Old Acquaintance

王玥 (Wáng Yuè) – 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 8, 2016

Queen’s Gambit Declined D38

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+ Nc6 6. e3 0-0 7. Qc2 Bd6 8. c5 Be7 9. a3 a5 10. Bb5 Nb8!? This is a critical novelty, which undoubtedly deserves further practical tests. For 10. ... Bd7 11. Rb1 b6 12. b4 axb4 13. axb4 bxc5 14. bxc5 Rb8 15. 0-0 Ng4? (⌓ 15. ... Na5) 16. h3 Nh6 17. e4! with great advantage to White, Kurajica – Vl. Kovačević, Zonal Tournament, Zagreb 1993. 11. 0-0 b6 12. c6 Ba6 13. Bd2 Ne8 14. a4 Nd6 15. Ne5 Qe8 16. Rac1 Ra7. Black has a cramped position, and she will need all her skills and resorcefullness as a defender to hold it up. 17. Rfe1 f6 18. Nd3 Bc8 19. Qb3

19. ... Nxc6!?? 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s Exchange sacrifice is not strictly forced, but wished. She gets only a Pawn in return, and perhaps she’s relying on her Bishop pair, especially in the case White chooses to open up the position. It’s a hard bet to call and even harder to win, particularly against a mountain of granite such as 王玥 (Wáng Yuè). On the other hand, after a “neutral” move, such as 19. ... Qf7, White could have increased his pressure on the position by f2-f3, e3-e4, and then, eventually, Nd3-f4. 20. Bxc6 Qxc6 21. Nb5 Qa8 22. Nxa7 Qxa7 23. Qc2 Bd8 24. b4 Nc4 25. bxa5 bxa5 26. Nb2 Ba6 27. Nxc4 Bxc4 28. Rb1 c5 29. Qb2 Qd7. Stockfish’s first line 29. ... cxd4 30. exd4 Bd3 31. Rbc1 Qd7 appears, indeed, a little more stubborn. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s task is made harder by the fact that she is alreay short of time. 30. dxc5 Qxa4 31. Ra1 Qc6 32. Bxa5 Be7 33. Qb6 Rc8 34. Bb4! Qxb6 35. cxb6 Bxb4 36. b7! Rf8. In spite of being in desperate time trouble, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) succeeds to find the only moves to avoid resignation. 37. Ra8. 王玥 (Wáng Yuè) too is in serious time trouble. 37. ... Bd6 38. Rea1 Kf7 39. Rc8 Re8 40. Rxe8 Kxe8. Time control finally reached, with each player in their few last seconds. Black has not obtained enough to hope for salvation, and 王玥 (Wáng Yuè) mercilessy accomplishes his goal. 41. Ra8+ Ke7 42. Rg8 g5 43. Rg7+ Kd8 44. Rg8+ Ke7 45. f3 h5 46. g3 e5 47. b8=Q Bxb8 48. Rxb8 d4 49. exd4 exd4 50. Kf2 Bf7 51. Rb4 d3 52. Re4+ Kf8 53. Rd4 Bg6 54. Rd7 Bf5 55. Ra7 g4 56. f4 Kg8 57. Ke3 Bh7 58. Ra5 1 : 0.

王玥 (Wáng Yuè) vs. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
Photo: cmsa.cn