The Higher Lower Game

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Maxim Sergeevich Matlakov
80th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 16, 2018
Spanish Game C89

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 0-0 8. c3 d5!? 9. d4!? A sideline really not appealing. 9. ... exd4 10. e5 Ne4 11. cxd4 Bf5. 11. ... Bg4 12. Nc3 Bxf3 13. gxf3 Nxc3 14. bxc3 f5 15. Kh1 Na5 16. Rg1 leads to the most interesting position White can hope to obtain, Shirov – Bacrot, 24th Schachbundesliga, Bremen 2003. 12. Nc3 Nxc3 13. bxc3 Na5. This is meant to be an improvement on 13. ... Qd7 14. Bg5 Ba3 (that was not bad already), Bacrot – Anand, 8th Corsica Masters Knockout, Bastia 2004. 14. Bc2 Bxc2!? A not too substantial novelty. 14. ... Qd7 15. Bg5 Ba3 was played in David – S. Brunello, 75th Italian Chess Championship, Milan 2015. 15. Qxc2 Nc4 16. a4 Qd7 17. Bg5 bxa4 18. Rxa4 a5 19. Rea1 Rfb8. White’s got nothing out of the opening, but apparently that was what she aimed for. 20. R4a2 Bxg5 21. Nxg5 g6 22. h3 Rb6! 23. Nf3 Rab8 24. Qc1! Kg7 25. Kh2!? White feels a little uncomfortable and begins thinking about tactics. Maybe the King won’t feel home at h2, but it was not safe either way. 25. ... Qf5! 26. Nd2 Nb2!? 26. ... Qf4+ 27. Kh1 Rb2 gave Black a slight and safe edge, but apparently Matlakov wants more.

27. Nf3? Not 27. Rxa5 on account of 27. ... Nd3! 28. Qf1 Rb2 winning, but (very) much stronger seems 27. Nf1! Qxf2 28. Qg5! (threatening Nf1-g3) 28. ... h6 29. Qe7! (still threatening Nf1-g3), which, at the temporary cost of a Pawn, would have given White the initiative. 27. ... a4∓ 28. Rxa4? 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), who lately played very rarely, does not seem too in the mood for coping with a bad position, so she sacrifices the Exchange in the vain hope of finding something. On the other hand, 28. Kg1 Nc4 29. Rxa4 Rb1 seems also hopeless. 28. ... Nxa4 29. Rxa4 Rb2 30. Qe3 Qe4 31. Qxe4 dxe4 32. Ng5 Rxf2 33. Nxe4 Re2 34. Nf6 Rbb2 35. Kg3 Re3+ 36. Kf4 Rxc3 37. Ra8 Rxg2 38. Rg8+ Kh6 39. Rh8. 39. Ng4+ Kh5 40. Rg7 h6 41. Rxf7 Rxh3 42. Nf6+ Kh4 43. Rh7 h5 44. Rxc7 Re2 is no better. 39. ... Rf2+ 40. Ke4 Rxf6? On the last move before time control Matlakov is too scared (by his ghosts) to reject the temptation of making things a little too easy. The right move was 40. ... g5 (41. Ng4+ Kg7 42. Rh7+ Kh7 43. Nxf2 c6−+). 41. exf6 Kg5 42. Rxh7 Kxf6 43. Rh8 Kg5 44. h4+ Kg4 45. d5 Rc4+ 46. Ke5? And so White is the one who makes the last mistake. Correct seems 46. Kd3! since 46. ... Rc1 47. Rh7 f5 48. Rg7 Kxh4 49. Rxg6 Kh5 50. Rg7 Kh6 should lead to a draw. 46. ... f5−+ 47. h5!? The last ditch. 47. ... Re4+ 48. Kf6 gxh5 49. Rc8 f4 50. Rxc7 f3 51. Rg7+ Kf4 52. Rh7 f2 53. Rxh5 Kg3 54. Rg5+ Rg4 0 : 1.

Also today 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) went through her calvary to finally emerge with a ½/4 score. Photo: Alina l’Ami.