The Other Half

Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
80th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 15, 2018
English Opening A18

1. c4 e6 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. e4 d5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. e5 Ne4 6. Nf3 Bf5 7. d3!? Nxc3 8. bxc3 Be7!? 9. d4 0-0 10. Bd3 Qd7 11. 0-0 Nc6 12. Re1 b6!? Deviating from 12. ... Nd8 13. Ng5 Bg6 14. e6 Nxe6 15. Nxe6 fxe6 16. Bxg6 hxg6 17. Qg4 Bd6 18. Qxe6+ Qxe6 19. Re6 Rae8 with equality, 周健超 (Zhōu Jiànchāo) – Sasikiran, India–China Chess Summit, Hyderabad 2015. 13. Bb5 Qe6 14. Ng5 Bxg5. Not 14. ... Qg6? because of 15. Nxh7! winning material. 15. Bxg5 Qg6!? 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) plays quite provocatively, perhaps as a consequence of the two defeats she suffered in the first two rounds. 15. ... Na5 16. f4 c6 would have perhaps implied a less syncopated lifestyle. 16. h4!? Kramnik might have won the Exchange by the interference move 16. e6(!), but apparently he felt not sure about his opponent’s compensation. 16. ... a6 17. Be2 h6 18. Bf4 Qe6. The Queen’s dance on tiles seems intended to make White expose himself to the curse of the g-Pawn (g2-g4). 19. h5. So Kramnik takes a turn around it! On the other hand, after 19. c4 Ne7! Black would hold everything together. 19. ... Be4 20. Bg4 Bf5 21. Bf3 Rad8 22. Qe2!? Kramnik still manages to find a way not to play g2-g4. 22. ... Na5 23. g4. But now it’s now or never. 23. ... Be4! (23. ... Bh7 24. Bg2 c5 25. Bg3± Δ f2-f4) 24. Bxe4 dxe4 25. Bg3 c5 26. dxc5. More critical is 26. Qxe4, which, if nothing else, would have compelled Black to show her compensation for the Pawn (a likely hypothesis may be 26. ... cxd4 27. cxd4 Nc6 28. Rad1 Nb4 followed by ... Nb4-d5).

26. ... Nc4! (26. ... bxc5 27. Qxe4⩲) 27. Qxe4. If 27. cxb6 then 27. ... Nd2 28. b7 Nf3+ 29. Kg2 Rd2 30. Qxe4 Ng5 31. Qb4 Qd5+ 32. Kh2 Nf3+ and draw by perpetual check. 27. Rad1 bxc5 28. Qxe4 Nd2 29. Qe2 Qd5!= also results in equality. 27. ... Nd2 28. Qf4 bxc5 29. Re3 Nc4 30. Re4 Nd2 31. Re3 Nc4 32. Re4 Nd2 ½ : ½.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s equipment for her today’s game. Photo: Tata Steel Chess (@tatasteelchess).