A Close Call

Ruslan Olegovich Ponomariov – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
50th International Chess Festival; Biel/Bienne, July 27, 2017
Vienna Game C28

1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d3 Nc6 4. Nc3 Bc5 5. f4 0-0 6. Nf3 exf4 7. Bxf4 d6 8. Qd2!? Maybe a new move, but really, nothing special. Although a blitz game can hardly be considered as a theoretical rule, the following game between two very illustrious guys, is indeed quite interesting: 8. Bg5 h6 9. Bh4 Be6 10. Bb3 Nd4 11. Rf1 Nxf3+?! (11. ... Bg4 12. Qd2? Nxe4! 13. Bxd8 Nxd2) 12. Qxf3 Bd4 13. Ne2 Bxb2 14. Rb1 Ba3 15. Nf4 Bb4+ 16. Ke2 Bg4 17. Qxg4 Nxg4 18. Bxd8 Raxd8?! (18. ... Rfxd8) 19. Ng6 (winning the Exchange) 19. ... Bc5 20. Nxf8 Rxf8 21. h3 Nf6 22. c3 Bb6 23. Rf5 Re8 24. Rbf1 c6 25. Kd2 Re7 26. g4 d5? (giving up this Pawn makes it a definite endgame win) 27. exd5 cxd5 28. Bxd5 Be3+ 29. Kd1 Bg5 30. Bb3 b6 31. Re1 Rc7 32. Kc2 g6 33. Rfe5 Kf8 34. Rf1 Kg7 35. d4 Bh4 36. Kd3 Bg3 37. Re3 Bh4 38. a4 Nh7 39. a5 Ng5 40. axb6 axb6 41. Bc4 Ra7 42. Rb1 Rb7 43. Rb5 Bf2 44. Re8 Nxh3 45. Ke2 Bh4 46. Kf3 Ng5+ 47. Kg2 Rc7 48. Rb4 Nh7 49. Kf3 Bf6 50. Ke2 Be7 51. Ra4 Nf6 52. Rb8 Nxg4 53. Rxb6 h5 54. Rba6 h4 55. Ra7 Rxa7 56. Rxa7 Kf6 57. Bd5 Nh6 58. c4 Nf5 59. Kd3 g5 60. c5 g4 61. c6 Bd6 62. Rxf7+ Kg5 63. c7 Bxc7 64. Rxc7 h3 65. Rh7 Nh4 66. Be6 Ng6 67. Rg7 h2 68. Bd5 Kf6 69. Rxg6+ 1 : 0 Kasparov – Caruana, Ultimate Blitz Challenge (5+3), Saint Louis 2016, match game 9 — annotations by Grandmaster Nick de Firmian. 8. ... Be6 9. Bg5? This makes things much difficult. After 9. Bxe6 fxe6 White could choose between 10. 0-0-0, 10. Rf1, or 10. Na4 with better prospects for equality in all cases. 9. ... Bxc4 10. dxc4 Bb4 11. Qf4 Bxc3+ 12. bxc3 Qe7 13. Bxf6 Qxf6 14. Qxf6 gxf6. After a lot of exchanges, White has certainly reasons to worry about the endgame due to the tripled Pawns on the c-file.

15. 0-0 Rae8 16. Nd2 Kg7 17. Rf4 Re5 18. Rb1 b6 19. Rb5 Rfe8 20. Kf2 h5 21. Rh4 Kg6 22. Nf3!? Quite understandably, Ponomariov goes for a clever as well as practical try, rather than waiting for worse consequences to mount up.

22. ... Rxb5?! Black’s best probably was 22. ... Rxe4 23. Rbxh5 Re2+ 24. Kf1 Rxc2 25. Rh7 Rc1+ 26. Kf2 Kf5 27. Rxf7 Rc2+ 28. Kf1 Ree2 retaining better chances to win. 23. cxb5 Ne5 24. Ke3 Nxf3 25. gxf3 Kg5. Also after 25. ... Re5! 26. c4 Re5 27. Rh3! Rxc4 28. Rg3+ Kh6 29. Kf4! Rxc2 30. Kf5 Rxh2 31. f4 White should manage to draw. 26. Rf4 Re5 27. c4 Rc5 28. h4+ Kg6 29. Kd4 Re5 30. Rf5 Rxf5 31. exf5+ Kxf5. Despite Black’s extra Pawn, the King and Pawn endgame is manifestly drawn. 32. Ke3 Ke5 33. f4+ Kf5 34. Kf3 Ke6 35. Ke4 f5+ 36. Kd4 Ke7 37. Kc3 Kd7 38. Kd3 Kc8 39. Kd4 Kd8 40. Kc3 Kd7 41. Kd3 c6 42. a4 Kc7 43. Kd4 a6 44. Kc3 cxb5 45. cxb5 axb5 46. axb5 d5 47. Kd4 Kd6 48. c3 Ke6 49. Ke3 Kd6 ½ : ½.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) came very near winning — but not quite. Photo © Biel Chess Festival.