Cornelian dilemma

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Alexander Igorevich Grischuk
Grand Prix 2017; 2nd stage; Moscow, May 16, 2017
Sicilian Defence B91

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. g3. The Zagreb Variation – not a hit. 6. ... e5 7. Nb3. A rare sideline which gained a little popularity in the 80s. 7. ... Be7 8. Bg2 0-0 9. 0-0 b5 10. a4 b4 11. Nd5 Nxd5 12. Qxd5 Ra7 13. Be3 Be6 14. Qd3 Ra8. Less fortunate was the Qatari Grandmaster Mohamad Naser Al Sayed two years ago: 14. ... Rb7 15. f4 Qc8 16. Na5 Rc7 17. f5 Bc4 18. Nxc4 Rxc4 19. Rfc1 d5?! 20. exd5 e4 21. Qb3 Bc5 22. f6! gxf6 23. Kh1 Bxe3 24. Qxe3 Re8 25. Re1 Kg7 26. Rad1 Rxc2 27. Rf1 Qg4 28. Rde1 Nd7 29. Rf4 Qh5 30. h3 Kh8 31. Rxe4 Rxe4 (31. ... Re5!∞) 32. Qxe4 Qe5 33. Qxb4 Qxg3 34. Rg1 Qc7?? 35. Qe7! Kg7 1 : 0 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Al Sayed, 13th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival, Catalan Bay 2015. 15. f4 Qc7 16. Nd2 a5 17. Rf2 f6!? Grischuk’s novelty. Theory gave 17. ... exf4 18. gxf4 Nd7 19. Bd4 Bh4 20. Re2 Rac8 21. Nf3 Bf6 22. Rd2 Bc4 23. Qe3 Rfe8 24. Rad1 Bd5 25. Bxf6 Nxf6 26. Rxd5 Nxd5 27. Rxd5 Qxc2 28. Rd2 Qxe4 29. Qxe4 Rxe4 30. Kf2 b3 31. Nd4 Rxf4+ 32. Ke3 g5 33. Bd5 Rb8 34. Kd3 Rb4 35. Kc3 Rxa4 36. Nxb3 Kg7 37. Re2 Rab4 38. Re7 Rb5 39. Bc4 Rf3+ 40. Kc2 Rb4 41. Nxa5 Ra4 42. Be2 Rf2 43. Nb3 Rxh2 44. Nd2 Rf4 0 : 1 Smirin – Belov, 41st Master Open Tournament, Biel/Bienne 2008. 18. f5. 18. Bh3!? is also answered by 18. ... Bf7 with comfortable equality. 18. ... Bf7 19. Rc1 Na6 20. c4!? bxc3. 20. ... Nc5! 21. Qc2 b3! 22. Nxb3 Nxa4 seems more promising for Black. 21. Qxc3? The alternative 21. Rxc3 Qb7 22. Qb5 Rfb8 also gives Black a comfortable game, but it’s certainly more tenable for White. In her post-game interview with Anastasiya Valeryevna Karlovich, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) admitted that her Queen’s penetration to the seventh rank didn’t work out. 21. ... Qb8 22. Rff1. Not 22. Qxa5? on account of 22. ... Nb4! and White falls in serious trouble, but 22. Nc4 followed by b2-b3 was probably a little better than the text. 22. ... Nb4 23. Qc7 Qe8! 24. Qb7 Rb8 25. Qa7 Ra8 26. Qb7 Rb8. Black gained time on the clock at zero price. 27. Qa7

27. ... d5! Grischuk won the strategic battle and took the initiative, but indeed, the war is not over and his opponent may still hope to save what she cares about most. 28. exd5. Not 28. Qxa5?? because of 28. ... d4 29. Bf2 Nd3 30. Rc2 Bd8 31. Qa6 Nb4 32. Qd6 Be7 and White loses decisive material. 28. ... Nxd5 29. Bc5? This is a very strange mistake, as allows the exchange of White’s most important defender without any tangible compensation. Best was 29. Bf2 Rd8 30. Rfd1 Bb4 with only Black being better. 29. ... Ra8 30. Qb7 Rb8 31. Qa7 Ra8. To some extent we could say that Grischuk won the game by repeating moves. 32. Qb7 Bxc5+! 33. Rxc5 Rb8 34. Qxf7+!? After 34. Qa7 Ne3 White’s position is obviously catastrophic, so 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) gives up her Queen and catches the stage at least in extremis, surrendering with honour. 34. ... Rxf7 35. Bxd5 Kh8 36. Rfc1 Rd7 37. Bc6 Qd8 38. Bxd7 Qxd7 39. Ne4 h5 0 : 1.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) vs. Alexander Igorevich Grischuk. Photo © Vladimir Fedorenko/RIA Novosti