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Dana Reizniece-Ozola – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
42nd Women’s Chess Olympiad; Baku, September 2, 2016
English Opening A14

The victory of the Minister of Finance of Latvia Dana Reizniece-Ozola — she’s Woman Grandmaster as well — over four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) was the surprise of the day, even though it is probably too much a political advertisement and too little a record of chess.

1. c4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. g3 Nf6 4. Bg2 Be7 5. 0-0 0-0 6. b3 c5 7. e3 Nc6 8. d3 b6 9. Nc3 Ba6 10. Bb2 Rc8 11. Qe2 Qd7 12. Rad1 Rfd8 13. Nb5 Qe8. If 13. ... Bxb5 14. cxb5 Na5 then 15. a4 Nxb3 16. Ne5 Qd6 17. f4 followed by e3-e4 with fine compensation.
14. e4 d4 15. e5 Nd7 16. Bc1 Bb7 17. Bg5 Ndxe5 18. Nxe5 Bxg5 19. f4 Bf6 20. Nxa7 Nxa7 21. Bxb7 Rc7 22. Bg2 Nc8 23. a4 Nd6 24. g4 g6 25. Rde1 Bg7 26. h4 Kh8 27. Bh3 f6 28. Nf3 Re7 29. Qg2 Nf7. Much more enterprising was 29. ... e5! 30. fxe5 fxe5 31. Ng5 (idem to say 31. Nd2) 31. ... e4! and Black, at the cost of a Pawn, forces a massive simplification with satisfactory dynamic compensation for the Pawn.
30. Re2 Qd7 31. Rfe1 Rde8 32. g5 f5? This is really bad judgment, as Black turns her own castling into an easy target for attack. 32. ... Nd8! was still solid enough to give hope for a successful defence.

33. h5! From now on, White’s attack develops easily and naturally, and Black’s game can be regarded as compromised.
33. ... gxh5. 33. ... e5 is hardly better because of 34. hxg6 hxg6 35. Nh4 Qe6 36. Qf3! Kg8 37. Bg2! threatening Qf3-h3 followed by Bg2-d5. Likewise, if 33. ... Kg8 34. Nh4 Nh8 there might follow 35. Qf3 Bf8 36. Bg2 with overwhelming advantage.
34. Nh4. The straightforward alternative was 34. g6 Nd8 35. Qg5 h6 36. Qxh5 Nc6 (otherwise Nf3-e5 follows) 37. Ng5 Nd8 38. Bg2 with a crushing advantage.
34. ... Qc7. Black, however, has no real way to defend her cause; for instance: 34. ... Nd8 35. Qf3 Nc6 36. Qxh5 Kg8 37. Bf1 with a dominating position for White.
35. Qf3. Once again 35. g6 was the most direct way.
35. ... Kg8. 35. ... Nd8 36. Qxh5 Kg8 37. Bg2 is just a little more stubborn, but not enough to save the game.
36. g6! Finally!
36. ... Nh6 37. Qxh5 Qxf4 38. gxh7+ Kxh7 39. Bxf5+! exf5 40. Rxe7 Qg3+ 41. Ng2 Rxe7 42. Rxe7 f4 43. Qe5 Qg4 44. Qxf4 Qd1+ 45. Ne1 Qh5 46. Nf3 Nf5 47. Rb7 Qg6+ 48. Qg5 Qe6 49. Qh5+ Kg8 50. Rb8+ Bf8 51. Qg4+ 1 : 0. For after 51. ... Ng7 52. Qxe6+ Nxe6 53. Rxb6 White’s a-Pawn is going to queen.

“Somehow, I had a feeling that I would be winning the game already before it began. Sometimes you get this feeling in the gut when you go to your round”, Reizniece-Ozola will say years later. Photo © Baku Chess Olympiad Operating Committee.