The Tomorrow Code

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin
80th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 19, 2018
Caro-Kann Defence B19

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 e6 8. Ne5 Bh7 9. Bd3 Bxd3. Nuances from the scrapbook: 9. ... Nf6 10. Bxh7 Nxh7 11. Qd3 Nd7 12. f4 Be7 13. Bd2 Nxe5 14. fxe5 Bxh4 15. 0-0-0 Bg5 16. Ne4 Bxd2+ 17. Rxd2 0-0 18. Qg3 f5 19. Nc5 Ng5 20. Nxb7 Qd5 21. b3 f4 22. Qg4 f3 23. Nc5 fxg2 24. Qxg2 Rf4 25. Qxd5 exd5 26. c3 Raf8 27. Rhd1 Ne4 28. Nxe4 Rxe4 29. c4 dxc4 30. bxc4 c5 31. dxc5 Rxe5 32. Rd5 Re4 33. R1d4 Rxd4 34. Rxd4 Rc8 35. Rd5 g5 36. Kd2 Kg7 37. Ke3 Kf6 38. Rd6+ Kf5 39. Rxh6 Rxc5 40. Kd4 Rc8 41. Kd5 g4 42. c5 g3 43. Rh1 Kf4 44. c6 g2 45. Rc1 Kf3 46. Kd6 Rh8 47. c7 Rh6+?? (47. ... Rg8 would have earned Black a draw) 48. Kd7 Rh7+ 49. Kc6 Rh1 50. Rc3+ Ke4 51. c8=Q Rh6+ 52. Kb5 g1=Q 53. Qe8+ Kf4 54. Qf8+ Ke4 1 : 0 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 郭琦 (Guō Qí), 7th “天津弈诚杯” (“Tiānjīn Yìchéng Cup”) Chinese Chess League, 成都 (Chéngdū) 2011. 10. Qxd3 Nd7 11. f4 Be7 12. Bd2 Nxe5 13. fxe5 Bxh4 14. 0-0-0 Bxg3 15. Qxg3 Ne7 16. Qxg7. The alternative 16. Bb4 Nf5 17. Qf4 g5 18. Qf2 g4 19. c4 Qb6 20. Bc5 Qa6 21. b3 g3 22. Qd2 0-0-0 23. Kb2 b6 24. Bd6 Nxd6 25. exd6 Rxd6 26. Qf4 Rd7 looks quite comfortable for Black, 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) – Giri, 79th Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2017. 16. ... Rg8 17. Qf6!? It would appear one does not know what to invent in order to change the nature of a (very) drawish position. If 17. Qh7 then 17. ... Qd5 18. Kb1 0-0-0 19. Qxf7 Rxg2 20. Ba5 Qxa5 21. Qxe7 Qd5 22. b3 Rd7 23. Qf8+ Kc7 24. Rxh6 c5 25. Rh4 Qc6 26. Rh8 cxd4 27. Qc8+ Kb6 28. Qxc6+ Kxc6 29. Rh4 Re2 30. Rhxd4 Rxd4 31. Rxd4 Rxe5 32. Kb2 Rd5 33. Rh4 e5 ½ : ½ Šarić – Mamedyarov, 42nd Chess Olympiad, Baku 2016. 17. ... Nf5 18. Bxh6 Qxf6 19. exf6 Rd8 20. Bf4 Nxd4. 20. ... Rxd4 eventually followed by the exchange of Rooks might have been a clearer way to claim equality. 21. Rd2 c5 22. c3 Nc6 23. Bd6 b6 24. b4! cxb4 25. cxb4 a5 26. b5 Na7. Probably Black should have played 26. ... Nb4 27. Bxb4 axb4 28. Rc2 Kd7 29. Rh7 Rdf8 30. Rd2+ Kc7 31. Rh4 Rd8 (Stockfish’s analysis) with a likely draw.

27. a4. 27. Rhd1! at once seems much stronger (threatening both Bd6-e7 and Bd6-c7), for Black can not play either 27. ... Nxb5?? due to 28. Be7! followed by mate in a few moves, nor 27. ... Nc8?? because of the “dual” 28. Bc7! with mate coming soon. Therefore Black should have played 27. ... Rg5 (in order to answer 28. Be7 by 28. ... Rdd5), but then 28. a4 Nc8 29. Bb8(!) would have given White a much better position than in the actual game. 27. ... Nc8 28. Rhd1 Rg4 29. Bb8 Rxd2 30. Rxd2 Rxa4 31. Rc2 Kd8 32. Rd2+ ½ : ½.

Artwork © Willum Morsch