One hundred one dalmatians

Gawain Christopher B. Jones – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
80th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 23, 2018
Catalan Opening E06

1. c4 e6 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 d5 4. Nf3 Be7 5. 0-0 0-0 6. d4 dxc4 7. Ne5 Nc6. Karl Robatsch’s move. 8. Nxc6 bxc6 9. Na3 Bxa3 10. bxa3 Ba6 11. a4. If 11. Qd2 there might follow 11. ... Rb8 12. Rd1 [or 12. Qa5 Qc8 13. a4 Rd8 14. Qc5 (after 14. Ba3 Rxd4 15. Rab1 Black defended with a spectacular double Exchange sacrifice in Efimenko – Sakaev, 4th Serbian Team Chess Championship 1st League, Vrnjačka Banja 2010: 15. ... Rb6! 16. Bc5 Rd5! 17. Bxd5 cxd5 18. Bxb6 axb6 19. Qb4 Nd7 20. a5 b5 21. Qe7 c5 22. f4 d4 23. f5 e5 24. f6 gxf6 25. g4 h6 26. Rf5 ½ : ½) 14. ... Nd5 15. e4? Nc3 16. Be3 Nxa4 17. Qh5 c3−+ 赵骏 (Zhào Jùn) – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 43rd Chinese Chess Championship, 兴化 (Xīnghuà) 2012] 12. ... Qc8 13. Qc2 h6 14. Bd2 Nd5 15. e4 Nb6 16. Bb4 Rd8 17. a4 Nd5! with a comfortable game for Black, Inarkiev – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), FIDE Grand Prix 2017, 3rd stage, Geneva 2017. 11. ... Qc8!? A very interesting novelty, preparing for a thematic sacrifice of the Exchange. 11. ... Qd6 12. Qd2 Rab8 13. Qa5 Rb6 was the already read book (with approximate equality), Hammer – Elsness, 93rd Norwegian Chess Campionship, Stavanger 2017. 12. Ba3 Rd8 13. Be7 Rd5!? Who knows, maybe 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) saved 13. ... Rd6!? for next time. 14. Bxf6 gxf6 15. Bxd5 cxd5 16. e4! dxe4 17. Qg4+ Kf8 18. Qxe4 Bb7 19. Qxh7. The passed h-Pawn is the only potential White’s winner in an otherwise unclear situation. However, White should first manage to exchange Queens in order to exploit it. 19. ... Qd7 20. Qh6+ Ke7 21. Qe3 Qxa4 22. Rab1 Bd5 23. Rb2 Rh8 24. Qc3 a5. Otherwise Qc3-b4+ follows. 25. f3 Kd7 26. Rc1 Ra8 27. Qe3 Rg8 28. Kg2 f5 29. Kf2 Rh8 30. Ke1 Qc6 31. Rc3 Qa8 32. Qe2 Qa7! 32. ... f4!? was another interesting possibility, as after 33. g4 Qd8 White doesn’t seem to have nothing better than returning the Exchange, with an unclear but basically even game. 33. Qd1

33. ... e5! 34. Qa4+ Kc8 35. Rxc4. White can no longer do anything but give back the Exchange. 35. ... Bxc4 36. Qxc4 Rd8. Not 36. ... Qxd4?? on account of 37. Qa6+ winning the Queen. 37. Kf1. Making possible the capture of the d4-Pawn. 37. Qxf7 Qxd4 38. Qxf5+ Rd7 39. Qf8+ was the most direct way to a draw – which Jones, in his psychological condition, might have well considered. 37. ... Qxd4 38. Qa6+ Kd7 39. Qb5+ Ke7 40. Kg2. Jones reached time control in a drastically changed situation, just to realise that the most he can hope for is to hardly strive for a draw. 40. ... Rd5 41. Qe2 Kf6 42. Rc2 Qb4. 42. ... c5(!) suggested itself, as 43. Qa6+ Kg7 44. Qxa5 e4 seems to be a little more troublesome for White. 43. Qe3 c5. 43. ... Kg6 44. h4 (not 44. Rxc7?? because of 44. ... Rd2+ 45. Kh3 Qb2−+) 44. ... f6 seems a little more persistent. 44. Qh6+ Ke7 45. Re2 Rb5 46. Rf2 Qb8 47. Qg5+ Ke6 48. g4 f4 49. Qf5+ Ke7 50. Re2 Kf8 51. Qf6 Qd6 52. Qxd6+ Rxd6 53. Rxe5 Rd2+ 54. Kh3 Rxa2 55. Rxc5 Ra3 56. Kh4 Rxf3 57. Rxa5 Rf2 58. h3 Rf3 59. Rh5 Ra3 60. Rf5 Rf3 61. Rf6 Kg7 62. g5 Kg8 63. Ra6 Kg7 64. Rf6 Kg8 65. Rh6 Rg3 ½ : ½.