黑寡婦 (Black Widow)

Fabiano Caruana – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
5th GRENKE Chess Classic; Baden-Baden, April 6, 2018
Russian Defence C42

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6. In latest times Caruana and 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) apparently share the same taste for the Russian Defence. 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Nc3 Nxc3 6. dxc3 Be7 7. Be3 0-0. Another way is 7. ... Nc6 8. Qd2 Be6 9. 0-0-0 Qd7 10. b3 Bf6 11. h3 0-0-0 12. g4 h6 13. Bg2 Kb8 14. Rhe1 Rhe8 15. Kb2 a6 16. Re2 Qe7 17. Rde1 Qf8 18. Nd4 Nxd4 19. Bxd4 Bxd4 20. Qxd4 Bd7 22. f4 Rxe2 22. Rxe2 Re8 23. Rxe8+ Bxe8= Carlsen – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 78th Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2016. 8. Qd2 Nd7 9. 0-0-0 Nf6 10. h3!? c5! 11. Bf4. Caruana appears to lose time here, as the “threat” against Black’s d6-Pawn is a mere optical illusion. However, also the direct 11. g4 gave way to a more satisfactory position for Black after 11. ... Qa5 12. a3 Be6 13. Bd3 d5 (Pranav – Nazario, 53th World Junior Chess Championship, Pune 2014). 11. ... Be6 12. a3 d5 13. Ng5 Bd7 14. g4 Bc6 15. Bg2 Re8. Black came out of the opening with a very comfortable position, so Caruana looks for tactics. 16. Qd3!?

16. ... Bd6. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) choses to play safely, contenting herself with a nuance of favour in the ensuing ending. Pragmatically, her decision is sound, even though at least two Stockfish’s lines might have produced most tangible results: first, 16. ... h6 17. h4(!) Qd7! and White doesn’t seem to have any way to fuel his pseudo-attack; secondly, 16. ... c4(!) 17. Qg3 Bc5 and Black appears to stand much better. 17. Qg3 Bxf4+ 18. Qxf4 h6 19. Nf3 Qb8 20. Qxb8 Raxb8 21. Nd2 Re2 22. Rhf1 b6 23. Rde1 Rbe8 24. Rxe2 Rxe2 25. Kd1 Re6 26. f4 Kf8 27. Re1 Ke7 28. Rxe6+ Kxe6 29. Ke2 g5! 30. fxg5 hxg5 31. Nf3 Ne4 32. Ke3 f6 33. Bf1 Nd6 34. Nd2? There is nothing more easy than to take a wrong step when you feel your time slipping by. 34. h4 was White’s best chance to keep the ending within the drawing area. 34. ... f5! 35. gxf5+ Nxf5+ 36. Kf2 Ke5 37. Nf3+ Kf4 38. Ne1 c4! 38. ... Ne3! 39. Be2 c4 40. Bf3 Bd7 41. Ng2+ Nxg2 42. Bxg2 Ke5 was a similar, and possibly simpler, version of the same ending (without the Knights), where White seems unable to cope with both his weak Pawns on c2 and h3. Nevertheless, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s move is also very strong, marking the beginning of a long calvary for Caruana. 39. Ng2+ Ke5 40. Be2 Ba4 41. Bd1 Be8 42. Bg4 Bg6 43. Be2 Nd6 44. Ne3 Ne4+ 45. Kf3 Nf6 46. Kf2 Bf7 47. Ng2 Be6 48. h4 Ne4+ 49. Kf3 Bh3! The right and only way to go. After all the exchanges, Black’s Knight will head towards the a4-square (via e6). 50. hxg5 Nxg5+ 51. Kg3 Bxg2 52. Kxg2 Ne6 53. Kf2 Nc5 54. Bh5 Na4 55. Be8 Nxb2 56. Ke2 a6 57. Kd2 b5 58. Bh5 Na4 59. Bf7 Nc5 60. Kc1 Ne6 61. Kb2 Nf4 62. Be8 Ke4 63. Bc6 Ke3 64. Bb7?

64. ... a5? 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) misses a study-like win with 64. ... Kd2!! 65. Bxa6 Nd3+!! 66. cxd3 (66. Kb1 Ne1−+) 66. ... d4!! and finis. But by now she too had only a few minutes left! 65. Kc1 Ne2+ 66. Kb2 Kd2? Black had still a hidden win here: 66. ... Nf4! 67. Kc1 Ke2 68. Bc6 Ke1 69. Bxb5 Ne2+ 70. Kb2 Kd2−+ (71. Be8 Nxc3 72. Bg6 Nd1+ 73. Kb1 d4! and Stockfish announces mate in 15 moves!). 67. Bxd5 Nxc3 68. Bc6 Nd1+ 69. Kb1 Ne3 70. Be4 c3 71. Bg6 Nc4 72. Ka2 Ne5 73. Be4 Ke3 74. Bh7 Nc6 75. Bg6 Kd2 76. Be4 Nd4 77. Kb1 Kd1 78. Bd5 Nf5 79. Be4 Ne3 80. Bg6 Kd2 81. Bd3 Nc4 82. Ka2 Nb6 83. Kb1 Nc4 84. Ka2 a4 85. Bg6 Kc1 86. Bd3 Nd6 87. Ka1 Nb7 88. Ka2 Nc5 89. Bf5 Na6 90. Bg6 Kd2 91. Bh7 Nb8 92. Bd3 Nc6 93. Bxb5 Nd4 94. Bxa4 Nxc2 95. Kb3 Nd4+ 96. Kc4 Nc2 97. Kb3 Ne3 98. Kb4 c2 ½ : ½. What a game!

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s sartorial representation that “Black is OK!”. Photo: Georgios Souleidis/GRENKE Chess Classic.

A telling demonstration of how symmetrical opening can sometimes lead to situations where the first mover advantage may disappear entirely: Fabiano Caruana (left) vs. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) (right). Photo: Georgios Souleidis/GRENKE Chess Classic.