Chase the Wind

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)

1st “一带一路” (“One Belt One Road”) Women’s World Chess Summit “秦农银行杯” (“Qín Nóng Bank Cup”) (25+10); 西安 (Xī’ān), December 19, 2019

Bishop’s Opening C24

1. e4 e5 2. Bc4. Curiously enough, the Bishop’s Opening used to be a favourite repertoire of both 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) and 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí). 2. ... Nf6 3. d3 c6 4. Nf3 d5 5. Bb3 a5 6. a4 Bb4+ 7. c3 Bd6 8. Nbd2. Mutatis mutandis, the slightly unnatural 8. 0-0 0-0 9. exd5 cxd5 10. Na3!? Nbd7 11. Re1 h6! 12. Nb5 Bb8 13. d4? e4 14. Nd2 Nb6 15. f3 Re8 16. Bc2 Bd7!⩱/∓ soon pushed White out of her comfort zone towards a painful defeat, 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), 上海 (Shànghǎi) 2018, Women’s World Chess Championship match game 5. 8. ... 0-0 9. 0-0 Re8 10. Re1 Nbd7 11. Nf1 Nf8 12. exd5 Nxd5 13. Bg5 Qc7 14. Ng3 h6 15. Bd2 Ng6. 15. ... Nf6 16. Nh4⩲↑ gives White the initiative anyway. 16. Ne4 Be7 17. h3 Bd7?! It might be losing time. The immediate 17. ... f5 18. Ng3 Kh7∞ appears to be more constructive. 18. d4! f5 19. c4! Nb4 20. c5+ Kh8? This is catastrophic. Black had to sacrifice the Exchange by 20. ... Nd5 21. Nd6! e4! retaining the vague hope of getting something to live for.

21. Nd6!+− Bxd6. If now 21. ... e4 (probably best) there might follow 22. Nf7+ Kh7 23. N3g5+! Bxg5 24. Nxg5+ Kh8 25. Nf7+ (but 25. g3! followed by Qd1-h5 is probably sounder and stronger) 25. ... Kh7 26. Bxh6! with powerful attack. 22. cxd6 Qxd6 23. dxe5 Qe7. Not 23. ... Nxe5 on account of 24. Nxe5 Rxe5 25. Bxb4 winning at least a piece. 24. Bg5! Qf8. If 24. ... hxg5 then 25. Nh4!! finis (25. ... Nf4 26. Ng6+!+−). 25. Qxd7 hxg5 26. Nxg5 Qe7 27. Qxf5 1 : 0. For if 27. ... Nf8 then 28. Bf7 with the devastating threat of Re1-e4-h4+.