Dragon Girl

Anish Giri – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
75th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 18, 2013
Sicilian Defence B70

Notes by Grandmaster Nick de Firmian, Chess Room Newsletter #893, November 16, 2019.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) is another (of three) Chinese players to become women’s World Champion. She follows in the tradition of the first great women’s champion from China, 谢军 (Xiè Jūn). 谢军 (Xiè Jūn) came to play in our Mechanics Institute’s 3rd Pan Pacific International Tournament in 1995, cementing the West Coast – China connection in chess and culture. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) however reached an elite level many talented men would be proud to have done. She is a true chess prodigy and achieved a level far above all other women players of her generation. Her peak ELO rating is 2686, making her borderline super grandmaster in the men’s world. She won the women’s world championship 3 times starting in 2010. Then she seems to have gotten bored with women’s chess and FIDE politics so played only in men’s tournaments.
Many of our club players will remember the fascinating talk 逸凡 (Yìfán) gave here at the Mechanics’ Institute in May last year (2018). She recounted her developing years in China and her current interests. She is a Rhodes’ Scholar! — so studying at Oxford. While in the Bay Area she was doing an internship down on the Peninsula in one of our tech companies (which remains anonymous). She has a delightful aggressive style. I expect our readers will thoroughly enjoy her games below.

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6

逸凡 (Yìfán) chooses the aggressive Dragon Variation. She is playing against the super solid Anish Giri, who hardly ever loses a game.
6. g3. A solid, if less aggressive choice.
6. ... Nc6 7. Nde2 Bd7 8. Bg2 Qc8! 9. h3 Bg7. 逸凡 (Yìfán) has played the opening well. ... Qd8-c8 makes it difficult for White to castle and avoid the trade of the fianchettoed Bishop. The game is about even.
10. a4 0-0 11. Bg5 Re8 12. Qd2 Ne5 13. b3 Rb8 14. Ra2!? Nc6 15. Nd5 a5

16. c3?! White could maintain equality with 16. Bxf6 exf6 17. Nb6 Qc7 18. Nxd7 Qxd7 19. 0-0 f5.
16. ... b5 17. axb5 Rxb5 18. Qd1 Qb8 19. Ra3 Nxd5 20. exd5 Ne5 21. 0-0

21. ... a4! With this shot 逸凡 (Yìfán) starts to get a serious initiave. White has several choices, each with some problems.
22. Nd4?! 22. b4 Rb7 23. Nd4 Rc7 is just somewhat better for Black.
22. ... Rxb3! 23. Nxb3 Nc4! 24. Nc5 dxc5 25. Ra1 Qe5 26. Bf4?! (26. Qc1 Na5 27. Re1 Qxc3 28. Ra2)
26. ... Qxc3 27. Qe2 Na5 28. Rac1 Qb4 29. Bd2 Qb6 30. Bc3 Nb3

Black now has two Pawns for the Exchange and a strong initiative. White is on the defensive.
31. Qb2 a3 32. Qxa3 Nxc1 33. Rxc1 Bxc3 34. Qxc3 Rc8

The dust has settled and Black has a clear extra Pawn.
35. Qe3 Qd6 36. Re1 Re8 37. Rc1 Rc8 38. Re1 e6 39. dxe6 Bxe6 40. Bf1 c4 41. Qc3 Qf8 42. Rxe6?! It is a difficult struggle against the passed Black c-Pawn, but this overreaction gets a technically lost position.
42. ... fxe6 43. Bxc4 Rc6 44. Qd4 Qc8!

The game is technically winning. It takes a while, but there is nothing White can do against proper technique.
45. Be2 Rc1+ 46. Kg2 Rc2 47. Qe4 Qc6 48. Qxc6 Rxc6 49. f4 Kg7 50. h4 Rc2 51. Kf3 Rc3+ 52. Kf2 Kf6 53. Bg4 Rc5 54. Bh3 Rc2+ 55. Ke3 Ke7 56. Bg4 Kd6 57. Bf3 Rc3+ 58. Kf2 Rc5 59. Be4 Ra5 60. Bb7 Kc5 61. Ke3 Ra3+ 62. Kf2 Kd4 63. Bc6 Ra7 64. Ke2 Rc7 65. Ba8 h6 66. Kf2 g5 67. fxg5 hxg5 68. Kf3 gxh4 69. gxh4 Ke5 70. h5 Rh7 71. Kg4 Rg7+ 72. Kh4 Kf5 73. h6 Rg8 74. Bf3 e5 75. Bd5 Rd8 76. h7 Rh8 77. Bg8 e4 78. Kg3 Ke5 79. Kf2 Kd4 80. Ke2 e3 81. Ke1 Kd3. The white Bishop will have to move, now or when the King is stalemated.
82. Be6 e2 83. Bg4 Ke3 84. Bxe2 Rxh7 85. Kf1 Rf7+

86. Ke1 Ra7 87. Bd1 Ra1 is the end. Giri resigned. 0–1.