會議室 (Conference hall)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Nikita Kirillovich Vitiugov

5th Russia–China Junior Match of Friendship; match game 3; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Belokurikha, July 15, 2018

Spanish Game C95

Nikita Kirillovich Vitiugov won the third of the first four rapid games holding a point lead over 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). The other three games each ended as a draw. On Monday they will still play 10 blitz games. 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 Nb8 10. d4 Nbd7 11. Nbd2 Bb7 12. Bc2 Re8 13. Nf1 Bf8 14. Ng3 g6 15. a4 Bg7 16. Bg5. In the first game 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) continued 16. Bd3 exd4 17. cxd4 c5 18. axb5 axb5 19. Rxa8 Bxa8 20. dxc5 Nxc5 21. Bxb5 Rf8 22. e5 dxe5 23. Qxd8 Rxd8 24. Nxe5 Nd5 25. Bc4 Re8 26. Nf3 Rxe1+ 27. Nxe1 Nb6 28. b3 Nxc4 29. bxc4 Bb7 30. Be3 Ne6 31. Nc2 f5 32. Bb6 Ba6 33. Na3 Bb2 34. Nb5 Nf4 35. Kf1 Nd3 36. Bc7 Bf6 37. Nd6 Nb2 38. Kg1 Nxc4 39. Nxc4 Bxc4 ½ : ½ 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Vitiugov, 5th Russia–China Junior Match of Friendship, Belokurikha 2018, match game 1 (15+10). 16. ... h6 17. Bd2 Nb6 18. axb5 axb5 19. Bd3!? The vintage book gives instead 19. b3 Nfd7 20. Bd3 b4 21. Rxa8 Bxa8 22. dxe5 Nxe5 23. Nxe5 dxe5 24. Qc2 bxc3 25. Bxc3 with a very slight edge, Karpov – Kortschnoi, Leningrad 1971, match game 1. 19. ... Rxa1 20. Qxa1 c6 21. b3 Qc7 22. Qc1 Kh7 23. Be3 Bc8 24. Qc2 Bd7 25. Ra1 c5 26. d5 Rb8 27. Nd2 Qb7

28. f4? This allows Black to sacrifice – quite thematically – a Knight for three Pawns with very fair prospects for a Pawn mass rally. 28. ... Nfxd5! 29. exd5 Nxd5 30. Bf2 Nxf4 31. Bf1 f5 32. Ne2 Ne6 33. b4 Bc6 34. bxc5 dxc5 35. Nb3 Qe7 36. Ra6 Be4 37. Qa2 c4 38. Na5 Rc8 39. Qb2 Nc5 40. Qb4 Qc7 41. Bxc5 Qxc5+ 42. Qxc5 Rxc5 43. Ra7 Bd3 44. Rd7 Kg8 45. Rd8+ Bf8 46. Kf2 Kf7 47. g3 Rc7 48. Bg2? 48. Rb8! might still have saved the game; for instance: 48. ... Ba3 49. Rxb5 Rc5 50. Rb7+ Kg8 51. Rb8+ Kh7 with a draw. 48. ... Bc5+ 49. Ke1 e4 50. Rd5? 50. Rb8 b4! 51. cxb4 Be7! also looks quite bad for White – who will soon have to give back material – but it undoubtedly offered better chances to defend. 50. ... b4!−+ 51. cxb4 Bxb4+ 52. Kf2 Rc5! 53. Rxc5 Bxc5+ 54. Kf1 Ke6 55. Nc6 Kd5 56. Nd8 c3 57. Ke1 Bb4 58. Nc1 c2+ 59. Kf2 Bc5+ 60. Ke1 Bb4+ 61. Kf2 Kc4 62. Ke3 Kc3 63. Ne6 Ba3 0 : 1.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) (left) vs. Nikita Kirillovich Vitiugov (right). Photo: Altaiskaya Pravda.