Mind Games

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) & 温阳 (Wēn Yáng) – Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk & Dmitry Vladimirovich Andreikin
Linglong Tire Cup 2019 (25+10); Belgrade, March 29, 2019
Sicilian Defence B41

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. g3 d5 6. Nb3. Less convincing is 6. e5 on account of 6. ... Nc6 7. f4 Nxd4! 8. Qxd4 Ne7 and Black stands well, Giustolisi – Flesch, 27th Hoogovens II, Beverwijk 1965. 6. ... Nf6 7. exd5 exd5 8. Bg2 Be7 9. 0-0 0-0 10. Nc3 Be6 11. Bg5 Nc6 12. Nd4 Nxd4 13. Qxd4 h6 14. Be3 Rc8 15. Qd3 Qd7 16. Rad1 b5 17. Bd4 b4. Blacks simplify the game, but leave Whites with a dangerous positional initiative. Instead, 17. ... Bf5! followed by ... Nf6-e4 seems to fully equalise. 18. Bxf6 Bxf6 19. Nxd5 Bxb2 20. Qxa6 Bxd5 21. Bxd5 Rxc2 22. Bb3 Rd2. If 22. ... Qc6 then 23. Qa7! Rc5 24. Rd7 Rf5 25. Rfd1 and Whites seem to stand pretty good. 23. Rxd2 Qxd2 24. Rd1 Qg5 25. Rd7 Qf5 26. Qb7 Bc3 27. Kg2 g5 28. Qc6 Kg7

29. a4! Be1? Doubtless both Whites and Blacks could have played better earlier, but this is certainly Blacks’ last and most decisive mistake. 30. f3! Qe5 31. Qc4 Qb2+ 32. Kh3 Qf6 33. Qd5 h5 34. Rd6 Qe7. Alas for Blacks, 34. ... g4+!? 35. fxg4 Qf1+ 36. Kh4 Qf4! (Δ ... Qf4xg4#) doesn’t work, due to 37. Qg5+ forcing the exchange of Queens and a winning ending. 35. Qd4+ Kh7 36. Bc2+ Kg8 37. Rh6 f6 38. Rg6+ Kf7 39. Bf5 g4+ 40. Kh4 gxf3 41. Rh6 Rg8 42. Rh7+ Rg7 43. Qd5+ 1 : 0.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) & 温阳 (Wēn Yáng) vs. Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk & Dmitry Vladimirovich Andreikin. Photos: International Mind Sports Association (IMSA).