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Elisabeth Pähtz – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

7th Karpov Trophy; time control: 20 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Cap d’Agde, October 29, 2019

Queen’s Pawn Game D02

1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 d5 3. e3 e6 4. Nf3 c5 5. c3 Nc6 6. Nbd2 Be7 7. Bd3 Nh5 8. Be5 f6 9. Bg3 g6 10. Bh4!? Pähtz experiments something new with respect to what she cooked for 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s main rival: 10. dxc5 Bxc5 11. e4 0-0 12. Qc2 Bd7 13. Nb3 Bb6 14. exd5 exd5 15. 0-0 Nxg3 16. hxg3 Be8 17. Rad1 Bf7 18. Rfe1 Qc7 19. Kf1 Rad8 20. Qd2 Ne5 21. Nfd4 Rfe8 22. Kg1 a6 23. Bf1 Nc4 24. Qc2 Re5 25. g4? Rde8 26. Nf3 Rxe1 27. Rxe1 Rxe1 28. Nxe1 Qf4 29. Qe2 Ne5 30. Nd2? (30. Nf3 Nxg4 31. Nbd4 Ne5 is not the optimum, but at least it avoids mate) 30. ... Nxg4 31. Nef3 Bxf2+ 32. Kh1 Qh6+ 0 : 1 E. Pähtz – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), 7th Women’s World Blitz Chess Championship, Saint Petersburg 2018. 10. ... 0-0 11. 0-0 c4 12. Bc2 b5 13. e4 Qe8 14. Bg3 Bd7 15. Re1 Qf7 16. Nf1 Nxg3 17. hxg3 f5 18. exd5 exd5 19. Qd2 Qf6 20. Ne5 Nxe5 21. dxe5 Qc6 22. Nh2 Bc5 23. Nf3 Be6 24. Nd4 Qb6 25. Rad1 Rad8 26. a3 a5 27. Qh6 Rf7 28. Rd2 Re8 29. Bd1 Bf8 30. Qe3 Rd7. White has enjoyed a small but lasting initiative for most of the game, so 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), rather than continue to defend disconsolately (for instance, after 30. ... Bc5 31. Bf3⩲), decides to give up a Pawn in order to gain something dynamic. 31. Nxf5 Qxe3 32. Nxe3 Bc5 33. Ng4 Bxg4 34. Bxg4 Rdd8 35. Bf3

35. ... d4! Black “forcefully” invites a drawn opposite-colour Bishop ending after the exchange of the four Rooks. 36. cxd4 Rxd4 37. Rxd4 Bxd4 38. Bc6 Rxe5 39. Rxe5 Bxe5 40. Bxb5 Bxb2 ½ : ½.