Thoughts and Memories

Karina Szczepkowska-Cyfka – 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 27, 2019

Modern Benoni A61

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 c5 4. d5 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. Nc3 g6 7. h3 a6 8. a4 Qe7 9. Nd2. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) never abandoned her inconstant devotion to the Modern Benoni, perhaps also to exorcise a bad memory: 9. Bf4 Nbd7 10. e3 Bg7 11. Be2 0-0 12. 0-0 Rb8 13. Nd2 Ne8 14. Nc4 b6 15. Qd2 f5 16. Rfe1 Ne5 17. Bxe5 Bxe5 18. Nxe5 dxe5 19. e4 f4 20. d6 Nxd6 21. Rad1 Rd8 22. Qc2 Kg7 23. Kh2 Qh4 24. Bf1 Be6 25. Nd5 Nf7 26. g3 fxg3+ 27. fxg3 Qh5 28. Qc3 Ng5 29. Nf4 Qh6 30. Qxe5+ Kg8 31. Qc7 Rdc8 32. Qd6 Bb3 33. Rd3 c4 34. Rxb3 cxb3 35. Qd5+ Nf7 36. Bc4 Qg7 37. Re2 Rd8 38. Qe6 Re8 39. Qd7 Rbd8 40. Qb7 Rb8 41. Qa7 Qf6 42. Nd5 Qf3 43. Nf4 1 : 0 Bobrowska-Soćko – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), Women’s World Chess Championship Knockout Tournament, Khanty-Mansiysk 2012, tie-break game 2 (time control: 25minutes plus 10 seconds per move). 9. ... Nbd7 10. e4 Bg7 11. Be2 0-0 12. 0-0 Rb8 13. Nc4 Ne5 14. Nb6 Qc7!? Possibly a new move in place of 14. ... Ned7 15. Nxc8 (Shabtai – Lev, Tel Aviv 1992) and now Black should have retaken by 15. ... Rbxc8 with near equality. 15. a5 Ned7 16. Nc4 b5 17. axb6 Nxb6 18. Na5 Nbd7 19. Nc4 Ne8 20. Bf4 Rb4 21. Na2 Rb8 22. Nc3 Nb6 23. Na5 f5 24. Nc6 Ra8 25. Bg5 Bb7. Black has clearly lost the theoretical duel, and after, let’s say, something like 26. Re1! it is hard to imagine how she may get out of her bad situation. 26. Ne7+ Kh8 27. exf5 Bf6 28. Bxf6+ Nxf6 29. Nc6 gxf5. 29. ... Nbxd5!? 30. Nxd5 Qxc6 31. Ne3 gxf5 32. Bf3 Ne4 might have been a little better. Nonetheless, in the next few moves White probably let her grip relax a bit too much. 30. Bf3 Rae8 31. Qd3 Nbd7 32. Rfe1 Bxc6 33. dxc6 Ne5 34. Qd1 Nxc6 35. Rxe8 Rxe8 36. Nd5 Nxd5 37. Qxd5 Nd4 38. Rxa6 Qe7 39. Bh5? Overlooking a tactical point.

39. ... Rd8? Here 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) misses 39. ... Qg5! which wins material for Black, for if 40. Bxe8?? then 40. ... Qc1+ 41. Kh2 Ne2 with inevitable mate. 40. Ra1 Rb8 41. b4 Qf6 42. Ra8 Rxa8 43. Qxa8+ Kg7 44. bxc5 dxc5 45. Qa7+ Kh6 46. Bd1 Qe5 47. Qb6+ Kg7 48. Qb7+ Kf6 49. Qb6+ Qe6 50. Qd8+ Kg7 51. Qc7+ Kg6 52. Qxc5. By now White can even afford to leave her Bishop to its fate without running any risk of losing the game. 52. ... Qe1+ 53. Kh2 Qxd1 54. Qd6+ Kh5 55. Qd5 Kg6 56. Qd6+ Kh5 57. Qd5 Qd2 58. Qf7+ Kh6 59. Qf6+ Kh5 60. Qf7+ Kh6 61. Qf6+ Kh5 62. Qf7+ Kh6 ½ : ½.