Slipping Away

Pavel Vladimirovich Eljanov – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
FIDE Grand Prix 2017; 3rd stage; Geneva, July 6, 2017
Giuoco Piano C54

Notes by Grandmaster Alex Vladislavovich Yermolinsky, ChessBase.com, July 7, 2017.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. 0-0 Nf6 5. d3 0-0 6. h3 d6 7. c3 Ne7 8. Nbd2 Ng6 9. Re1 Bb6 10. Bb3 c6 11. Bc2 Re8 12. d4 Bc7 13. dxe5 dxe5 14. Nc4 Be6 15. Qe2 h6!? Ed’s Note: 15. ... b5 16. Ne3 h6 17. Nf5 Bb6 18. Be3 Bxe3 19. Qxe3 Qb6 20. Red1 Red8 21. Nd2 Qxe3 22. Nxe3 a5 23. a4 Nd7 24. axb5 cxb5 25. Ndf1 b4 26. Nd5 bxc3 27. bxc3 Rdc8 28. Nfe3 Ra7 29. Ra3 Nf6 30. c4 Rc5 31. Rb1 Nd7 32. Ba4 Nf4 33. Kf1 Nf6 34. f3 Bd7 35. Rb8+ Kh7 36. Nxf6+ gxf6 37. Bxd7 Rxd7 38. Rb5 Rxb5 39. cxb5 Rd2 40. Rxa5 Rb2 41. Nd5 Nxg2 42. b6 Kg7 43. Ra4 Kh7 44. Rb4 Ne3+ 45. Kg1 Rg2+ 46. Kh1 Nxd5 47. exd5 Rg8 48. b7 Rd8 49. d6 1 : 0 卢尚磊 (Lú Shànglěi) – Neelotpal, 9th Asian Continental Chess Championship, Olongapo City 2010. 16. Qf1 Nh7 17. Ne3 Nf4 18. Nf5 Bxf5 19. exf5 Nf6 20. Bxf4 exf4 21. Rad1 Qc8 22. Qc4 Rxe1+ 23. Rxe1 Qf8 24. Bb3 Re8 25. Rxe8 Qxe8 26. Qb4 b5 27. Qd4 Bb8 28. a4 Qe7 29. Qd3 a6 30. Kf1 Qd7 31. Qxd7 Nxd7 32. Nd4 Ne5 33. axb5 axb5 34. Bc2 Ba7. Ed’s Note: Good enough seems 34. ... Kf8 35. Be4 c5 36. Nxb5 Nc4 winning back the Pawn with balanced chances. 35. b4

f3?! 侯 (Hóu) had chances of building a fortress after 35. ... Bxd4 36. cxd4 Nd7 37. Be4 Nb8 38. Ke2 Kf8 39. Kf3 Ke7 40. h4! (not the greedy and mindless 40. Kxf4 as Black then has 40. ... Kd6 followed by ... Nb8-a6) 40. ... Kd6 41. Kg4 Nd7 (41. ... Na6 42. Kh5!) 42. Kxf4 Nf6 43. g4 Nd7 It’s going to be very hard for White to break it down. 36. g4 Bxd4 37. cxd4 Nc4? ⌓ 37. ... Nd7 38. Be4 Nb8 39. Bxf3 Kf8. 38. Ke1 Nb6 39. Be4 Nd5 40. Bxd5! cxd5 41. Kd2 Kf8 42. Ke3 Ke7 43. Kxf3. The ending is a forced win for White.

43. ... Kd7. 侯 (Hóu) was hoping to barricade all possible approaches for the White King. Yet, she would have failed even in case of the most stubborn defense, 43. ... g5 44. fxg6 fxg6 45. Kf4! Ke6 (45. ... Kf6 46. g5+ hxg5+ 47. Kg4) 46. h4 Kd6 (46. ... Kf6 47. g5+ hxg5+ 48. hxg5+ Ke6 49. Kg4 Kd6 50. f4 Ke6 51. f5+ gxf5+ 52. Kf4) 47. h5! (47. g5? h5=) 47. ... gxh5 48. g5!! (48. gxh5 Ke6=) 48. ... hxg5+ 49. Kxg5 Ke6 50. f4+−. 44. Kg3! Pavel knows what he’s doing: the King ahead of the Pawns is the way to play Pawn endgames. 44. h4 Kd6 45. Kf4 f6 46. g5 h5!. 44. ... Ke7 45. Kh4! g6 46. g5 h5 47. f4 Kf8 48. fxg6 fxg6 49. f5 1 : 0.

Bad time management, and 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) found herself in a lost Pawn ending. Photo: World Chess.