迷信 (Superstition)

The forthcoming 6-game rapid match between 12th World Chess Champion Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov and four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), to be taking place at the Ice and Snow World 呼兰河口湿地公园 (Hūlán River Mouth Wetland Park) in 哈尔滨 (Hā’ěrbīn), China, from 4 to 7 February 2018, has something to do with superstition, as 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) herself told 新华社 (Xīnhuá News Agency): “Karpov is well known for his chess style, and he is still today very competitive. The rapid cadence of the match may produce less accurate results than a classic one, but it can repay with its tendency to feature new and creative ideas. I’m looking forward to bring you aesthetic enjoyment, playing beautiful and interesting games! Already in 2010, I played a match with Karpov in 三亚 (Sānyà), and soon after I became for the first time Women’s World Chess Champion, so I hope this match too may make me take another quality leap!”. Eight years have actually passed since their first encounter, held in the far more tropical scenery of 三亚 (Sānyà), 海南省 (Hǎinán Island) from 6 to 11 November 2010. At the time, the 6-game match (consisting of four classical and two rapid games) ended in a narrow victory (3½ – 2½) for Karpov, but it played a crucial role in 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s irresistible march to the object of her desire: the World Women’s Chess crown. Just one month later, indeed, she won the 64-player Knockout Women’s World Chess Championship Tournament in Antakya, Turkey becoming, at only 16, the youngest ever Women’s World Champion in chess history.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov
Friendly match game 1; 三亚 (Sānyà), November 6, 2010
8/6pk/3p1r1p/1bp1p3/p3P3/P1P1B1KP/2P3P1/4R3 w - - 4 44

Position after 43. ... Rf7-f6

After a quiet Four-Knights Game opening, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) slowly dropped into quite an unpleasant situation, but yet in the position shown in the diagram White could still have questioned her opponent’s ability to make progress after 44. Bc1(!). Instead, she misplayed her hand: 44. Bd2? This is (or should be) actually the worst square for the Bishop. 44. ... Kg8? 44. ... Bf1! (Δ ... Rf6-g6+) was almost immediately decisive, for if 45. Kh2 then 45. ... Rf2 attacking both the Bishop and the g2-Pawn. 45. Re3? Bc6? Karpov again misses his most obvious winning blow (45. ... Bf1!), but, luckily for him, his way also seems quite sufficient. 46. Re2 Rf1! 47. Be1. 47. Re1 Rxe1 48. Bxe1 Bxe4 would lead to a Bishop opposite colour endgame two Pawns down. It’s understandable she wanted to avoid it, but... 47. ... Kf7 48. c4 Ke6 49. Bd2 Ra1 50. Re3 Ra2 51. Kf3 Rxc2 52. Bc3 Bb7 53. g3 Ba6 54. Be1 Bxc4. That’s an even worse nightmare. 55. Rc3 Be2+ 56. Ke3 Ra2 57. Bd2 Bf1 58. h4 Bh3 59. Bc1 Bf1 60. Bd2 Kd7 61. Bc1 Kc6 62. Kf3 Be2+ 63. Ke3 Bh5 64. Bd2 Bg4 65. Kd3 Kb5 66. Ke3 0 : 1. For after 66. ... c4 White is in zugzwang.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) bounced back and forth in all the next games, but only in the last one — at rapid cadence — she missed her big chance to equalise the score with a brilliant solution:

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov

Friendy match game 6; time control: 25 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; 三亚 (Sānyà), November 11, 2010

Spanish Game C93

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 0-0 9. h3 Bb7 10. d4 Re8 11. Nbd2 Bf8 12. a3 h6 13. d5 Nb8 14. Nh2 c6 15. dxc6 Nxc6 16. Ng4 Nxg4 17. hxg4 Na5 18. Bd5 Be7. Or 18. ... Qc8 19. a4 Bxd5 20. exd5 Nc4 21. Ne4 Nb6 22. a5 Nd7 23. b4 Be7 24. Qf3 Nf6 and Black is fine, Malakhov – Eljanov, 3rd Chess World Cup, Khanty Mansyisk 2009, tie-break game 2. 19. b4 Nc6 20. Qf3 Rf8 21. Nf1 Qd7 22. Ng3 Nd8 23. Nf5 Ne6 24. Rd1 Bxd5 25. Rxd5 Rfd8 26. g3 Qe8 27. Be3 Rac8 28. Rd3 Rc6 29. Rad1 Rdc8 30. Bd2 Qf8 31. Kg2 Rd8 32. Qe2 Bg5 33. Rh1 Rd7 34. Bxg5 Nxg5 35. f3 Qc8 36. Qd2 a5? A serious tactical slip in a not-too-comfortable position. Black had to play 36. ... Qd8 (37. Ne3 Ne6) with a tenable game.

37. Rd1? And here 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) misses her big chance to equalise the score by a wild Exchange sacrifice: 37. Rxh6! gxh6 (or 37. ... f6 38. Qa2+ Rc4 39. Rh1 with too many threats) 38. Nxh6+ Kh8 39. Qxg5 with crushing effect. 37. ... axb4 38. axb4 Qa8. Black’s Queen and Knight are well coordinated enough to earn him a draw. 39. Qe2 Qa3 40. Nxd6 Rxc3 41. Rxc3 Qxc3 42. Nxb5 Qc6 43. Rxd7 Qxd7 44. Nc3 Ne6 45. Nd5 (45. b5 Qd6! 46. Nd5 Qa3 47. b6 Nd4!=) 45. ... Qa4 46. Qb2 Qd1 47. Ne3 Qd3 48. Kf2 Nd4 49. Qa2 g6 50. Qb2 Kg7 51. Qa2 Qc3 52. b5 Nxb5 53. Qd5? Both 53. Qc4 and 53. Nd5 should hold the balance. 53. ... Nc7? (53. ... Qb2+ 54. Kg1 Nd4 55. Qxe5+ Kh7−+) 54. Qd1 Ne6 55. Qc2 Qb4 56. Qc4 Qb2+ 57. Qe2 ½ : ½.

Close, but not enough. Photo: 谷笑冰 (Gǔ Xiàobīng).