Monday Starts on Saturday

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Dronavalli Harika
1st Online Nations Cup; India – China (25+10); chess.com, May 9, 2020
Sicilian Defence B23

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Nge2 Nd4 4. d3 e6 5. Be3 e5. The text (quite possibly a novelty) is more solid than 5. ... Nxe2 6. Bxe2 d6 7. d4 cxd4 8. Qxd4 Ne7 9. Bg5 when an old game continued 9. ... Nc6 10. Qd2 Qc7 11. Nb5 Qb8 12. 0-0-0 h6 13. Bh4 e5 14. Bc4 Be6 15. Bxe6 fxe6 16. Nxd6+ Bxd6 17. Qxd6 Qxd6 18. Rxd6 g5 19. Bg3 Ke7 20. Rhd1 Rhd8 21. Rxd8 Rxd8 22. Rxd8 Kxd8 23. f3 Ke7 24. Bf2 Kd6 25. Be3 a6 26. h4 gxh4 27. Bxh6 Nd4 28. Be3 1 : 0 Tukmakov – Klovsky, 6th Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR, Riga 1975. 6. Nd5 Ne7 7. Nec3 d6 8. g3 Nxd5 9. Nxd5 Be6 10. c3 Nc6 11. Bg2 Be7 12. 0-0 0-0 13. f4 exf4 14. Nxf4 Bg5 15. Kh1 Bxf4 16. Rxf4 Ne5

17. Qh5 Ng6. Taking the Pawn by 17. ... Nxd3 can hardly be good since after 18. Rh4 f6 (not 18. ... h6? on account of 19. Bxh6!) 19. Qxh7+ Kf7 20. Bf3! White enjoys a powerful initiative. 18. Rf2 Qd7 19. h3 f5 20. exf5 Rxf5 21. Rxf5 Bxf5 22. Rf1 Rf8 23. Kh2 b6 24. Bd5+ Kh8 25. d4 Be6 26. Rxf8+ Nxf8 27. Qf3 Bxd5 28. Qxd5 Qe6 29. Qxe6 Nxe6 30. d5 Nc7 31. c4 b5. This natural move is probably wrong. Black ought to continue 31. ... Kg8 in order to reply to 32. Bf4 with 32. ... Ne8 similarly to the game.

32. b3. On her turn, White could have missed here her hidden chance for victory! After 32. cxb5! Nxb5 (32. ... Nxd5 33. Bf4! is even worse) 33. Bf4 c4 34. Bd2! (34. a4? c3!= would lead only to a draw) 34. ... Nc7 35. Kg2 Nxd5 36. Kf3 White, in spite of being temporarily a Pawn down, has a nearly winning endgame, thus confirming the validity of Steinitz’s saying: “The King is a strong piece”. 32. ... bxc4 33. bxc4 Kg8 34. Bf4 Ne8 35. Kg2 Kf7 36. Kf3 Ke7 37. g4 Nc7 38. Ke4 Na8 39. Kd3 Nb6 40. Bg5+ Ke8 41. Kc3 a6 42. Kb3 Kd7 43. a4 Ke8 44. a5 Nd7 45. Kc3 Ne5 46. Bf4 Nf7 47. Kd3 g6 48. Ke4 Ke7 49. h4 Kd7 50. h5 Ke7 51. hxg6 hxg6 52. Bg3 Kd7 53. Ke3 Ke8 54. Bf4 Kd7 55. Kd3 Ke8 56. Ke4 Kd7 57. Kd3 Ke8 58. Ke4 Kd7 59. Kd3 ½ : ½.