Black Friday

Sophie Milliet – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

2nd Chess Festival Eighth Centenary 2019 of Salamanca University; time control: 40 minutes plus 5 seconds per move; Salamanca, November 29, 2019

Sicilian Defence B40

There is only one round today, and 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) hopes to redeem herself for yesterday’s disaster. 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. g3 Nc6 4. Bg2 Nf6 5. Qe2 Be7 6. 0-0 d5 7. e5 Nd7 8. d3 b5 9. a4. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) faced this King’s Indian Attack many years ago, and Black ended up arriving first also after the immediate 9. h4 0-0 10. c3 a5 11. Bf4 Ba6 12. Nbd2 Rc8 13. Rfd1 Qe8 14. Nf1 b4 15. N1h2 a4 16. c4 Nb6 17. b3 a3 18. Ng4 Kh8 19. Rac1 Bb7 20. Bg5 Rd8 21. Qe3 f6 22. exf6 gxf6 23. Bh6 Rg8 24. Ngh2 e5 25. cxd5 Nxd5 26. Qe1 Qg6 27. Be3 Nf4 28. Bxf4 exf4 29. Nf1 Bd6 30. d4 fxg3 31. fxg3 cxd4 32. Kh2 Rde8 33. Qf2 d3 34. Rd2 Re2 35. Rxe2 dxe2 36. Qxe2 Bxg3+ 37. Kh1 Ne5 38. Ne3 Nd3 39. Rg1 Nf2+ 0 : 1 Skripchenko – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 8th Rencontres Nationales et Internationales d’Échecs du Cap d’Agde, Trophée CCAS Groupe B, Cap d’Agde 2008 (time control: 25 minutes plus 10 seconds per move). 9. ... b4 10. c4 bxc3 11. bxc3 0-0 12. h4 Rb8 13. h5 Ba6 14. h6 g6 15. Bf4 Rb3 16. Qc2 Qb8 17. c4? White’s position was already quite unpleasant, but the text only brings more trouble. 17. ... dxc4 18. dxc4

18. ... Rxf3! 19. Bxf3 Nd4 20. Qd1 Bxc4 21. Re1? Probably better was to return the Exchange with 21. Nd2, hoping to contain the disadvantage to only one Pawn, while after the text move Black wins easily and smoothly. 21. ... Bb3 22. Qd3 g5! 23. Nd2. In desperation, because after 23. Bd2 (idem to say 23. Bc1) 23. ... Nxe5 White could resign. 23. ... Bc2 24. Qe3 gxf4 25. Qxf4 Nxf3+ 26. Nxf3 Qb4 27. Qe3 Nb6 28. Qe2 Bxa4 29. Nd2 Bb5 30. Qf3 Qxd2 31. Re3 Qc2 32. Rxa7 Nd5 33. Re1 Qd3 34. Qg4+ Qg6 35. Qh3 Nf4 36. Qh1 Ne2+ 37. Rxe2 Qb1+ 38. Kh2 Qxh1+ 39. Kxh1 Bxe2 40. Rxe7 Rc8 0 : 1.