It Rarely Happens

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Sabino Brunello
3rd Isle of Man International Chess Tournament; Douglas, October 9, 2016
Caro-Kann Defence B11

1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. h3 Bxf3 5. Qxf3 e6 6. d4 dxe4 7. Qxe4 Nf6 8. Qd3 Nbd7 9. Bd2 Bd6 10. 0-0-0 Qc7 11. g3 0-0-0 12. Bg2 Kb8!?TN 13. Rhe1 Nb6 14. Ne4 Nxe4 15. Rxe4 e5 16. dxe5 Bxe5 17. Qb3 f6 18. a4 Nc8 19. f4 Bd4 20. a5 a6 21. Re6 Ka8 22. Rde1 Ba7 23. Bb4 Rd4 24. Kb1 Rhd8 25. Bf3 R4d7 26. Bg4 c5 27. Bc3 c4 28. Qb4 Bf2 29. Rf1 Bxg3 30. Re4 Nd6 31. Re3 f5 32. Be2 Bh4 33. Bd4 Qc6 34. Bb6 Rc8 35. Re5 Ne4 36. Bf3 Rd5 37. Rxe4? As always happens, mistakes come and go with the approaching of time control. After long holding the initiative, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) has then sacrificed a Pawn in order to get something more tangible than a volatile advantage, for achieving no less than a good compensation. Now her pseudo-sac of the Exchange is gross tactical oversight which could have costed her the game immediately. Under normal circumstances White would have probably continued 37. Rxd5 Qxd5 38. Rd1 Qe6 39. Bxe4 fxe4 40. Be3 with good play on the dark squares. 37. ... fxe4 38. Bxe4 Bf6? (38. ... Qb5−+) 39. Bxd5 Qxd5 40. Be3 c3 41. Qb6 Kb8 42. Qa7+ Kc7 43. Qb6+ Kb8 44. Qa7+ Kc7 45. Qb6+ Kd7. Black refuses to repeat moves, although his chances of winning are more than remote. 46. b3 Ke7

47. Kc1? A very strange mistake. 47. Bc1! seems perfectly good for White. 47. ... Rd8 48. Qc5+? Another strange decision by 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), as the exchange of Queens cannot but worsens White’s chances of survival in the endgame. 48. ... Qxc5 49. Bxc5+ Ke6 50. Bb6 Rd7 51. Rd1. After 12 minutes’ thought, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) offers the exchange of Rooks, yet knowing that the ensuing King and Bishop ending gives White no hope due to her irreparable weaknesses on the Kingside. On the other hand, 51. f5+ Ke5 was likewise hopeless. 51. ... Rxd1+ 52. Kxd1 Kf5 53. Bc7 Ke4 54. Ke2 Bd4 55. Bd6 g6 56. b4 h5 57. Bc7 Bg7 58. Bd6 Bd4 59. Bc7 Be3 60. Be5 Bd2 61. h4 Bxf4 62. Bxc3 g5 63. hxg5 Bxg5 64. Bg7 Be7 65. Bc3 Kd5 66. Kd3 h4 67. Bd4 h3 68. c4+ Ke6 0 : 1.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) played her game with Brunello as she was burdened by obligations and worries. Photo: Harry Gielen.