Alone on an Island

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Elisabeth Pähtz
4th Isle of Man International Chess Tournament; Douglas, September 24, 2017
Spanish Game C88

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 0-0 8. h3 Bb7 9. d3 d5 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. a4 (11. Nxe5 Nd4 12. Nc3 Nb4 13. Bf4 Nxb3 14. axb3 c5 15. Ne4 f6 16. Nf3 f5 17. Neg5 Bxg5 18. Nxg5 h6 19. Ne6 Qd5 20. f3 Rfe8 21. Re5 Qd6 22. c3 Rxe6 23. Rxe6 Qxe6 24. cxb4 cxb4 25. Rc1 Rc8 26. Rxc8+ Qxc8 27. Qe1 Qd7 28. Kh2 a5 29. Qe3 Bd5 30. Qb6 Bxb3 31. Qxa5 Qxd3 32. Qxb4 Be6 ½ : ½ Karjakin – Carlsen, New York 2016, World Chess Championship match game 6)
11. ... Nd4 12. Nxd4 exd4 13. axb5 axb5 14. Rxa8 Bxa8 15. Na3 Bb4 16. Bd2 Bxd2 17. Qxd2

17. ... Qd7? A black hole which precipitates Black into a dark dead end. Theory gives 17. ... Qf6 18. Bxd5 (18. Nxb5?! Nf4 19. f3 Qh6! 20. Kh2 Bxf3!) 18. ... Bxd5 19. Nxb5 Bxg2 20. Kxg2 Qc6+ 21. Kh2 Qxb5 22. Qf4 Qxb2 (22. ... c5 23. b3 Re8 24. Rxe8+ Qxe8 25. Qc7 Qf8 26. Kg3 g6=) 23. Qxc7 Qb4 24. Re4 g6? (⌓ 24. ... Qd2!) 25. Kg2 h5 26. c4!± Ivanchuk – 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén), 8th 海南 (Hǎinán) 儋州 (Dānzhōu) Super Grandmaster Chess Tournament, 儋州 (Dānzhōu) 2017.
18. Qg5! h6 19. Qe5 c5. Black gives up a Pawn, laying her hopes on a heavy pieces endgame. On the other hand 19. ... b4 20. Nc4 Nf6 21. Qe7 also culminates in a discouraging ending.
20. Nxb5 Qxb5 21. Bxd5 Qxb2

22. Bxa8. Very strong was 22. Bb3! and if 22. ... Qc3 (what else?) then 23. Re3!! with a winning game.
22. ... Rxa8 23. Qxc5 Ra1 24. Rxa1 Qxa1+ 25. Kh2 g6 26. Kg3 h5 27. Kh4 Qa8

28. f3? Much better and simpler was 28. Qxd4 Qxg2 29. c4+− with a winning endgame.
28. ... Qd8+ 29. Kg3 Qb8+ 30. f4 Qb2 31. Kh4 Qb7 32. Kg5

32. ... Kh7? Black now returns the courtesy, losing right off. Correct was 32. ... Qxg2+ 33. Kh6 (33. Kf6?? Qxh3−+) 33. ... Qa8 34. Qxd4 Qf8+ 35. Kg5 Kh7 with good chances to draw.
33. Kf6 Qd7 34. f5 Kg8 35. g4 hxg4 36. hxg4 gxf5 37. gxf5 Qd8+ 38. Qe7 Qb6+ 39. Kg5 Qa6 40. Qe4 Kh7 1 : 0. Because of 41. f6+ followed by mate in three moves.

And as a result 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) found herself feeling alone amidst women on a man-crowded island. Photo: John Saunders.