A Room of One’s Own

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Jens-Uwe Maiwald
39th German Schach Bundesliga; Baden-Baden, November 24, 2018
Philidor Defence C41

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 e5 4. Nf3 Nbd7 5. Bc4 Be7 6. 0-0 0-0 7. Re1 a6 8. a4 b6 9. b3 c6 10. Bb2 Bb7 11. Bd3 Re8 12. Ne2 Bf8. If, instead, 12. ... d5 there might follow 13. Ng3 dxe4 14. Nxe4 exd4 15. Nxd4 Nxe4 16. Bxe4 Bf6 17. Qd3 Nf8 18. Bc3 g6 19. Rad1 Ne6 20. Nxe6 Qxd3 21. Rxd3 Bxc3 22. Rxc3 Rxe6 23. Ree3 Rae8 24. Bf3 Rxe3 25. fxe3 Rc8 26. a5 bxa5 27. Rc5 a4 28. bxa4 Kf8 29. e4 Rd8 30. e5 Rd4 31. a5 Ra4 32. Kf2 Ke7 33. Ke3 h5 34. Be2 Ra1 35. Kf4 Re1 36. Bf3 Ra1 37. Kg5 Re1 38. Kh6 Kf8 39. h3 Re3 40. Bxc6 Bxc6 41. Rxc6 Rxe5 42. Rxa6 Rc5 43. Ra8+ Ke7 44. Kg7 Rxc2 45. a6 1 : 0 Caruana – Hauchard, 25th European Club Chess Cup, Ohrid 2009. 13. Ng3 Qc7 14. Qd2 Rad8 15. h3 h6!? This is probably new. The “book” continuation is 15 ... g6 16. Rad1 Bg7 17. Qc1 Nf8 18. dxe5 (or 18. Qa1 N6d7 19. Nf1 Ne6 20. N1d2 ½ : ½ Godena – Bellini, 40th Italian Team Chess Championship, Arvier 2008) 18. ... dxe5 19. Bc4 Rxd1 20. Rxd1 b5 21. Bf1 N6d7 22. Qd2 bxa4 23. bxa4 Nc5 24. Qb4 Nfd7 25. a5 Bf8 26. Qd2 Nf6 27. Qe1 Nfd7 28. Bc4 Bh6 29. h4 Ne6 30. h5 c5 31. hxg6 hxg6 32. Bc3 Nd4 33. Qf1 Qc8 34. Ne1 Kg7 35. Rb1 Rh8 36. Nd3 Ba8 37. Qd1 Bg5 38. Qg4 Bf6 39. Nf5+ Nxf5 40. exf5 Rh4 ½ : ½ B. S. Thipsay – Vijayalakshmi, 30th Indian Women’s Chess Championship, Kozhikode 2003.. 16. Rad1 Qb8? Black was still in time to re-enter through the window from which he has exited by 16. ... g6!?, in which case White would have probably continued with Qd2-c1, eventually followed by c2-c4 and Qc1-a1 with a certain edge. 17. Nf5 exd4? This is tantamount to disaster, even though Black’s situation seemed precarious enough already. Probably best was 17. ... b5, but then after 18. g4! (Δ g4-g5) White’s initiative can suddenly turn into a powerful attack. 18. N3xd4 c5. Already sacrifices on g7 and h6 are in the air, and Black has no good way to prevent all threats against his King.

19. Nxh6+! gxh6 20. Nf5 Ne5. Black cannot do anything; if 20. ... Kh7 then 21. Nxd6! with disintegrating effect. 21. Nxh6+ Kh7 22. Nf5! With the threat of Qd2-g5. 22. ... Re6 23. Qg5 Rd7 24. Bxe5 dxe5 25. Bc4 1 : 0.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). Photo © Thilo Gubler.