Water from a Rock

Vladimir Vasilyevich Fedoseev – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

“一带一路” (“One Belt One Road”) 6th China–Russia Junior Match of Friendship “国奥棋院杯” (“Guó Ào Qíyuàn Cup”); match game 2 (15+10); 济南 (Jǐnán), December 12, 2019

Semi-Tarrasch Defence D41

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 c5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. e4 Nxc3 7. bxc3 cxd4 8. cxd4 Bb4+ 9. Bd2 Bxd2+ 10. Qxd2 0-0 11. Bd3. Another way is 11. Bc4 Nd7 12. 0-0 b6 13. a4 Bb7 14. Rfe1 Nf6 15. Bd3 h6 16. a5 bxa5 17. Rxa5 Qc7 18. Ne5 Rfc8 19. f3 Qd8 20. Bf1 Nd7 21. Nc4 Nb6 22. Ne3 Rc7 23. Rea1 Rd7 24. Nc2 Nc8 25. Bb5 Rd6 26. Qb4 Rb8 27. Bd3 Ne7 28. Rb5 a6 29. e5 Rc6 30. Rxb7 Rxb7 31. Qxb7 Rxc2 32. Qe4 Rc8 33. Rxa6 Nf5 34. Kf2 Qxd4+ 35. Qxd4 Nxd4 36. Be4 g6 ½ : ½ Salem – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), Grand Prix 2017, 2nd stage, Moscow 2017. 11. ... b6 12. 0-0 Ba6 13. Rac1 Bxd3 14. Qxd3 Nd7 15. Qa6 Nf6 16. Rfe1 h6 17. Rc4 Rc8 18. Ne5 Rxc4 19. Qxc4 b5 20. Qc5 Qa5 21. Re2 Qa4 22. f3 Rd8 23. Nc6 Rd7 24. Rd2 Ne8 25. d5 exd5 26. Ne7+ Kh7 27. Nxd5 Qc4 28. Qxc4 bxc4 29. Kf2 f5 30. Ke3 fxe4 31. fxe4 Kg8 32. Rd4 Rb7 33. Rd2 Kf7 34. Kd4 Ke6 35. Nf4+ Kf6 36. Rf2 Rb1 37. Nd3+ Ke6 38. Kxc4 Nf6 39. Kd4 Ng4 40. Rf5 Nxh2 41. Ra5 Ng4

42. Rxa7. After this 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) will be able to defend successfully the Rook ending a Pawn down, which wouldn’t have necessarily been the case had Fedoseev first played 42. Ra6+! Rb6 and then 43. Rxa7± for now 43. ... g5? fails to 44. Nc5+ Kd6 45. Rb7!+− forcing the exchange of Rooks. 44. 42. ... g5 43. e5 Kf5 44. Rf7+ Ke6 45. Rc7 Kf5 46. Rf7+ Ke6 47. Rh7 Kf5 48. a4 Rd1 49. Kc3 Nxe5 50. Nxe5 Kxe5 51. Rxh6 Rg1 52. Rh2 g4 53. a5 g3 54. Rh5+ Kf4 55. a6 Rxg2 56. Ra5 Rh2 57. a7 Rh8 58. a8=Q Rxa8 59. Rxa8 g2 60. Rg8 Kf3 61. Kd4 Kf2 62. Ke5 g1=Q 63. Ke4 ½ : ½.

In the second rapid game, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) finally succeeded in getting a draw after a resolute defence. Photo: Ekaterina Murzina/Russian Chess Federation.