Stargirl

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Gunay Vugar qizi Mammadzada
21st European Women’s Chess Club Cup; Novi Sad, November 12, 2016
Sicilian Defence B53

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Qxd4 a6 5. Be3 Nc6 6. Qd2 Nf6 7. 0-0-0 e6 8. Nf3 Be7 9. Bf4 Ng4 10. h3 Nge5 11. Nxe5 Nxe5 12. Be3 b5 13. f4

13. ... Nc6? The Knight is badly placed here. Correct is 13. ... Nd7! intending ... Bc8-b7 and ... Ra8-c8, Benitez Lozano – Duda, 52nd World Junior Chess Championship, Kocaeli 2013. 14. h4 Qa5 15. Kb1 Bb7. A little better seems 15. ... b4 16. Ne2 Bb7, though even then after 17. Nc1 Qc7 18. g4 White retains the initiative. 16. Qf2 Qc7. Now 16. ... b4? is too late on account of 17. Bb6 Qh5 18. Be2 Qg6 19. Nd5! with devasting effect. 17. g4 0-0 18. g5 b4 19. Na4 Na5 20. Bb6 Qc6 21. b3 Bd8

22. Rh2. Indirectly defending the e4-Pawn, for if 22. ... Qxe4?? then 23. Bxa5 Bxa5 24. Bg2 winning material. 22. ... Rb8 23. Qd4. White dominates the board, which will soon get her to win the a6-Pawn, thereby winning. 23. ... Ba8 24. Bxd8 Rfxd8 25. Rhd2 Rdc8 26. Qxd6 Qxd6 27. Rxd6 Bxe4 28. R1d2 Nb7 29. R6d4 Bd5 30. Bxa6 Rc6 31. Bb5 Rc7 32. Nb6 Bc6 33. Bxc6 Rxc6 34. Nd7 Ra8 35. Rxb4 Rc7 36. a4 Nc5 37. Nb6 1 : 0.

The uncrowned Queen of Monte Carlo just made another hit. Photo © Lennart Ootes.