Hard to Get

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Sarasadat Khademalsharieh

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 20, 2019

Spanish Game C78

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 b5 6. Bb3 Bc5 7. c3 d6 8. d3 Rb8 9. Be3. If 9. Nbd2 then 9. ... 0-0 10. Re1 Bb6 11. Nf1 Ne7 12. Bg5 Ng6 13. Ne3 h6= Stephan – Godena, 30th Mitropa Cup, Merlimont 2011. 9. ... 0-0 10. Nbd2 Bb6 11. h3 Ne7 12. d4 Ng6 13. Re1 h6 14. Bc2 Re8 15. a4 c6. The immediate 15. ... c5 might have been more expedient; for instance: 16. b4 cxb4 17. cxb4 Nh5 with approximate equality. 16. Nf1 c5 17. Ng3 Qc7 18. b4 cxb4 19. cxb4 Be6 20. Rc1 Qb7 21. axb5 axb5 22. Bd3 Bd7 23. Qd2 Rec8

24. Bxh6!? 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) offers a speculative sacrifice which might work out well, especially in a rapid game. 24. ... gxh6 25. Qxh6. Threatening Nf3-g5 followed by Ng3-h5. 25. ... Rxc1 26. Rxc1 Rc8 27. Rd1 Bd8 28. Ng5 Nf4. 28. ... Nf8 was also worth considering. 29. dxe5 dxe5 30. Bb1 Be6? 30. ... Qa7 was probably best, for if 31. Rxd7 Qxd7 32. Ba2 Black can reply 32. ... Rc4! after which White has probably nothing better than 33. Nf5 Ne6 34. Bxc4 bxc4 35. Nxe6 fxe6 36. Qg6+ drawing by perpetual check. 31. Nxe6? Here White misses her strongest continuation in 31. Ba2! Bxa2 32. Nf5 N4h5 33. g4 Be6 34. gxh5 Bxf5 35. Rxd8+! Rxd8 36. Qxf6 Rd1+ 37. Kh2 with a terrific attack. 31. ... fxe6 32. Qg5+? Now White should have contented herself with 32. Nf5! to which Black would probably have replied 32. ... Qf7= with a likely draw. 32. ... Qg7 33. Qxe5 Bc7 34. Qb2 Bb6 35. Kf1 Rf8 36. Ba2 Kh8 37. Rd2 Kh7. Also very strong was 37. ... Bxf2! (38. Kxf2? Nd3+!−+) 38. Qe5 Qc7? Khademalsharieh misses 38. ... Qh6!−+ which might have changed the course of history; for instance: 39. Rd6 Bxf2! 40. Kxf2 (or 40. Nf5 Qg5−+) 40. ... Nd3+! 41. Rxd3 Ng4++! winning by force. 39. Qxc7+ Bxc7 40. Ne2 Ra8 41. g3 Nxh3 42. Bxe6 Ng5 43. Bf5+ Kg8 44. Nc3 Be5 45. Nxb5 Rb8 46. Nd4 Ngxe4 47. Bxe4 Nxe4 48. Re2 ½ : ½.