Hell’s Flash

王皓 (Wáng Hào) – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

7th 海南 (Hǎinán) 儋州 (Dānzhōu) Super Grandmaster Chess Tournament “人民网 (People’s Daily Online) Cup”; 儋州 (Dānzhōu), July 15, 2016

Catalan Opening E05

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Nf3 Be7 5. Bg2 0-0 6. 0-0 dxc4 7. Ne5 Nc6 8. Bxc6 bxc6 9. Nxc6 Qe8 10. Nxe7+ Qxe7 11. Qc2 c5 12. Qxc4 cxd4 13. Qxd4 e5 14. Qh4 Rb8 15. b3 Qe6 16. Na3 (16. Qc4 Qd7 17. Na3 Bb7 18. f3 Rfc8 19. Qd3 Qe6 20. Nc4 Ba6 21. Be3 e4 22. Qd2 Rd8 23. Qc1 Rd7 24. Bf2 Re8 25. Qc2 Qc6 26. Be1 exf3 27. exf3 Rde7 28. Qd3 Re2 29. Qd6 Qb7 30. Qd4 Bxc4 31. bxc4 Nd7 32. Rd1 Ne5 33. Qd5 Qa6 34. Rd2 Re3 35. Rc2 Qa4 36. Rc3 Nxf3+ 37. Rxf3 Rxe1+ 38. Kg2 R1e2+ 39. Kh3 R2e6 40. Rf2 Qc6 41. Qxc6 Rxc6 ½ : ½ Tomashevsky – Jakovenko, 68th Russian Chess Championship, Chita 2015) 16. ... Rd8 (16. ... Re8 17. Nc4 Ba6 18. Rd1 Bxc4 19. Qxc4 Qxc4 20. bxc4 Rbc8 21. Be3 Rxc4 22. Bxa7 Ne4 23. Be3 Ra8 24. Kf1 h6 25. Rd5 Nc3 26. Rxe5 Rxa2 27. Rc1 Raa4 28. Re8+ Kh7 29. Rd8 Rab4 30. h4 h5 31. Rd3 Ne4 32. Rcd1 Rc3 33. Kg2 Rxd3 34. Rxd3 Rb5 35. f3 Nf6 36. Rd6 Re5 37. Kf2 Rf5 38. Bf4 Rb5 39. Bg5 Nd5 40. Bd2 Nb6 41. Bc3 Nd5 42. Bd4 f6 43. e4 Nb4 44. Bc3 Na2 45. Bd2 Rb2 46. Ke3 Rb3+ 47. Rd3 Rb8 48. Rd5 Rb3+ 49. Kf4 Kg6 50. g4 hxg4 51. h5+ Kh7 52. Kxg4 Rb1 53. Rd7 Rb8 1 : 0 Filippov – Simutowe, 16th Carlos Torre Memorial, Merida 2003) 17. Qc4 Qh3 18. f3 Bb7 19. Qc2 e4 20. Nc4 Rbc8 21. Rf2 Qh5 22. Be3?! 22. Bb2 was called for. 22. ... exf3 23. exf3 Bxf3 24. Bg5?? A heartless Fata Morgana.

24. ... Be4! Maybe White was hoping for 24. ... Qxg5? 25. Rxf3 with a precarious balance. 25. Qc1 Ng4 26. Re2. If 26. Rb2 then 26. ... Rd3! with the terrible threat of ... Rd3xg3+. 26. ... Bf3 0 : 1. For after 27. Rc2 Rd1+ 28. Qxd1 Bxd1 29. Rxd1 Qxg5 White is skin and bone.

王皓 (Wáng Hào) vs. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). Photo: cca.cmsa.cn.