The Library Cat

Viswanathan Anand – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
4th Isle of Man International Chess Tournament; Douglas, October 1, 2017
Russian Defence C42

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d3!? Nf6 6. d4 d5 7. Bd3 Be7 8. 0-0 0-0 9. Re1 Bg4 10. Bg5 Nbd7 11. Nbd2 Re8 12. c3 c6 13. Qc2 h6 14. Bf4 Nh5 15. Be5! The same position can be reached by transposition from a French Exchange Variation: 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Bd3 Be7 6. 0-0 0-0 7. Bg5 Bg4 8. Re1 Nbd7 9. Nbd2 Re8 10. c3 c6 11. Qc2 h6 12. Bf4 Nh5 13. Be5 (French Defence C01). 15. ... Bg5!? This novelty does not improve substantially over 15. ... Nxe5 16. Bh7+! Kf8 17. Nxe5 Nf6 18. h3 Be6 19. Ndf3 Bd6 20. Re3 Rc8 21. Rae1 c5 22. Bf5 Bxf5 23. Qxf5 Qc7 24. Ng4! Rxe3 25. Rxe3 Nxg4 26. hxg4 Rd8? (26. ... Kg8±) 27. Qh7 f6 (Glek – Dolmatov, 20th “Dortmunder Schachtage” International Tournament, Dortmund 1992) and now 28. Nh4!+− finishes the game immediately. 16. h3 Bxf3. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) was already sure of winning the best women’s prize, which may justify her uninspiration. Now, for instance, she’d have done better not to exchange the Bishop for the Knight. 17. Nxf3 Bf4 18. Bh7+ Kh8 19. Bxf4 Nxf4 20. Bf5 Qc7?! (20. ... Rxe1+ 21. Rxe1 Nf8 22. Ne5⩲/±) 21. Bxd7 Qxd7 22. Ne5 Qe6 (22. ... Qc7? 23. Qf5+−) 23. Re3!± Kg8. 23. ... Ng6 24. Nxg6+ Qxg6 25. Qxg6 fxg6 26. Rae1± also gives White — who dominates the open e-file — a clear advantage. 24. Rae1 Qc8?! This loses a Pawn. 24. ... Rf8 25. h4± was Black’s best worst option.

25. Nxf7! Rxe3 26. Rxe3 Kxf7 27. Rf3 Kg8 (27. ... g5? 28. Qh7+ Ke8 29. Re3+ Ne6 30. Qg7!+−) 28. Rxf4 Qe6 29. Qf5 Re8 30. Qxe6+ Rxe6 31. Kf1. White has precisely calculated that the Rook ending a Pawn up is won for him, even if impeccable technique is required. 31. ... a5 32. Rf3 Rg6 33. a4 Rd6 (33. ... Re6 34. Re3+−) 34. Ke2 Rd8 35. Kd3 Rb8 36. Rf5 b5 37. axb5 Rxb5 38. Kc2 Rb7 39. f4 Rb8 40. g4 a4 41. Re5 Kf7 42. f5 Ra8 43. Re6 Rc8 44. Re5 Ra8 45. h4 a3 46. bxa3 Rxa3 47. Kb2 Ra8 48. g5 hxg5 49. hxg5 Rb8+ 50. Kc2 Rh8 51. Re6 Rh5 52. g6+ Kf8 53. f6 1 : 0.

Anand showed 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) that not all rook endings are drawn. Photo: John Saunders.