Prague Chivalry

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – David Navara
50th International Chess Festival; Biel/Bienne, July 28, 2017
Sicilian Defence B90

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 Ng4 7. Bg5 h6 8. Bc1 Nc6 9. Nxc6 bxc6 10. Bc4 e5 11. b3 Be7 12. Bb2 0-0 13. Qe2 Nf6!? A very recent game went 13. ... Qb6 14. 0-0 Nf6 15. Kh1 a5 16. Na4 Qc7 17. Rae1 Nd7 18. Qd3 Bb7 19. Qg3 Bg5 20. Rd1 Nf6 21. f3 Rfe8 22. Rfe1 Rad8 23. Bf1 Nh5 24. Qf2 Re6 25. g3 Ree8 26. Qb6 Qb8 27. Bc3 Rc8 28. Bh3 d5 29. Nc5 Ba8 30. Qxb8 Rxb8 31. exd5 cxd5 32. Bxe5 d4 33. Bxb8 Rxb8 34. Rxd4 Bxf3+ 35. Bg2 Bxg2+ 36. Kxg2 Rc8 37. Rc4 Rd8 38. Nd3 1 : 0 M. Adams – Salem, Grand Prix 2017, 3rd stage, Geneva 2017. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) should not have been caught unprepared, however, since she too was present there! 14. 0-0-0 Be6!? It may well be arguable that Black’s strategy is the most sound, but certainly it is thematic. 15. Bxe6 fxe6

16. f4! Nd7. After intensely thinking for awhile, Navara opted for the text move. If, instead, 16. ... exf4 there might follow 17. e5 Nd5 18. exd6 (18. Ne4? dxe5! 19. c4? does not gain anything for White as there is 19. ... Qc7!) 18. ... Qxd6 19. Kb1 with excellent compensation for the Pawn. 17. f5 Nb6? Black has not all this time to wrap around the centre! Imperative was 17. ... exf5 18. Qc4+ Rf7 19. Qxc6 Qc8 heading for a slightly inferior, but still defensible endgame. 18. Rhf1 Qd7?! A little better is 18. ... exf5 although now, after 19. exf5 Qc7 20. Ne4 White stands much better.

19. g4! Black’s got into a hopeless position with no prospects for counterplay. 19. ... a5 20. a4 Rab8 21. Kb1 d5. A desperate bid for freedom. 22. fxe6 Qxe6 23. Rxf8+ Bxf8 24. exd5 cxd5 25. Nb5 e4 26. Qe3 Rb7. Also after 26. ... Qxg4 27. Rg1 Qe6 28. Qc3 followed by Qc3xa5 the ending would be hopeless for Black. 27. h3 Rf7 28. Nd4 Bc5 29. Qd2. Sic et simpliciter. The a5-Pawn is lost, and with it, the game. 29. ... Bxd4 30. Bxd4 Nd7 31. Qxa5 Rf3 32. Qb5 e3 33. Re1 Rxh3 34. a5 Qxg4 35. Qxd5+ Kh7 36. a6 Rh5 37. Qd6 e2 38. a7 Ra5 39. Kb2 Qh4 (39. ... h5 40. b4 Ka4 41. Kb3+−) 40. Qxd7 1 : 0.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) hit hard against Black’s Sicilian, with no apparent effort made to move from a powerful middlegame to a won endgame. Photo © Biel Chess Festival.