Stop the Clocks

Pentala Harikrishna – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
50th International Chess Festival; Biel/Bienne, July 30, 2017
Sicilian Defence B36

1. c4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. e4 Nf6 6. Nc3 d6 7. Be2 Nxd4 8. Qxd4 Bg7 9. Be3 0-0 10. Qd2 a5 11. 0-0 a4 12. Rad1 Qa5 13. Bd4 Be6 14. Qe3. In the Accelerated Dragon, the Maróczy Bind can be quite unpleasant for Black, and already three years earlier 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) had ended up drinking the bitter cup: 14. Nd5 Bxd5 15. Qxa5 Rxa5 16. exd5 Nd7 17. Bxg7 Kxg7 18. Rfe1 Nc5 19. Bd3 Re8 20. Re3 Ra6 21. Bc2 Rb6 22. b3 axb3 23. axb3 Rb4 24. Kf1 h5 25. Ke2 Ra8 26. Kd2 Kf8 27. Kc3 Rb6 28. Rde1 Ra3 29. Kb2 Ra4 30. Kc3 Ra3 31. Kb2 Ra4 32. Kc3 Rab4 33. Rxe7 Kg7 34. Rb1 1 : 0 Ruck – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 18th Corsican Circuit, Bastia 2014, Semifinal match game 3 (time control: 15 minutes plus 3 seconds). 14. ... Nd7 15. Nd5 Rfe8 16. h4 Bxd5 17. cxd5 Bxd4 18. Rxd4 Qb6 19. Qd2 Rec8 20. Bg4 Rc7 21. Rb4 Qa5 22. Bxd7 Rxd7 23. Rc1 Rc7 24. Rxc7 Qxc7 25. a3 Qd7 26. Qd1 b5 27. Qe2 Ra5. 27. ... Rb8 looks more natural. 28. g3 h5 29. Kg2 Kh7 30. Qf3 Kg8 31. Qc3 Ra7 32. Qd3 Ra5 33. Qf1 Kg7 34. Qd1 Qc7 35. Qd3 Qc5 36. Qe2 Kf8 37. g4 hxg4 38. Qxg4 Ra8 39. h5 Kg7! 40. hxg6 fxg6? Black takes a (not too) calculated risk. Both 40. ... Rf8! and 40... Rg8! came seriously into consideration; for instance: 40. ... Rg8! 41. Qf3 Kxg6! 42. e5 Kg7!∞ with an unclear balance.

41. Qd7! Attacking both b5 and e7. 41. ... Rf8 42. Qxe7+ Rf7 43. Qh4 g5!? Something of a bluff. 44. Qg3? And it apparently worked! Simply 44. Qxg5+ Kf8 45. Qd2 would have left White two Pawns ahead a nearly won endgame; for instance: 45. ... Rg7+ 46. Kf1 Rh7 47. Qc3! forcing the exchange of Queens. 44. ... Kg6 45. Qe3

45. ... Qc8? Heads or tails? Heads. Alas, it’s tails: 45. ... Qxe3 46. fxe3 Re7 47. Kf3 (or 47. Rxb5 Rxe4 48. Kf3 Kf5 49. Rb8 g4+ 50. Ke2 Rc4 51. Kd3 Rc1 52. e4+ Kg5 53. Rg8+ Kf4 54. Rf8+ Kg5 55. Kd2 Rc4=) 47. ... Rf7+ 48. Ke2 Rf8 49. Rxb5 g4 50. Rb6 g3 51. Rxd6+ Kg5 52. Rc6 (52. Rd7 Kg6=) 52. ... Rf2+ 53. Ke1 Rxb2 54. Rc8 g2 55. Rg8+ Kf6 56. d6 Ke6 57. e5 Ra2 58. Rg4 Rxa3 with a draw. 46. e5! Now White’s Rook enters the scene with an overwhelming effect. 46. ... dxe5 47. Qxe5 Qc2 48. Qe3 Rf6 49. Rd4 Kf7 50. Re4 Qc8 51. Qxg5 Qc5 52. Qh5+ 1 : 0. For after 52. ... Rg6+ 53. Rg4! White pins and wins!

So, let’s just call it just an unlucky day for 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). Photo © Biel Chess Festival.