Merciless Queen

Rafael Artemovich Vaganian – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
50th International Chess Festival; Biel/Bienne, August 1, 2017
Queen’s Pawn Game D05

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. e3 b6 4. Bd3 Bb7 5. 0-0 d5 6. b3 Bd6 7. Bb2 0-0 8. Ne5 c5 9. Qe2. 9. Nd2 Nc6 10. a3 is a matter that 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) had studied well during her preparation: 10. ... a5 11. f4 Ne7 12. Rf3 cxd4 13. Bxd4 Bxe5 14. fxe5 Ne4 15. Rh3 Nf5 16. Bxe4 dxe4 17. Nc4 Nxd4 18. exd4 Bc6 19. Nd6 Qg5 20. Rc3 Bd5 21. Rg3 Qf4 22. c4 Bc6 23. Qf1 Qxf1+ 24. Rxf1 Rab8 25. Rf4 b5 26. c5 a4 27. b4 Rbd8 28. Rfg4 g6 29. Rf4 Kg7 30. Rf6 Rd7 31. Kf2 Ra8 32. Ke3 Raa7 33. h4 h6 34. Rh3 Rd8 35. Rh1 Re7 36. h5 g5 37. d5 Bxd5 38. Nxb5 1 : 0 Vaganian – M. Adams, Armenia – Rest of the World Match, Moscow 2004. 9. ... Nc6 10. a3 Rc8 11. Nd2 Ne7 12. Rad1. If 12. f4 then 12. ... Ne4 with comfortable equality, Rajlich – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), First Saturday GM July, Budapest 2008 and/or Hoàng Thị Bảo Trâm – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 16th Asian Women’s Team Chess Championship, 广州 (Guǎngzhōu) 2010. 12. ... Qc7 13. c4 Ne4 14. cxd5 Nxd2 15. Rxd2 Bxd5

16. Qh5. Had Vaganian only known what was to happen... he would probably have contented himself with something like 16. Nf3 cxd4 17. Nxd4! Bxh2+ 18. Kh1 Be5 19. Nb5 Qb8 20. Bxh7+ Kxh7 21. Qh5+ Kg8 22. Bxe5 Qa8 23. Kg1! Bxb3 24. Rd7 Ng6 25. Qxg6! fxg6 26. Rxg7+ drawing by perpetual check. 16. ... f5 17. Nc4 cxd4 18. Bxd4 Ng6 19. Nxd6 Qxd6 20. b4? White’s only serious error — but enough to lose the game! Probably best was 20. Ba6 Rb8 (Δ ... b6-b5) 21. Qe2 Qxa3 22. Ra1 Qe7 23. Bb2 and White may hope for some compensation by virtue of his Bishop pair.

20. ... Bxg2! 21. Kxg2 Qxd4! 22. Qxg6. Neither 22. exd4 Nf4+ 23. Kf3 Nxh5 24. Re1 Kf7 nor 22. Qxh7+ Kxh7 23. exd4 Rc3 can help White’s cause. 22. ... Qd5+ 23. e4 fxe4 24. Qxe4?! The Rook endgame after 24. Ba6 hxg6 25. Rxd5 exd5 26. Bxc8 Rxc8 27. Rd1 Rd8 28. f3 e3 is pretty hopeless for White. 24. ... Qg5+! 25. Kh1 Qxd2 26. Qxh7+ Kf7 27. Qg6+ (27. Rg1 Qh6−+) 27. ... Ke7 28. Qxg7+ Rf7 29. Qd4 Qf4! 30. Qxf4 Rxf4 31. f3 Rd4 32. Be4 Rd2 33. Rg1 Rc3 0 : 1.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) mercilessly took advantage of Vaganian’s miscalculation. Photo © Biel Chess Festival.