Notes on the Oxford Collection

Thus, four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) did not manage to overturn the outcome of her Match of Friendship at blitz ballot, as Saint Petersburg’s Grandmaster Nikita Kirillovich Vitiugov won today too (6½ – 3½). And apparently she did not succeed either in drawing the attention of all the FIDE Presidents in pectore to her vindications for women’s rights and gender equality, at least so far. She will probably meet a more receptive audience at Oxford University, where, from September, she will start to invest her Rhodes Scholarship to pursue a Master’s Degree in Education. Surely, however, she took centre stage today, too, making her appearance to the thronged audiences of the Sanatorium “Siberia” in a sublimely tailored mink-coloured waist cut outfit with double layer wedges skirt and bodice inset pleated — and once again dancing on stage, on décolleté shoes. Photos: Vladimir Leonidovich Barsky/Russian Chess Federation.

Nikita Kirillovich Vitiugov – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

5th Russia–China Junior Match of Friendship; match game 12; time control: 3 minutes plus 2 seconds per move; Belokurikha, July 16, 2018

Trompowsky Attack A45

1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 c5 3. Bxf6 gxf6 4. d5 Qb6 5. Qc1 f5 6. c4 Bg7 7. Nc3 d6 8. e3 Nd7 9. Qc2. Probably improving on 9. Nge2 Nf6 10. Nf4 e5 11. Nd3 Bd7 12. Be2 h5! with fine play for Black, Vitiugov – Svane, World Blitz Chess Championship, Doha 2016. 9. ... Ne5 10. Nh3 Bd7 11. Be2 Ng6 12. 0-0 0-0 13. Kh1 Qd8 14. Rad1 a6 15. a3 Rb8 16. Bd3 e6 17. dxe6 fxe6 18. e4 f4! 19. e5! Nxe5 20. Bxh7+ Kh8 21. Be4 Qe7 22. Qe2? A tactical error that should have costed White the game. Best was 22. Qd2(!), though after 22. ... f3!? 23. Qxd6 Qh4!?∞ White could find some of the consequences hard to handle, especially in a blitz game.

22. ... f3!−+ 23. gxf3 Qh4. Black’s attack is overwhelming. 24. f4 (24. Ng1 Bh6−+) 24. ... Qxh3 25. Bg2 Qh6 26. fxe5 Bxe5 27. f4 (27. h3 Rf4!−+) 27. ... Rxf4! 28. Rxf4 Bxf4 29. h3 Rg8! 30. Rf1 Bc6 31. Ne4 Be5 32. b4 cxb4!? It feels like 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) is playing cat and mouse. Here 32. ... Rxg2 33. Kxg2 Qg6+ might have been simpler (if not stronger). 33. axb4 Qh4 34. Re1 Rxg2!? The time had come for her to play 34. ... Bxe4! 35. Qxe4 Qg3 36. Kg1 Rf8! with mate coming soon. 35. Kxg2 Qg3+?? In the end the mouse escapes the cat’s grasp. 35. ... Bg3! was an easy win for Black. 36. Kf1 Qxh3+ 37. Qg2 Qf5+ 38. Kg1 Bd4+ 39. Kh2 Be5+ 40. Kg1 Bd4+ 41. Kh2 Qe5+ 42. Kh3 Qh5+ (42. ... Bc3! still could give some chances for an advantage) 43. Kg3 Be5+ 44. Kf2 Qh4+ 45. Kf1 Qf4+ 46. Kg1 Bd4+. If 46. ... Qh4 then 47. Kf1! repeating moves. 47. Kh1 Qh4+ 48. Qh2 Qxh2+ 49. Kxh2 Be5+ 50. Kh3 Kg7 51. Kg4 Kf7 52. c5 dxc5 53. Ng5+ Kf6 54. Nh7+ Kg7 55. Rxe5 Kxh7 56. Rxc5 Kg6 57. Kf4 Kf6 58. Rh5 Bd5 59. Rh6+ Ke7 60. Ke5 Kd7 61. Kd4 Kc6 ½ : ½. Beautiful but unlucky.