Armistice Day

Alexander Markgraf – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
39th German Schach Bundesliga; Mülheim an der Ruhr, November 11, 2018
Russian Defence C42

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Nc3 Nxc3 6. dxc3 Be7 7. Be3 Nc6 8. Qd2 Be6 9. 0-0-0 Qd7 10. h3. The alternative 10. h4 doesn’t seem to offer much more; for instance: 10. ... h6 11. c4 0-0 12. Bd3 f5 13. Nd4 Ne5 14. b3 Bf6 15. Nxe6 Qxe6 16. Be2 Ng4 17. Bxg4 fxg4 18. Qd5 Qxd5 19. Rxd5 Rae8 20. Kd2 b6 21. g3 Be5 22. Re1 a5 23. a4 Rf3 24. Re2 Kf7 25. Rd3 Re6 26. c3 Bf6 27. Kc2 Re4 28. Kd2 Re6 29. Kc2 Re4 30. Kd2 Re6 ½ : ½ Lékó – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 50th Internationales Schachfestival, Biel/Bienne 2017. 10. ... h6 11. b3 Bf6 12. g4 0-0-0 13. Bg2 Kb8 14. Ng1. If 14. Rhe1 there might follow 14. ... Rhe8 15. Kb2 a6 16. Re2 Qe7 17. Rde1 Qf8 18. Nd4 Nxd4 19. Bxd4 Bxd4 20. Qxd4 Bd7 21. f4 Rxe2 22. Rxe2 Re8 23. Rxe8+ Bxe8 with equality, Carlsen – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 78th Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2016. 14. ... d5 15. Ne2 Qe7!? Just a nuance on a “book” theme: 15. ... Qd6 16. Kb1 Qa3 17. Rhe1 (Di Berardino – Umetsubo, 3rd Floripa Masters, Florianópolis 2016) and now Black could already force a draw by repeating moves with 17. ... Nb4(!) 18. Nc1 Nc6. 16. Kb1

16. ... g6!? 17. ... Qa3 would transpose into the aforementioned game. Apparently, they wished to celebrate the Armistice Day for a while longer. 17. Rhe1 (17. Bxh6?? g5−+) 17. ... h5 18. g5 Bg7 19. h4 Qd7 20. Nf4 Qd6 21. Ne2. After 21. Nxd5 Qa3 22. Qc1 Qa5 Black wins back her Pawn with interest. 21. ... Rhe8 22. Nd4 Bxd4 23. Bxd4 Nxd4 24. Qxd4 c6 25. Re5. White’s centralisation gives form to an abstract mirage of something to happen, but Black is prompt in sealing any access. 25. ... Bf5 26. Rde1 Re6 27. f4 Rde8 28. Kb2 Rxe5 29. Rxe5 Rxe5 30. fxe5 Qe7 31. Bf1 b6 32. c4 dxc4 33. Bxc4 Kc7 34. a4 Be6 35. Bd3 Qd7 36. Qf4 a5 37. Bc4 Kb7 38. Bxe6 Qxe6 39. Kc3 Kc7 40. Qd4 Qh3+ 41. Kb2 Qe6. Black might still try 41. ... Qd7 — as White cannot exchange Queens — but 42. Qf4 (among others) 42. ... Qe6 would lead to a very similar draw as in the game. 42. Kc3 Qh3+ ½ : ½.