence C42

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Be7 7. 0-0 Nc6 8. Nc3 Bf5 9. Re1 Nxc3 10. bxc3 Bxd3 11. Qxd3 0-0 12. Re2. Grandmaster Arkadij Naiditsch called it “quite tricky”. White’s aim is to take control of the e-file. 12. ... Qd6. For 12. ... a6 13. Bf4 Qd7 14. Rae1 Rae8 15. c4 see Karjakin – 倪华 (Ní Huá), China – Russia Challenge Match, 抚远 (Fǔyuǎn), 黑瞎子岛 (Hēixiāzi Island), 2015. 13. Rb1. For 13. Bd2 Bf6 14. Rae1 h6 15. Qf5 Rad8 16. Qh5 Qd7?! (as then suggested by So himself, the immediate 16. ... Ne7 would have probably been much better, in order to answer 17. h3 by 17. ... Ng6 18. Nh2 Nf4) 17. h3 Ne7 18. Nh2 Qf5 19. Qg4 Qxc2 (extreme discomfort justifies extreme measures) 20. Bg5 see Naiditsch – So, French Team Championship Top 12, Belfort 2012. 13. ... b6 14. Bd2 Bf6 15. Rbe1 Na5 16. Qf5 g6 17. Qh3 Qc6 18. Bg5 Nc4 19. Bxf6 Qxf6

20. Ne5 Nxe5 21. Rxe5 Qc6 22. R1e3. White decides (maybe a bit hastily) to give up the e-file for declaring herself on the Kingside, but Black is just in time to rush for defending. 22. Qe3 looked, indeed, more useful to the purpose of keeping her opponent under pressure, with a thematic which could resemble that of P. C. Morphy – Löwenthal, London 1858, match game 14. 22. ... Rae8 23. Qh6 Rxe5 24. dxe5 Qb5 25. g4 Qb1+ 26. Kg2 Qxc2 27. Rh3 Qe4+ 28. Kf1 Qb1+ 29. Kg2 Qe4+ 30. Kf1 Qb1+ ½ : ½. “It was a very interesting game. After the opening, there was a slight advantage for White, but my opponent played very accurately and equalised the game. Apparently, there was no way to win. I don’t regret agreeing a draw. My hesitation was fairly well exploited by Pentala”, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) said afterwards.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s mother, 王茜 (Wáng Qiàn), patiently waiting in the audience hall. Photos: gashimovchess.com.