Field Flowers

Atousa Pourkashiyan – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
15th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 24, 2017
Spanish Game C78

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. d3 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. a3 0-0 9. Nc3 Na5 10. Ba2 Be6 11. Bxe6 fxe6 12. d4 (12. b4 Nc6 13. Bd2 d5 14. Re1 Qd6 15. Na2 Nd7 16. Qe2 d4 17. Reb1 Nb6 18. Nc1 Na4 19. Nb3 Rf7 20. Rc1 Rd8 21. Ng5 Rf6 22. Qh5 h6 23. Nf3 Rdf8 24. Rf1 R8f7 25. Rae1 Bf8 26. h3 g6 27. Qh4 Qe7 28. Qg3 Bg7 29. Na5 Nxa5 30. Nxe5 Nb7 31. Nxg6 Qd8 32. e5 Rf5 33. f4 c5 34. Nh4 Rh5 35. Nf3 Kh7 36. Qg4 Rhf5 37. Nh4 Kh8 38. Nxf5 Rxf5 39. Qg6 Qe7 40. g4 Rf8 41. f5 Qe8 42. Qxe8 Rxe8 43. f6 Bf8 44. f7 Re7 45. Rf6 Nb6 46. Bxh6 Nd7 47. Ref1 cxb4 48. axb4 Bxh6 49. Rxh6+ Kg7 50. Rh5 1 : 0 Caruana – Aronian, 2nd Sinquefield Cup, Saint Louis 2014)
12. ... exd4 13. Nxd4 Qd7 14. Qd3 c5 15. Nf3 Nc6 16. Bg5 Rad8 17. Rad1 h6 18. Bc1 Qe8 19. h3 Qg6 20. Rfe1 Nd7 21. Ne2 Rf6 22. Nh2 Nde5 23. Qe3 Nc4

24. Qg3? The exchange of Queens is very inconvenient for White, as Black enjoys a manifest advantage in the ending — which 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) has no difficulty in exploiting.
24. ... Qxg3 25. Nxg3 Nd4 26. c3 Nb3 27. Re2 a5 28. Nf3 Rff8 29. Nf1 a4

30. Ne3 Nb6 31. Kf1 Rc8 32. Nd2 Rc6 33. Nf3 Rfc8 34. Ne1 b4 35. Nd3 bxc3 36. bxc3 Bf6 37. Bb2 Rf8 38. g3 Na5 39. Nf4 Kf7 40. Nh5 Nbc4 41. Nxf6 gxf6 42. Bc1 Rb6 43. Nxc4 Nxc4 44. e5 Nxe5 45. Bxh6 Rh8 46. Bf4 Nc4 47. h4 Rb3 48. Ke1 d5 49. Be3 Rc8 50. Rc2 Rxa3 51. g4 Rb3 52. Ra1 a3 53. Bc1 e5 54. f3 e4 55. fxe4 Re8 56. Kf2 Rxe4 57. g5 Rxh4 58. Kg3 Rh1 59. gxf6 d4 60. Kg2 Ne3+ 61. Kxh1 Nxc2 62. Ra2 Rxc3 63. Bd2 Rc4 64. Kg1 Kxf6 0 : 1.

As they say, not a day goes by without her unfolding grace. Photo © John Saunders.