Diatonic scale

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Levon Grigori Aronian
7th Chess World Cup; match game 1; Tbilisi, September 6, 2017
Giuoco Piano C54

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), the only woman still in the camp, can be quite content with the result of her first game, if nothing else because she’s got entangled with Aronian’s computer opening preparation: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. 0-0 Nf6 5. d3 0-0 6. Re1 d6. For the sharp alternative 6. ... Ng4 7. Re2 Kh8 8. h3 f5 just take a look at So – Giri, 9th Ninth Grand Slam Masters Final, Bilbao 2016. 7. c3 Ne7 8. Nbd2 Bb6 9. Bb3 c6 10. Nf1 Ng6 11. Ng3 h6 12. h3 d5 13. exd5 Nxd5 14. d4 exd4 15. Nxd4 Be6!? Aronian’s prepared sideline. More common is 15. ... Kh8 16. Bc2 (for 13. Qf3 Bxd4 17. cxd4 f5 see Fressinet – Bacrot, 16th Corsica Masters Knockout, Ajaccio 2012) 16. ... Re8 17. Rxe8+ Qxe8 18. Bd2 Bxd4 19. cxd4 Qe7 20. Qf3 Bd7 21. Re1 Qf6 22. Qxf6 Nxf6 23. Nf5 Bxf5 24. Bxf5 Rd8 25. Bc3 Kg8 26. g3 Nd5 27. h4 Kf8 28. Kf1 Nge7 29. Bh3 Nxc3 30. bxc3 Nd5 ½ : ½ Spraggett – Bacrot, 57th Spanish Team Chess Championship (División de Honor), Linares 2013. 16. Nxe6!? White boldly decides to see her opponent’s cards since 16. Bc2 Ndf4 17. Nxe6 Qxd1 18. Rxd1 Nxe6 19. Nf5 Rad8 does not seem to offer any chances for an advantage, Brkić – Wagner, 17th Styrian Open, Bad Gleichenberg 2014. 16. ... fxe6 17. Rxe6 Rxf2! 18. Kh1 Nh4

19. Qg4. After a long thought. 19. ... Qf8. Now White thought for another twenty minutes looking for a hole in her opponent’s analysis, but apparently she did not find any. Let’s consider, just for instance, Stockfish’s computations: 20. Bxh6 Rxg2 (Δ ... Rg2-h2+) 21. Bxd5 cxd5 22. Bf4 (not 22. Qxh4?? Qf2 with mate coming) 22. ... Qc5 (on 22. ... Qf7? 23. Rh6! forces Black to give up the Exchange) 23. Re3 Qf8 24. Ree1 Rf2 25. Rf1 (or 25. Nh5 Ng2! 26. Re5 Nxf4 27. Rf5 Nxh5 28. Rxf8+ Raxf8 29. Qxh5 R8f5 with rough dynamic balance) 25. ... Qf6! 26. Nh5 Qg6 with equality. Whatever it is, she wisely prefers not to play further into enemy’s hands. 20. Qxh4(!) ½ : ½. For after 20. ... Rf1+ 21. Kh2 Bg1+ it is draw by perpetual check.