Echoes

Although deeply absorbed in her work on the speech she shall deliver tomorrow at the United Nations, and with all the unslept sleep of the Banter Blitz lying on her, nevertheless, four-time Women’s World Chess Champion and Rhodes Scholar 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) took very seriously her swansong in the final for third and fourth of the 1st Online Women’s Speed Chess Championship Grand Prix’s fourth leg as she downed Sarasadat Khademalsharieh 7½–2½. Screenshot from the live stream.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Sarasadat Khademalsharieh

1st Online Women’s Speed Chess Championship Grand Prix; fourth leg; match game 5; time control: 3 minutes plus 1 second per move; chess.com, July 19, 2020

Giuoco Piano C54

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. 0-0 Nf6 5. d3 a6 6. c3 d6 7. a4 Ba7 8. Re1 0-0. Varying from 8. ... h6 9. Nbd2 0-0 10. Nf1 Ne7 11. h3 Ng6 12. Bb3 Nh5 13. d4 Nhf4 14. Ng3 Qf6 15. Be3 Be6 16. Bc2 Nh4 17. Nxh4 Qxh4 18. Qf3 g6 19. Nf1 Qf6 20. Nh2 g5 21. Rad1 Qg7 22. Kh1 c5 23. dxe5 dxe5 24. g3!? Nxh3 25. Qh5 c4 26. Bxa7 Rxa7 27. Rd2 g4 28. Bd1 Qg6 29. Nxg4 Qxh5 30. Nf6+ Kh8 31. Bxh5 Raa8 32. Kg2 Rad8 33. Red1 Rxd2 34. Rxd2 Kg7 35. Ng4 Ng5 36. f3 Re8 37. a5 Re7 38. Ne3 Rc7 39. Rd6 (39. Bg4!±) 39. ... Rc5! 40. Bg4 Bxg4 41. fxg4 Nxe4 42. Nf5+ Kg8 43. Rd7 Ng5 44. Rxb7 Rxa5 45. Nxh6+ Kf8 46. Nf5 Rb5 47. Rxb5 axb5 48. Nd6 Ke7 49. Nxb5 Ke6 50. Kf2 Ne4+ 51. Kf3 Nc5? (51. ... Nd2+ 52. Ke3 Nf1+ 53. Kf2 Nd2 would have retained good drawing chances) 52. Na3+− 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Khademalsharieh, 7th Karpov Trophy, Cap d’Agde 2019 (time control: 20 minutes plus 10 seconds per move). 9. Nbd2 Ng4 10. Re2 Kh8 11. h3 Nh6 (11. ... f5!?) 12. Nf1 f5 13. Bxh6. No good is 13. exf5 Nxf5 14. Bg5 Qe8 15. d4 Qg6 16. d5? e4! 17. Rxe4 Ne5 18. N1d2 Ng3 19. Rf4 Bxh3! 20. gxh3 Rxf4!−+ M. Adams – Barua, 6th NatWest Young Masters, London 1989. 13. ... gxh6 14. exf5 Bxf5 15. Bd5 Ne7 16. Bxb7. 16. Be4 Bxe4 17. Rxe4 Ng6 is fine for Black, Mrdja – S. Brunello, 11th International Chess Open, Verona 2005. 16. ... Rb8. Very interesting is 16. ... Ng6 17. Ng3 Bxh3 18. gxh3 Rb8 19. Be4 ½ : ½ L. Vogt – Brinck-Claussen, International Open Tournament, Copenhagen 1989. 17. Be4 (17. Bxa6? Bxh3!) 17. ... Ng6 18. Bxf5 Rxf5 19. Rd2 Nf4 20. Ng3 Qg8 21. d4!? Finally the first new move of the game, instead of 21. Kh2, which after 21. ... Rbf8 led to a temporary situation of dynamic equilibrium (though easier for Black than White), Paichadze – Aliyev, 14th Open Chess Tournament, Poti 2019. 21. ... e4. There’s probably nothing wrong with it, but 21. ... Rbf8!↑ looks more energetic. 22. Nh4 Rg5

23. Nxe4? White is risking too much by this capture. Correct was 23. Qf1! Rf8!∞ after which there might follow: 24. Kh1 Qe6! 25. Qxa6 Nxh3 26. Qxa7 Qg4 27. Nhf5 Rxf5 28. Qb8+ Rg8 29. Qxg8+ Kxg8 30. Nxf5 Qxf5 31. gxh3 Qxh3+ 32. Kg1 Qg4+ 33. Kf1 Qh3+ drawing by perpetual check. 23. ... Rxg2+ 24. Kh1 Rg5?? Time panic. Obvious and strong was 24. ... Rg7 retaining great attacking chances. 25. Nxg5 Qxg5 26. Qg4+− Qd5+ 27. Qf3 Qg5 28. Qg4 Qd5+ 29. f3 Rf8 30. Rg1 Ne6 31. Rdg2 Ng5 32. f4 Ne6 33. Qf3 Qc4 34. Qe4 c5 35. Nf5 cxd4 36. Nxh6 dxc3 37. Rg8+ Rxg8 38. Rxg8# 1 : 0.