Swirls of the East Wind

Bassem Amin – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

7th Karpov Trophy; time control: 20 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Cap d’Agde, October 28, 2019

Sicilian Defence B50

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. c3 Nf6 4. g3 b6 5. Bg2 Bb7 6. d3 e6 7. 0-0 Be7 8. Re1 0-0 9. Nbd2 Nc6 10. d4. After 10. a3 Rc8 11. d4 [Amin – Vachier-Lagrave, 6th World Blitz Chess Championship, ar-Riyāḍ (Riyadh) 2017] Black ought to continue similarly to the game with 11. ... d5!? 12. e5 Ne4 obtaining satisfactory play. 10. ... d5 11. e5 Ne4!?TN 12. h4 cxd4 13. Nxd4 Nxe5 14. Nxe4 dxe4 15. Bxe4 Bxe4 16. Rxe4 Qd5 17. Qe2 Nd7 18. c4 Qb7 19. b3 Bf6 20. Bb2 Rad8 21. Re3 Nc5 22. Nf3 Bxb2 23. Qxb2 Rd6 24. b4 Nd7 25. Rc1 Rc8 26. Qb3 h6 27. Rd3 Rxd3 28. Qxd3 Nf6 29. a3 Qe7 30. Ne5 Qc7 31. Qe2 Rd8 32. Qe3 Nd7 33. Nxd7 Qxd7 34. c5 bxc5 35. Qxc5 Qa4 36. Qe3 h5 37. Kh2 Qd7 38. Rc5 Qb7 39. Qe2 g6 40. Rc1 Rd5 41. Qe3 Kg7 42. Re1 Qd7 43. Rc1 Qb7 44. Qc3+ e5 45. Re1 Qb6 46. Kg1 Qf6 47. Qe3 a6 48. Qe4 Qd6 49. Kg2

49. ... f6? After a long stagnation, a new game begins in the mutual time scramble. 49. ... a5! was necessary to maintain equality. 50. Rc1! White is threatening to invade with Rook and Queen. 50. ... f5 51. Rc7+? A conceptual and practical mistake. With 51. Qc4! White would have maintained his powerful bind. 51. ... Qxc7 52. Qxd5 e4 53. a4 Qc3. Black overlooks the resource 53. ... e3! offering the e-Pawn in exchange for White’s a-Pawn. 54. b5 axb5 55. axb5 Qb2 56. Qd7+ Kh6? 56. ... Kf8! was probably the only saving move for Black. 57. Qd8? But, fortunately for 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), it was like nothing had ever happened! Instead, after 57. Qe8! Kg7 (the dramatic counterpoint is that now 57. ... e3 allows 58. Qxe3+ check!) 58. Qe7+ Kh6 59. Qc5 the passed b-Pawn must win. 57. ... e3! 58. Qf8+ Kh7 59. Qf7+ Kh6 60. Qf8+ Kh7 61. Qe7+ Kg8 62. Qe6+ Kg7 63. Qxe3 Qxb5 64. Qe7+ Kg8 65. Qe6+ ½ : ½.

Today 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) fought tooth and nail to ensure herself a draw against the resilient Egyptian Grandmaster Bassem Amin. Photo: Le Récap’, No. 4, Tuesday, October 29, 2019/capechecs.com.