Otherwise Engaged

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Zeinab Mamedyarova
42nd Women’s Chess Olympiad; Baku, September 10, 2016
English Opening A13

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 b6 3. Bg2 Bb7 4. 0-0 e6 5. d3 d5 6. Nbd2 Be7 7. c4 0-0 8. Qc2 c5 9. b3 Nc6 10. Bb2 Qc7. 10. ... d4! seems fine for Black, Zagorjansky – Veresov, 16th USSR Chess Championship semifinal, Moscow 1947. 11. cxd5 Nxd5 12. a3 Rac8 13. Rac1 Rfd8 14. Rfd1 Qb8 15. Qb1 Nd4?! Mamedyarova comes up with a new idea, but not a good one. 15. ... Qa8! was at least equal for Black, Brodowski – Rawicz, 14th International Chess Festival Konik Morski Rewala, Rewal 2009. 16. Nxd4 cxd4 17. Rxc8 Bxc8?! Yet a better version of Black’s idea was 17. ... Rxc8 18. Bxd4 Bxa3 in order to answer 19. Bxg7 by 19. ... Kxg7 20. Bxd5 exd5 21. Qa1+ d4! 22. Qxa3 Qe5 with good chances for compensation. 18. Bxd4 Bxa3? A final error. Black should content herself with being down a Pawn after 18. ... Nf4 19. gxf4 Rxd4 20. e3 that, if nothing else, still gives hope for further resistance.

19. Bxg7! Kxg7 20. Qa1+ Kg8 21. Qxa3 Nc3. The situation is now totally different with respect to the line given after 17. Rxc8, since White is not only a Pawn up, but also has a crushing attack on the dark squares. If, for instance, 21. ... Qc7 22. Rc1 Qe7 then 23. Qa1! with devastating effect. 22. Re1 Bb7 23. Nf3 Qc7 24. Qb4 a5 25. Qg4+ Kh8

26. Ng5! Bxg2 (26. ... h6 27. Qh5 Kg7 28. Nxf7! Qxf7 29. Qe5+−) 27. Qh4! Kg7 28. Qxh7+ Kf6 29. Qh4 Kg7 30. Kxg2 Rd5 31. e4 Rc5 32. d4 Rc6 33. Re3 Nb5 34. Rf3 f5 35. Qh7+ Kf8 36. Nxe6+ Rxe6 37. Rxf5+ Ke8 38. Qg8+ Kd7 39. Rxb5 1 : 0.

Looks as if four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) is absorbed in deep thoughts. Photo © Maria Alekseevna Emelianova.